This butternut squash pasta is healthy, comforting, and delicious! Roasted squash, sage, and thyme fill the creamy sauce with cozy autumn flavor.
The first time I made this butternut squash pasta sauce, Jack couldn’t stop talking about it for days. “That sauce!” he kept saying. “That sauce!” Of course, I teased him for it, but if I’m being totally honest, I was completely smitten with it too.
Looking at this butternut squash pasta, you might expect it to taste like mac and cheese. But don’t be fooled. The creamy sauce is rich and nutty, with bold autumn flavor from herbs like sage and thyme. Because it’s so flavorful and complex, this butternut squash pasta would make a show-stopping vegetarian main dish at a special occasion dinner (pasta for Thanksgiving, anyone?). Still, it’s really comforting and easy to make, so go ahead and enjoy it on regular old weeknights too.
Why You’ll Love This Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe
- No heavy cream required! Roasted, blended butternut squash and cashews create the sauce’s rich and creamy texture. It’s totally dairy-free, though Jack likes to top his bowl with a little Parmesan cheese.
- It tastes like fall. The combination of the sweet, caramelized squash with the woodsy sage and thyme fills this cozy pasta dish with fall flavor.
- It’s surprisingly easy to make. This butternut squash pasta recipe feels elevated, but it’s actually simple to make. Just roast the squash, blend up the sauce, cook the pasta, and toss it all together with a little pasta cooking water. So easy!
Butternut Squash Pasta Ingredients
If you love butternut squash, you’ll go crazy for this pasta sauce! In it, the squash is front and center, adding to the creamy texture and supplying sweet autumn flavor. You’ll need 1/2 small squash to make this recipe, enough to yield 1 cup cooked flesh. Chop up the other half and roast it, or save it for a salad or soup. In addition to the squash, gather these ingredients to make this recipe:
- Shallots and garlic – They roast along with the squash, becoming sweet, nutty, and tender. Yellow onion works well in place of the shallots if you don’t have any on hand.
- Cashews – My go-to ingredient for making sauces rich and creamy. Make sure to use raw, not roasted, cashews to give the sauce a neutral flavor. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews for 6 hours before making the sauce.
- Nutritional yeast – It adds umami flavor to this butternut squash pasta sauce.
- Balsamic vinegar – For tang.
- Sage and thyme – They add earthy autumn flavor to the creamy sauce. I love using fresh herbs here, but in a pinch, you can substitute 1 teaspoon each dried sage and dried thyme.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For richness.
- And sea salt and fresh black pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Last but not least, you’ll need some pasta! I like to serve this sauce over rotini, but you can use any pasta shape you like. I recommend a shape with lots of folds and creases to catch the delicious sauce.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
This butternut squash pasta sauce is super easy to make! Here’s how I do it:
First, roast the veggies. Drizzle the squash with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Then, place it cut-side-down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Wrap the shallots and garlic in foil with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and add them to the baking sheet too. Roast for 30 minutes at 425°F, or until the squash is tender.
Then, blend the butternut squash sauce. Add 1 cup roasted butternut squash, the shallots, peeled garlic cloves, cashews, nutritional yeast, vinegar, herbs, salt, and pepper to a high-speed blender. Pour in some water and olive oil to get the blender moving, and blend to form a thick, creamy sauce.
Assembling the Pasta
Once the sauce is ready, the pasta comes together quickly:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Before you drain the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.
Toss the pasta with the sauce and some of the reserved pasta water. Return the cooked pasta to the pot. Add the butternut squash sauce, plus 1/2 to 1 cup of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce and coat the pasta.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Add plenty of pasta water. The pasta water is the secret ingredient in this recipe. It loosens the sauce, giving it a silky, velvety texture instead of an overly thick one. It also adds starches that help the sauce coat the pasta. I often use a full cup when I make this recipe. Don’t forget to reserve some before you drain the pasta!
- Make it nut-free. Replace the cashews with 1/4 cup sunflower seeds or 1/2 cup ricotta cheese. You can also simply omit them for a lighter sauce.
- Get ahead. Roast the veggies up to 2 days ahead and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to make the pasta. If necessary, warm the sauce over low heat before serving.
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Pasta
Jack and I love this recipe with sautéed broccoli on the side. Make roasted broccoli if you prefer, or replace it with roasted cauliflower, roasted Brussels sprouts, or sautéed kale. A fall salad, like my Pear Salad, Caesar Salad, or Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, would pair nicely with this recipe too.
If you like, round out the meal with crusty bread or homemade focaccia to wipe up any sauce that’s left at the bottom of your bowl. It’s so delicious that you won’t want one drop to go to waste!
