I know what you were thinking just now. I’ve got that thing, telepathy. I’m one of the X-Men.
OK, not really, but I bet you were thinking, “Is that nacho cheese on that pasta?” This is only for those folks who didn’t read the title (what a spoiler that is, right?).
I am not above nacho cheese pasta. I’ve never tried that, but I’ve probably been pretty close with boxed macaroni before. But this is not nacho cheese pasta. It’s butternut squash pasta. Because it’s THAT time of year.
And I’ve got to say, this is one of the most creamy pasta sauces you can make. So it’s sort of amazing that it’s mostly vegetables. There’s still cream and cheese in it, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t say this is health food. But it’s certainly packed with more nutrition than boxed macaroni and cheese.ย
Butternut Squash Pasta, serves 3-4.ย
16 oz. pasta (I used rigatoni)
16 oz. butternut squash
1 tablespoon butter
5 sage leaves
1 cup cream
1 yolk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
First we need to peel and cook the butternut squash. There are a few different ways to do this. I decided to use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Then I cut the meat of the squash into cubes. I placed the squash, butter, and sage leaves in a slow cooker and cooked on low for two hours.
Blend the squash and juices together until smooth. Remove the sage leaves before blending.ย
In a sauce pan, combine the squash, cream, a little nutmeg, and black pepper. Start moderate to light with the seasoning as you can always add more later. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in the egg yolk and continue to cook. Add in the parmesan cheese, stir, and continue to cook until smooth. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.ย
While cooking the sauce, cook the pasta according to the directions. Strain and add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine.
Top with a little more cheese and black pepper. Make this sometime this week. It’s just so good! xo. Emma
Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz. pasta I used rigatoni
- 16 oz. butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 5 sage leaves
- 1 cup cream
- 1 yolk
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- nutmeg salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-
First we need to peel and cook the butternut squash. There are a few different ways to do this. I decided to use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Then I cut the meat of the squash into cubes. I placed the squash, butter, and sage leaves in a slow cooker and cooked on low for two hours.
-
Blend the squash and juices together until smooth. Remove the sage leaves before blending.
-
In a sauce pan, combine the squash, cream, a little nutmeg, and black pepper. Start moderate to light with the seasoning as you can always add more later. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in the egg yolk and continue to cook. Add in the parmesan cheese, stir, and continue to cook until smooth. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
-
While cooking the sauce, cook the pasta according to the directions. Strain and add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Top with a little more cheese and black pepper.
59 Comments
Looks really yummy. I would substitute a regular pasta for gluten free one!!!!
http://www.madelinefedmont.com/how-to-start-eating-healthy/
As someone who can’t eat tomato sauce without a serious stomach ache, this sounds amazing! I love what a bright, colorful look this dish has, too.
Cat
http://oddlylovely.com
any tips for blender-less college students? Other than buying a blender… ๐
Oh goodness, can I leave work right now and go home and make this? My heart & stomach say yes but my head says no….
Anyways, I really can’t wait to try this dish.
I mayyy be drooling at my desk. This is going to happen in the near future.
Maggie
http://www.unboundprocess.com
This recipe looks Amazing!! I will definitely be trying it.
This looks amazing. Day off dinner, here I come!
Oh my goodness…this looks amazing.
Lovely photographes! Definitely is making me hungry!
http://www.julialundin.com
I will definitely be trying this recipe. I absolutely love butternut squash, and I love parmesan cheese too – this recipe is a match made in heaven!
Claire
http://daydreamsinthegarden.blogspot.co.uk
O-M-G, this looks ahhhmazing! You’ve outdone yourself, Emma!
I can’t wait to try this. I don’t eat pasta but it would great on some streamed veggies.
I’m thinking all that this is missing is some steamed vegetables of some sort. Would steamed squash be weird??
I love anything involving butternut squash. I’m definitely gonna have to try my hand at this! Thanks for the recipe! ๐
This looks SO good! Such a great comfort food dish!
http://sometimesgracefully.com
I’m guessing you also don’t own a food processor?
If you cook the squash long enough you can mash it up but it won’t be as smooth if you don’t blend.
Maybe put a blender on your holiday wish list?
-Emma
Okay, I never comment but, I have to say — I have been a reader for years and have always loved your blog, but you girls (and crew!) are kicking some serious ass lately. I love and want to make everything you’ve come up with lately (food and dรฉcor). I appreciate and respect that you work hard for your blog, and its success is in direct relation to the work and love you put in it! Thanks for the ideas ๐
This looks AMAZING, I can’t wait to try it!
Tell your head to listen to your heart. ๐
-Emma
Hmm. You know, I haven’t exactly steamed squash before so I’m not sure. You might try serving this along side something green. I like colorful dinners. ๐
-Emma
Seriously, you are killing this pregnant lady with the pasta. I even have a butternut squash already. Looks like I’m making this asap. Darn you! ๐ Looks delicious.
