When cozy Italian comfort food meets fall, you get Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta. A delicious sauce made with roasted butternut squash, onion, sage, and garlic—all made without milk or heavy cream.

A black bowl filled with butternut squash pasta

Table of contents

This is one of my favorite seasonal pasta dishes. It’s also one of my most popular recipes during butternut squash season. The creamy squash sauce works beautifully as a soup too. Fresh butternut squash is best roasted, not boiled. Roasting enhances its natural sweetness and adds a subtle nutty flavor.

Cubes of roasted butternut squash

I originally posted this creamy butternut squash pasta recipe in 2015. With a few minor text updates, t great recipe remains the same.

Dairy-free soup

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

A great way to enhance the earthy, fall flavors of the squash is with the addition of dried sage as the squash roasts. Dried sage is a better option over fresh sage, as the fresh could burn while roasting. Garlic cloves are also added to the oven towards the end of roasting so they also take on a sweeter, less raw flavor.

Just as in my cheese sauces (like in Baked Gnocchi with Sage and Cheese Sauce) and  béchamel  sauce for Lasagna, a little grating of nutmeg enhances the flavor like nothing else can that deepens the flavor. 


2 bowls of pasta mixed with creamy butternut squash puree

Best Pasta for Butternut Squash Pasta

Toss with any of your favorite al dente cooked pasta shape, this dish is like an elevated, autumn butternut squash mac (minus the cheese). I chose rigatoni pasta. Penne pasta, fusilli, gnocchi and even tortellini are all good pasta choices. 

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.

Pouring butternut squash puree into a bowl

Turning Butternut Squash Sauce into Butternut Squash Soup

Once the veggies are roasted, blend them with vegetable broth or stock—or chicken stock if you prefer. You can even use a bit of starchy pasta water. Use a blender, immersion blender, or food processor until smooth. Adjust the consistency to your liking: keep it thick for a pasta sauce or thin it out for a comforting soup. It’s a delicious 2-for-1 dish!

Freezing Butternut Squash Sauce

This creamy pasta sauce freezes really well in an airtight container. Make a double batch and freeze more for later use. Simply defrost in the fridge and reheat in a pan.

Spicy Butternut Squash Sauce

If you would like to add a little kick to the sauce, a small sprinkling of red pepper flakes would be perfect. Add to your taste.

Leftover Pasta

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!

A closeup showing how creamy the sauce is all over the pasta
5 from 24 reviews

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

Janette
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
Servings: 4
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds (566 grams) 1 whole butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
  • 2 cups (293 grams) onion, 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 pound (453 grams pasta
  • ½ teaspoon fresh sage
  • 1 cup (236 ml) vegetable stock or broth
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package directions.
  • 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.
  • Drain the cooked pasta and immediately toss with the sauce. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.
Serving: 1, Calories: 92kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 3mg, Sodium: 640mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g
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