Dairy-Free Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta is a healthy, comfort food dish that is perfect for the fall season and beyond.  Butternut squash is transformed into a decadent butternut squash sauce that is dairy-free that can also be used as a soup. 2 dishes for the price of 1.

A black bowl filled with butternut squash pasta

This is my new favorite pasta dish of the butternut squash season. When I was testing the recipe I made it twice in 1 week and didn’t get sick of it. 

Cubes of roasted butternut squash

This Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta recipe is so light because it has no milk or heavy cream and it’s good for you. It is also gluten-free and vegan (if you leave out the Parmesan cheese garnish).

Butternut squash, onions and garlic are roasted with sage and nutmeg, blended with vegetable stock for even more flavor and what you get is a sweet creamy squash  purée. The sweetness of the squash pairs nicely with the earthy sage and the nutmeg just enhances all the flavors. You could say this dish is like butternut squash mac. It’s it’s so easy and it makes the BEST leftovers.

Pouring butternut squash puree into a bowl

The Butternut Squash Sauce also makes Butternut Squash Soup

Now, as I’m making the sauce, it dawned on me that it  would also make a delicious soup. All you have to do is add more stock to thin it out and you get soup! You could even freeze the extra sauce for later use and turn it into a soup when you need it. Two recipes for the  price of one.

Blender or Food Processor

For this recipe, I prefer a high-speed blender as it makes the sauce nice and smooth. I was not able to achieve a smooth sauce with my food processor.

Use herbs to enhance the fall flavors

When I’m making any dish with butternut squash you will usually see me using delicious earthy sage and nutmeg because they are just classic fall flavors and the nutmeg really makes the squash even more butternutty (I think just invented a new word).

Which pasta is best for Butternut Squash Pasta?

The choice of pasta is important in this dish, just as I talked about in my mushroom, sage mac and cheese. When pasta is mixed with a heavy sauce you don’t want a flat pasta like bow ties or it will be weighed down and what you’re left with is a flat bowl of pasta. I chose a thick, robust rigatoni that wont collapse and can hold it’s shape under anything that it’s mixed with.

This dish makes the best leftovers

Place the leftovers in a well sealed container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Take it to work for a quick lunch and it’s also good at room temperature so you can take it on road trips.  Don’t forget the Parmesan cheese!

I have another delicious butternut squash recipe that would make an amazing holiday side dish that I made recently, Roasted Butternut Squash with Maple Pecans (see below).

Maple pecans topping a roasted butternut squash half

I took entire halves of butternut squash and roasted it, topped with mouth watering maple syrup and pecans. Roasted butternut squash with maple pecans which makes a great side dish for any meal and would be especially perfect for Thanksgiving.

Yield: 4

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

A closeup showing how creamy the sauce is all over the pasta

A delicious and creamy sauce made from butternut squash and sage that is dairy free and tossed with pasta.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 whole butternut squash, 2 pounds (566 grams) peeled and cut into cubes
  • 1 medium yellow onion (2 cups/293 grams) cut into large chunks
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 1 pounds (453 grams) pasta
  • ½ teaspoon fresh sage
  • 1 cup (236 ml) vegetable stock
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
  2. Spread the butternut squash and onion in an even layer onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle the dried sage, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Toss with your hands to coat evenly, making sure they are in an even layer and not crowded or they will steam instead of roast.
  3. Roast for 20 minutes, then add the 2 garlic cloves to the pan. Roast for 10 more minutes until the butternut squash is tender when a fork is inserted. Remove the vegetables from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package directions.
  5. Add the cooled vegetables and garlic (peeled), sage and vegetable stock to a blender. Blend until smooth to a 'sauce-like' consistency. To turn the sauce into soup, add more stock in small amounts until the consistency of soup.
  6. Drain the cooked pasta and immediately toss with the sauce. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 92Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 3mgSodium 640mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 3g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.