I cannot describe how much I want this! It is a healthier for you Alfredo!
http://thatsmagsforyou.com
This looks like the perfect dish to make on my day off next week! I can’t wait to try it out because it just looks so dang creamy and delicious!
xoxo
Taylor
oh wow this sounds good and would be perfect for lunches for uni. Thank you! ๐
hi, i was wondering if there is an email i could reach you at. i can’t seem to find it anywhere on the blog/ thanks. amy
hi. i was wondering if there is an email i could reach you at. i can’t seem to find it on the site. thanks. amy
I make this same pasta and it is amazing! Butternut squash pasta is one of my favorite pastas!
I love butternut squash. What an awesome fall pasta. Yum!
Wow I have never thought of making a sauce out of butternut squash. You guys are so creative! I have to totally try this. p.s. I thought it was nacho cheese
Yum! What a perfect fall dish!
xoxo
The Accidental Mama
http://www.theaccidentalmama.com
Looks so yum! x
https://www.marjorievie.blogspot.com
Oh ma gawd!
This looks so gooooooood. Even though I just had dinner – seeing this has made me hungry again ๐
Thanks for sharing! YUM!
C x
This looks so amazing!
Madeleine, The Daily Mark
Looks delicious!
Fashion latte with vanilla
This looks delicious! Need to give this ago.
Lorna | http://www.studsanddreams.com xx
This sounds amazing! I must say, though, that from the title I was hoping that you had made the pasta out of butternut squash. Maybe that’s coming soon?? ๐
Just made this with a package of frozen butternut squash and almond milk instead of cream. Turned out delicious! Thanks, Emma!
Looks like my Monday lunch is sorter! What a beauty!
This. looks. amazing Emma! I love it. Butternut squash and pasta are two of my favorite things, and I love how creamy and similar to regular cheese sauce this looks. Will be making this very soon!
My goodness this looks delicious! You can fool any kid into eating this, having them think its mac n cheese, hee hee. yummmm!!!
Yes! Butternut squash on pasta is so delicious, but take it up a notch with butternut squash mac & cheese. You won’t be disappointed!
No slow-cooker at my house. Is there another way I can cook the squash? Maybe in the oven on low heat, approx. 300F for an hour or so until soft?
Made this over the weekend — AMAZING!!! I added a couple dashes of cinnamon. It was sooooo gooooood. Thank you for giving me a new butternut squash recipe to play with. Can’t wait to make it again!
Mmmm we just served butternut squash pasta at our house last week! My recipe is similar to yours except I skipped the cream and the egg yolk and added just a tablespoon or two of low fat cream cheese to the butternut squash for creaminess. I also fried up some turkey bacon and crumbled that into the pasta for a bit of salt and flavor.
Thanks for sharing!
xo Rachel
This is amazing, I actually served it to my little sister and told her it was macaroni & cheese – she totally believed it and didn’t even know she was eating something healthy!!
That looks freaking delish! Perfect for autumn too when you’re in need of some carby comfort
More than a full size blender you could get a small hand mixer for $40 or less. It doesn’t take much space and quite frankly, it does a pretty good job at blending pretty much anything when it’s cooked well enough (don’t use it for mashed potatos though….it will turn them into glue for some reason). I do everything with my super old hand mixer (seriously I inherited it from my Grand-father and it’s probably as old as me (28) but boy is it efficient) from soup (potage) to smoothies. I’m sure it would be fantastic for a dorm. http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/oster-hand-blender-with-blending-cup/6000016935648
YUM – this looks AMAZING!!!
Can’t wait to try ๐ If it’s half as good as the baked apple recipe from a few weeks ago, well then my tastebuds are in for a treat!
Alex from http://www.yyztobos.com
mmm, this sounds so good!
xxoo,
nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
Yum x 1,000,000!!!
Get a Magic Bullet. It’s not too expensive and it’s small and so convenient. I used mine all the time for smoothies and quick cooking jobs.
Perfect comfort food for the rainy days coming here in France ^^
Charline
I made this dish yesterday, we just happened to have half a butternut in the fridge! I cooked my butternut with the butter and herbs in a wok with the lid on, it took about 20 minutes. I also added fried bacon, mushrooms and prawns. It was lovely so thanks for sharing. I have some recipes on my own blog at http://www.lifeofpottering.co.uk if anyone is interested. ๐
Looks so yummy and perfect dinner for a day spent shoveling the driveway when the snow comes! Can’t wait to try this
Good lord that looks amazing.
Hey Emma!
I’ve been following the blog for about three years now, but I haven’t gotten the chance to fulfill any of the amazing things you folks post because undergrad life (and now grad life!) just didn’t allow me.
I did make this, though! And I wanted to express a HUGE T H A N K Y O U! This recipe was easy, cheap, and amazing! I just moved into my apartment, and I don’t have a lot of utensils just yet, but it is totally easy to make even without a blender.
You’re great. Thanks for posting things that the “average” human can accomplish.
This looks so good! I want this for dinner tomorrow ๐
I was also thinking that veggies would sound great. Any tips for choosing the right ones?
What’s a good non dairy substitute for the cream?