Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta is a cozy, crowd-pleasing dish that brings together sweet roasted squash, fresh herbs, and tender pasta in the most delicious way. It’s the kind of comforting recipe that feels fancy enough for guests but simple enough for a weeknight dinner. With just one squash, a few pantry staples, and minimal prep, this dish delivers rich fall flavor in every bite.

I roasted everything quickly and blended it into the creamiest, coziest pasta sauce — finished with crispy breadcrumbs that had everyone convinced I’d been cooking all day. My friends still won’t stop texting me about it!

Love Butternut Squash Recipes? Try my Baked Feta and Butternut Squash Pasta with Sage and Garlic or this Butternut Squash Sausage Tortellini Soup next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

My picky eater nephew asked for thirds. The squash melts into this ridiculously creamy sauce without any dairy tricks, and those golden breadcrumbs? Pure genius for texture. It tastes fancy but uses stuff you probably already have, and somehow manages to be comfort food that doesn’t leave you feeling gross afterward.

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Ingredient List

For the Roasted Vegetables:

• 1 large butternut squash (about 2-3 lbs), peeled and cubed
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Pasta:

• 1 lb pasta (penne, rigatoni, or your favorite short pasta)
• 1-2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian)
• Reserved pasta water as needed
• Pinch of nutmeg (optional, but trust me on this!)

For the Crispy Parmesan Breadcrumbs:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste

Why These Ingredients Work

Here’s the thing about butternut squash – when you roast it hot enough, the sugars go crazy and basically turn into velvet. The onion gets all sweet and jammy, garlic becomes this mellow, nutty thing instead of sharp and aggressive. Fresh rosemary is non-negotiable here because dried just tastes like Christmas tree needles. Those breadcrumbs aren’t decoration – they’re what makes people remember this dish weeks later.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large rimmed baking sheet
• High-speed blender or food processor
• Large pot for pasta
• Large skillet for breadcrumbs
• Wooden spoon
• Sharp knife and cutting board

How To Make Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

1. Prep and Roast the Vegetables (25-30 minutes) Crank your oven to 425°F. Chop everything up – squash, onion, garlic, rosemary – toss it all on a big sheet pan with olive oil and salt. Don’t baby it, just get it spread out so it’s not all piled up. Stick it in the oven and forget about it for 25-30 minutes. Stir it once halfway through if you remember.

2. Cook the Pasta Boil some water, throw in the pasta. Cook it like the box says but pull it out one minute early. Before you drain it, grab a cup of that starchy pasta water – you’ll need it later and you’ll kick yourself if you forget.

3. Make the Magic Sauce Dump those roasted veggies in your blender with some chicken stock. Blend until it’s smooth. If it’s too thick, add more stock or pasta water bit by bit. Taste it – add salt, pepper, maybe that tiny pinch of nutmeg if you’re feeling fancy.

4. Create the Crispy Topping Melt butter in a pan, throw in minced garlic for like 30 seconds. Add breadcrumbs and rosemary, keep stirring for 3-4 minutes until it’s all golden. Take it off the heat, mix in the Parmesan. Done.

5. Bring It All Together Mix the pasta with the sauce. If it’s too thick, add pasta water until it looks right. Top with those breadcrumbs and eat it while it’s hot.

Experts Tips

Ina Garten’s Wisdom: “The key to perfect roasted vegetables is high heat and single layers. Don’t crowd them!”

Gordon Ramsay’s Secret: “Season every layer – the vegetables before roasting, the sauce after blending, and finish with good sea salt.”

You Must Know

Skip the breadcrumbs and you’ve basically made baby food. I’m serious – this whole thing lives or dies by that crunchy topping. Also, don’t even think about using dried rosemary unless you want your pasta to taste like pine cleaner.

Personal Secret: I always toast extra breadcrumbs and keep them in a jar. They’re incredible on everything – scrambled eggs, salads, even vanilla ice cream (don’t judge me until you try it).

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• For extra richness: Splash of cream or coconut milk makes it restaurant-level indulgent
• Make it pop: Lemon juice at the end – just a squeeze – makes everything brighter
• Perfect consistency: Your sauce should cling to pasta like it means it, not slide off like water
• Avoid disaster: Cook pasta one minute under because it keeps cooking in that hot sauce
• Lazy cook hack: Make the sauce Sunday, reheat Wednesday, pretend you’re organized

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Spice it up: Red pepper flakes if you like heat Get nutty: Pine nuts or walnuts work great Add meat: Cooked sausage, chicken, whatever you’ve got More cheese: Goat cheese or ricotta stirred in is pretty amazing
Switch herbs: Sage instead of rosemary is really good too

Make-Ahead Options

Make the sauce up to 3 days early, keep it in the fridge. The breadcrumbs last about a week. When you want to eat, just heat up the sauce, cook fresh pasta, assemble. Super easy for when you’re pretending to have your life together.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Buying squash: Heavy ones are good ones. Avoid anything squishy or with dark spots.

Blending: If your sauce has chunks, just push it through a strainer. Takes two seconds.

Pasta shape: Short pasta with grooves grabs the sauce better than smooth stuff.

Serving Suggestions

This pasta deserves a simple salad that won’t compete – maybe arugula with lemon and good olive oil. For fancier nights, roasted Brussels sprouts or green beans work great. Wine-wise, anything crisp and white that doesn’t cost more than your groceries.

Look, I’m not promising this will change your life, but it might change your Tuesday night. There’s something deeply satisfying about turning basic ingredients into something that makes people ask for the recipe twice.

How to Store Your Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

Fridge: Keeps for 3 days in a container. The pasta soaks up sauce, so add some stock when you reheat it.

Freezer: Just freeze the sauce, not the whole thing. Pasta gets weird when frozen.

Reheating: Warm it up on the stove with a little stock. Make fresh breadcrumbs or toast the old ones again.

Allergy Information

Contains: Gluten (pasta, breadcrumbs), Dairy (butter, Parmesan)

Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta and substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs Dairy-Free: The sauce is naturally dairy-free! Skip the butter in the breadcrumbs (use olive oil) and omit the Parmesan, or use nutritional yeast Vegan Option: Use vegetable stock, olive oil instead of butter, and nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use frozen butternut squash?

Yeah, just thaw it first and squeeze out the water. Might need extra time in the oven.

What if I don’t have a good blender?

Any blender works, just do smaller batches. If it’s still chunky, strain it.

Can I skip the breadcrumbs?

You can, but why would you want to? Try toasted nuts instead if you must.

How do I know the squash is done?

Stick a fork in it. If it goes in easy and the edges look golden, you’re good.

Can I double this?

Sure, just use two pans for the veggies or they won’t roast right.

💬 Made this? Tell me how it went! Did you mess with the recipe? Add weird stuff? I want to hear about it – especially if you tried those breadcrumbs on ice cream.