This butternut squash pasta is healthy, comforting, and delicious! Roasted squash, sage, and thyme fill the creamy sauce with cozy autumn flavor.

Jeanine Donofrio

Phoebe Moore

Updated Jul 30, 2026

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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: