Butternut squash pasta is a dish that was inspired by mac and cheese and does it one better. It‘s rich and creamy while being way healthier. Featuring a whole butternut squash in the sauce but also enough cheddar to be reminiscent of that boxed Kraft mac and cheese you ate as a kid, butternut squash pasta hits all the right notes. For extra protein, we like chickpea pasta, but you can use any kind of pasta to supplement this killer sauce. Not to mention, it’s a one hour meal!
Looking for more pasta recipes? Whip up some sweet potato sauce and whole wheat gnocchi for a dish you won’t forget. Or try my recipe for the greenest pasta ever, made with basil, avocados, peas and spinach for a super healthy meal.
Butternut Squash Pasta
Course: MainCuisine: American5
servings20
minutes40
minutesIngredients
2 tbsp butter
3 large cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 medium-large butternut squash, peeled and cut into pieces (about 8 cups)
1 cup milk
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 tsp salt (adjust as needed)
3/4 tsp black pepper (adjust as needed)
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
10 oz medium-size pasta
Directions
- Heat the butter in a large pan on the stove. When it’s warm, add the garlic and sauté until the garlic is lightly browned.
- Add the butternut squash, milk, water, salt and black pepper, and stir. Allow the mixture to simmer until the squash can be mashed with a fork.
- Turn the stove off and use an immersion blender to blend the mixture until it is creamy and smooth.
- Turn the stove back on so that the sauce warms back up. Meanwhile, start a large pot of salted boiling water for the pasta.
- When the sauce is sufficiently warm, add the cheese and mix to help it melt into the sauce. Adjust the salt and black pepper as needed for taste.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions and add it to the sauce when it’s ready. Give everything a good stir; if it looks like there’s too much sauce, don’t worry as the pasta will absorb some of the liquid. Serve warm!
Notes
- We like to use Barilla’s chickpea casarecce for this recipe!
- You can buy shredded cheddar cheese, but I prefer to buy a block of cheddar and shred it myself. Pre-shredded cheeses may not melt as well.
This recipe was adapted from Gimme Some Oven’s Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese.
