This sweet and silky roasted butternut squash pasta sauce is full of cozy fall flavors, including sage and garlic; perfect for an autumnal pasta night!
In this butternut squash pasta sauce recipe, woodsy fresh sage and the warm nuttiness of nutmeg round out the sweetness of roasted squash, onion, and garlic. Grated Parmesan adds savory umami, while a spritz of lemon juice brightens the sauce, ensuring it’s complex and not cloying.
Roasting the butternut squash concentrates its flavor while adding a touch of contrasting bitterness through caramelization. The vegetables roast until very soft, creating a smooth and creamy sauce once blended.
It’s easy enough for a simple weeknight pasta dinner, but it’s versatile enough to be used in other dishes as well. Use it on ravioli, gnocchi, or even layered in a lasagna in place of the tomato sauce. You can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge to use later in the week, or freeze it for a labor-free dinner down the line.
Table of Contents
Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Ingredients
This creamy butternut squash pasta sauce comes together with just a few staples. Choose a butternut squash without any green spots or streaks and that feels heavy for its size. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Butternut squash: Roasted until velvety, butternut squash blends into a sweet, silky sauce with an attractive gold-orange hue. You can use any other orange-fleshed winter squash in place of butternut, but I wouldn’t recommend spaghetti squash for this recipe. Prepare spaghetti squash this way instead.
- Garlic: Roasting the garlic cloves whole alongside the squash tames their sharpness and coaxes out their sweet and mild flavors.
- Onion: As the onion roasts, it softens and sweetens, and the caramelized edges add a complex, toasty flavor to the sauce.
- Extra virgin olive oil coats the veggies, encouraging caramelization in the oven.
- Sage: The savory, woody flavor and pleasant bitterness of fresh sage balance the sweetness of the roasted vegetables.
- Nutmeg adds its signature warm, nutty, and woodsy notes, bringing complexity to the sweet, creamy sauce.
- Chicken stock thins the purée to a saucy consistency, lending body and richness. Use vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Parmesan cheese adds umami and saltiness that balance the sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Lemon juice adds brightness and acidity to the sauce. You can substitute it with apple cider vinegar to taste.
- Kosher salt and black pepper draw out the flavors of the butternut squash and other vegetables. Season to taste, keeping in mind that once tossed with pasta, the sauce will taste less salty.
How to Make Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
This comforting fall-flavored pasta sauce comes together in just under an hour. Plus, the oven and blender do most of the work for you.
- Get ready. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Roast the squash. Place 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash cut into 3/4-inch pieces, 3 peeled garlic cloves, and 1 small chopped onion on a baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and toss well to coat. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer, and roast until the squash is tender and the vegetables are just starting to brown, about 35 minutes.
- Make the sauce. Working in batches if necessary, add the roasted squash, garlic, and onion to a blender or food processor. Add 1 1/4 cups chicken stock, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Use or store. Use immediately, or let cool completely before storing in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
How to Make It Your Own
It’s easy to adjust this recipe to your tastes and what you have on hand. Here are a few ideas to get started:
- Make it vegan. Substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock. Use vegan Parmesan cheese or replace the Parmesan with 1 to 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to taste.
- Swap the seasoning. Replace the fresh sage with fresh rosemary, thyme, or oregano, or substitute the fresh herbs with 1 teaspoon of dried herbs or Italian seasoning. Try replacing the nutmeg with ground allspice or add 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for even more warm spice.
- Make it creamier. To make the sauce even creamier, stir in 1/3 cup heavy cream or plain Greek yogurt.
- Swap the cheese. Instead of, or in addition to, the grated Parmesan, try another cheese, such as pecorino or Asiago.
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
I typically add this sauce to any one of the dried pastas I keep in my pantry. I find it’s equally well suited to long pastas, such as spaghetti, fettuccine, or pappardelle, as it is to short, textured pastas that soak up the sauce, like fusilli, gemelli, or casarecce. But this sauce isn’t limited to dried pasta. Here are some more ideas:
- Stuffed pasta: Try it on ravioli, tortellini, or use it in this manicotti recipe instead of the tomato sauce.
- Gnocchi: Serve fluffy, bite-size gnocchi, such as classic potato gnocchi or ricotta gnocchi, smothered in a ladleful of butternut squash sauce.
- Lasagna: Use it in place of tomato sauce in lasagna, such as these vegetarian lasagna roll-ups, for a fall-flavored version.
Don’t forget the garnishes. To the top of your butternut squash pasta, add a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese, Aleppo pepper, red pepper flakes, chopped toasted hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, pepitas or roasted pumpkin seeds, crispy prosciutto or bacon, or fresh sage leaves fried in olive oil until crispy.
More Butternut Squash Recipes
Soups and Stews
Butternut Squash Soup with Apple, Fennel, and Aleppo Pepper
Italian
Butternut Squash Risotto
Mediterranean Diet Recipes
Simple Roasted Butternut Squash with Lime and Hazelnut
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Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped (1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/4 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth (300ml)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Roast the squash. Place the butternut squash, garlic, and onion on a baking sheet. Add the olive oil, sage, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and toss well to coat. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer, and roast until the squash is tender and the vegetables are just starting to brown, about 35 minutes.
- Make the sauce. Working in batches if necessary, add the roasted squash, garlic, and onion to a blender or food processor. Add the chicken stock, parmesan cheese, and lemon juice, and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Use or store. Use immediately on your favorite cooked pasta, or let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- How to Store: This is not a canning recipe, so the sauce needs to be stored in the fridge and used within a few days. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for up to four months.
- This recipe yields about 5 cups of pasta sauce, which is enough to sauce 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of pasta.
- How to use this recipe on pasta: Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Just before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup pasta cooking water in a measuring cup. Drain the pasta through a colander. Off the heat, return the drained pasta to the pot. Add your desired amount of butternut squash pasta sauce and a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, and toss to coat. Add a few more tablespoons of the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.
Nutrition
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