The oven does most of the work—roasting the squash until its flavors intensify while you prepare the ricotta and parmesan sauce. With just a handful of ingredients, this easy pasta recipe delivers a restaurant-worthy result that will have everyone asking for seconds. Butternut squash transforms in the oven, developing a sweetness that stovetop cooking can’t match. This dish celebrates the creamy texture of butternut squash, similar to ravioli and butternut squash soup. The vegetarian recipe is beginner–friendly, needing minimal prep while delivering rich autumn flavors. The silky ricotta and salty parmesan blend melts into the roasted butternut squash, creating a luxuriously creamy, high-protein vegetarian sauce. This cozy combination brings warmth to chilly autumn evenings, making it a comforting choice for Halloween gatherings and Thanksgiving feasts. Similar to cauliflower Alfredo and roasted pepper pasta, blending a vegetable is a clever way to sneak these vitamin-rich veggies into your dinner rotation,
Ingredients for butternut squash pasta
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How to make butternut squash rigatoni
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BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPES: roasted butternut squash, butternut squash soup, butternut squash salad, stuffed butternut squash. You can substitute pumpkin or another winter squash for butternut squash. To add flavor, roast the squash with crushed garlic powder or clove and a few sage leaves.
Pasta
Any pasta shape works for this recipe. We use rigatoni, farfalle, fusilli, rotini, penne, and even long pasta shapes such as spaghetti and linguine. To make the recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
Olive oil
We recommend extra virgin olive oil if you have it; it’s more stable at high temperatures and has a fruitier taste. We use it to roast the butternut squash.
Salt and pepper
We use sea salt or kosher salt to add taste and black pepper for the aroma. The butternut squash sauce can take quite a bit of black pepper; freshly ground is best.
Ricotta
Both regular ricotta cheese and our homemade dairy-free ricotta work well for this recipe. Ricotta helps soften the sweet butternut squash flavor, making the creamy butternut squash pasta more balanced and fulfilling.
Parmesan
Good quality parmesan cheese adds a complex, savory depth to pasta dishes. Its robust, nutty flavor is complemented by salty and umami notes. You can leave the parmesan cheese out or substitute it with vegan cheese if you are vegan.
Pistachio nuts and thyme leaves
For a pleasant aroma, we garnish the plate with toasted pistachio nuts for a little nutty crunch and fresh thyme leaves. You can substitute walnuts for pistachios or omit nuts altogether and sprinkle with parmesan. Other fresh herbs that work well are sage and parsley. Peel and seed the butternut squash, then cut it into 1-inch cubes. Add it to the baking sheet with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Toss and bake for 30 minutes, until completely soft and slightly browned.
Step 2: make the sauce
Transfer the roasted butternut squash to a food processor (or blender) and add the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, a few thyme leaves, and water. Blend until you have a smooth sauce, then transfer it into a large pan.
Step 3: toss in the pasta
Boil the pasta al dente in a large pot with heavily salted water. Reserve one cup of pasta water, drain the pasta, and add it to the pan. Toss on medium heat for about a minute, adding as much reserved pasta water as needed to make the dish creamy. Optionally, serve the butternut squash pasta with fresh thyme leaves, pistachio nuts, and grated parmesan cheese.
Simple side salad Kale salad Crunchy kale chips Italian salad Steamed artichokes Brussels sprout salad Fennel orange salad
We recommend garnishing with toasted sage leaves and walnuts. This combination adds a beautiful savory crunch that perfectly complements the creamy squash sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: store leftover butternut squash pasta in an airtight container for up to two days. Also, store some reserved pasta water that you’ll use to warm up the pasta on day two.The pasta sauce will inevitably thicken after a few hours in the fridge. Warm it with a dash of water in a pan or microwave for two minutes to make it creamy again.Freezer: this recipe is not freezer-friendly. EASY PASTA RECIPES: Roasted red pepper pasta, 20-minute broccoli pasta, lemon pasta, mushroom alfredo, cauliflower alfredo