More Butternut Squash Recipes to Try
If you love this pasta, try one of these delicious butternut squash recipes next:
- Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Butternut Squash Risotto
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ small butternut squash, halved vertically and seeded
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 shallots, coarsely chopped (⅔ cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
- 12 ounces rotini pasta
- Red pepper flakes, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drizzle the squash with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place cut side down on the baking sheet. Wrap the shallots and garlic cloves in foil with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the squash is soft.
- Measure 1 cup of the roasted squash flesh and transfer to a blender with the shallot, peeled garlic, water, cashews, olive oil, nutritional yeast, vinegar, sage, thyme, ¾ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper. Blend until creamy.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted boiling water. Reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta water.
- Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Stir in the sauce, adding ½ to 1 cup of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce and coat the pasta. Season with ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt. Top with freshly ground black pepper, a few thyme leaves, and red pepper flakes, if desired.
So so good! I love the nutty flavor. I forgot to add the 3/4 cup of water to the blender, so my sauce wasn’t as creamy, but still delicious. Definitely making this again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
So so so good! My whole family (and dad who usually dislikes squash) loved this! Insta: @buddha_bowl_bum
It was amazing and super easy. Thank you!
Hi! Do you think it’s possible to sub red onion for the shallot? Also would red wine or Apple cider vinegar be okay for the balsamic or should we go get some?
Love the recipes!
Hi Chris – yes, I think red onion would be fine. I think apple cider vinegar would be great.
The red onion worked perfectly and we ended up having balsamic. I’m not a huge butternut squash fan but my wife loves it so I was a bit hesitant. It was delicious, so balanced with the sweetness of the squash along with the roasted onion and garlic, the savory herbaceous sage and the brightness of the vinegar! We will definitely be making again!!
This looks delicious–thanks! Do you chop the shallots before or after putting them in the oven? Thanks!
Hi Andrea, chop them before – afterward they go into the blender with everything else.
Just made this for our dinner and it did not disappoint! So delicious despite the fact that I forgot to buy some sage so just had the thyme. The balsamic really lifts it I thought too.
My husband really enjoyed it as well and he’s not usually into vegan food so much! Thank you so much for the recipe, will be making again.
P.S. found your website via the latest Apple release because your site was on one of the screens they were demo-ing!
This recipe is unreal! I was skeptical because I’m not a huge fan of butternut squash, but this is SO GOOD.
Do i put the balsamic vinegar in the Sauce?
yep, in step 3
Can you give us a better idea of how much butternut to use? “1/2 small butternut” doesn’t really help because they vary so much in size and shape. Even a weight would be helpful.
Could you give me a better idea of how much butternut squash to use?
Hi Ally, you’ll use half or a little less – once it’s roasted you measure 1 cup of the soft squash for the sauce.
Think the sauce would freeze well?
Miss you in Austin!
Hi John, aw, ha ha. The texture gets a little chunky and isn’t as smooth. I had to re-blend after it thawed to get it smooth again.
Hi, looks amazing. Could I sub pumpkin?
Made this and the flavor was incredible! Only thing was my sauce was a bit crunchy from the cashews. I used my Ninja food processor to blend it. I re-read the directions but don’t see anything about soaking the cashews first. Wondering if I was supposed to to get a creamier sauce?
Hi Sarah, yep, it’s supposed to be creamy. You could try soaking them if your blender won’t get them super creamy – and/or I’d try blending a little longer.
Made this tonight for dinner. It’s delicious! I only made a small amount of pasta. How long will this sauce keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Becky, I’m so glad you loved it! I keep it up to about 5 days. If it gets thick, stir in more pasta water.
I just made this for my post- half-marathon meal. It was fantastic. Thanks. 🙂
I’m freezing extra sauce for colder days.
Hi! I love all of your amazing recipies!! I was wondering if I could purchase this book in print! I would love to have it to pour over!
Thank you so much!
Rachel 🙂
This butternut squash pasta is truly amazing, and is a new favorite in my household
I was worried it would taste like Mac and cheese but it doesn’t at all
I put a few fried sage leaves on top and used chickpea pasta.
I don’t have butternut squash on hand so would be using kabocha type squash. Approximately how many cups does this recipe use? I realize I can eyeball it but it would be helpful to ensure balance of flavours to have an approximate. Thanks so much.
Hi Nancy, the recipe uses 1 cup of the cooked squash mash. I’ve found butternut to be more watery than kabocha so you might have to add more water to the blender if the sauce is too thick. Hope that helps!
I made some variation of this and all I can say is Wow!! Putting squash on grocery list.
HI! This looks so delicious but I was wondering what would be a good substitute if allergic nuts? Thanks so much
Hi Ursula, I would use raw hulled sunflower seeds or white beans. With sunflower seeds you might need a little more water in the blender if the sauce is thick… with beans you might want to start with a little less water.
Hi, we have a nut allergy- are the cashews necessary? Any suggestions for a replacement?