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.
This recipe cooked up creamy and delicious. It has the texture of macaroni and cheese only without the cheese..Itfelt good to serve such a healthy pasta dish. I used a wavy egg noodle, and it worked perfectly. It even passed the test of my Italian husband.. he just needed to add a bit of Parmesan on top. We will definitely serve it again.
This was so tasty! As a way to make the sauce a bit faster, I bought frozen diced butternut squash and microwaved it, and sautéed the garlic and shallots as well as the sage leaves, then combined everything in the blender. Thanks for an awesome dinner!
So yummy. Very flavorful, tasty, and healthy! I will definitely be making this again. Thank you.
Hi Kersti, so glad you loved it!
I will leave out the balsamic vinegar next time. It overwhelms the other flavors..
Do you use salted or unsalted cashews?
Hi Nancy – unsalted cashews. I hope you enjoy!
Do you need to soak the nuts in water before you can puree them for the sauce?
Hi Catherine, we don’t call for soaking them because if you have a high-speed blender, such as a Vitamix, soaking isn’t necessary. If you’re using a less powerful blender, soaking them in boiling water for an hour or so will help them soften.
Would this freeze well?
Hi Catherine, you could freeze it! The sauce won’t be quite as creamy after thawing though.
Delicious! Rainbow rotini & brocolli. Will be making this again for sure – thanks!!
This is a go-to favourite recipe for our family! Great for my picky toddler who doesn’t like most vegetables but LOVES pasta. Thanks for this one!
I’m glad to hear your picky toddler loves it!
I just made this for a gathering tomorrow. I put it all together and it’s now in the fridge hoping it will re-heat ok. Any tips on reheating?
Hi Shannon, if the sauce gets too thick or clumpy after being in the fridge, just stir in a bit of water as you reheat to smooth it out.
Wondering if it’s possible to leave out or substitute the nutritional yeast?
I used grated cheese in place of the nutritional yeast and added some chicken broth bc it was a little thick in my blender.
It was delicious!
Is it ok to sub dried sage and thyme? If so, could you suggest portions? I’ve had trouble keeping both alive this year! Thank you.
Hi Gail, you could use dried herbs here! I’d start with 1 teaspoon of each and add more to taste.
I’m making this right now for the third time in two weeks. Made it for my family and everyone absolutely loved it as did their teenage friends. Made it again for a dinner party and it was completely gone! Making a batch of the sauce now to freeze and make for thanksgiving. I made it exactly as the recipe called for. Love all of your recipes! Thanks!
Hi Sara, aww so great to hear! I’m so glad you love the recipe!
(Beginner Cook) 🙏🙏🙏 very satisfied with this recipe. It was creamy just what I like about pasta. I soaked the cashews in 170ml of hot water aswell while the vegetables were roasting in the oven then just added the whole thing to the blender. Next time I make this sauce I will try less onion and garlic as I have very plain tastes. Does anyone know if I can keep this sauce in the fridge for a while?
Hi David, I’m so glad you loved the sauce! It will keep for about 5 days in the fridge.
Hey, very excited to try this. Is there anything I could substitute the cashews for? Thanks!
Hi Michelle, you could use blanched almonds or 1/4 cup raw sunflower kernels. Chickpeas could work too, though they won’t make the sauce quite as rich.
This was so delicious! Like a dope, I bought buttercup squash, but I read they are pretty interchangeable, and it still turned out amazing. I also soaked the cashews in hot water but only for 10 min and my ninja did the rest. Second recipe of yours we’ve had for dinner this week! Huge fan!
Hi Caitlin, I’m so glad you loved it!
I made a double batch of this, with very few modifications. As suggested by one reviewer, I soaked my cashews in extremely hot water for at least a half hour so they blended up beautifully creamy. I also probably put more squash in than called for, but it was close. I didn’t have enough shallots so I supplemented with a small yellow onion. The taste was pretty amazing! This was my first time using nutritional yeast and it really does have a strong cheese flavor! (None of us is vegetarian or vegan) I served this over penne pasta along with steamed broccoli, rotisserie chicken, and a tossed salad. Raves from everybody at the table! I’ll be making this again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Do you need to soak the cashews first?
How would I use frozen butternut squash for this.??
Hi Pam, You could toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil and salt and roast them straight from frozen at 425°F. When they’re tender (after 15 minutes or so), remove from the oven and mash. You need 1 cup mashed squash for this recipe, which I’d guess is about 3 to 4 cups cubed squash. I’d still roast the shallots and garlic according to the recipe. They add great flavor!
How I could replace the butternut squash with organic canned pumkin? I would like to know how to cook the pumkin puree with the other ingredients, included the shallots. Thank you!
Hi Mary, we haven’t tested this, so I can’t guarantee the results. However, if you’d like to use canned pumpkin here, this is what I would do:
– Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots (diced), the garlic (minced), and a pinch of salt and cook until softened.
– Stir in 1 cup pumpkin puree and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes to warm it through.
– Proceed with the recipe as written, pureeing the sauce in a blender.
I hope this helps! Let us know if you try it!
Can you sub almonds for cashews?