This butternut squash pasta sauce is creamy, rich, full of savory flavor, and yet uses no cream at all! A secret ingredient gives this sauce it's creaminess, plus some protein, but you'd have no idea it's in the sauce!
Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta
The first step in this recipe is to sauté the butternut squash but you could totally roast the squash instead! This roasted butternut squash would be perfect to make (just skip straight to the second step below!). Cooking the squash allows the pieces to soften, which is key to making this smooth, delicious sauce.
Butternut Squash Sauce for Ravioli
This butternut squash pasta sauce is literally good on any pasta - I used rotini but anything from tortellini to linguine to ravioli. Honestly, it's great by itself as a soup too!
Ingredient Highlights
- Butternut squash - this winter squash is packed with nutrients like vitamins A and C, as well as fiber. As a winter squash, its main seasons are fall and winter!
- Sage - there's something about the combination of butternut squash and sage; they just go so well together! I love to use fresh sage as a garnish but dried will work well too.
- Nutmeg - a dash of fresh nutmeg really rounds out that dish. It's one of those flavors you can barely tell is there but adds a depth of flavor!
- Chicken broth - water can be used in lieu of chicken broth but the broth adds so much more flavor! Vegetable broth could also be substituted.
- Parmesan cheese - this cheese adds a salty tang.
- Tofu - the secret ingredient! Tofu has virtually no flavor on its own so it really takes on the flavor of the butternut squash pasta sauce. It gives the sauce a creamy, silky texture as well as protein!
Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce FAQ
Since butternut squash is a fall and winter pumpkin, think fall and winter flavors! Cinnamon, nutmeg (used in this recipe), ginger, rosemary, thyme, and sage (used in this recipe too) all go really well with butternut squash.
It's the perfect balance of sweet and savory. If you like pumpkin-flavored things, you'll love this butternut squash pasta sauce! This sauce is a creamy, smooth, delicious sauce that goes well with any pasta (or honestly plain).
Yes! The outer skin is pretty tough so I recommend peeling it before cooking. If the squash is too hard to cut through, you can roast it in the oven at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until it softens slightly. This should make peeling it easier!
So many things! I love using it with any type of pasta. It would make a great soup too, just serve it warm in bowls! You could add some homemade stuffing croutons like in this salad recipe.
Other Recipes You May Like
- Savory Rosemary Pumpkin Hummus
- Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
- Easy Sweet Potato Casserole
- Oven Roasted Butternut Squash
- Festive Fall Salad
- Creamy Tomato Sauce (without cream!)
- Spicy Peanut Noodles Recipe
Rate & Review
If you made my butternut squash pasta sauce, please rate and review my recipe below! I would love to hear your feedback. Also snap a photo and tag me on insta @theperfectpearr so I can see your creation!
PrintButternut Squash Pasta Sauce
This butternut squash pasta sauce is creamy, rich, full of savory flavor, and yet uses no cream at all! A secret ingredient gives this sauce it's creaminess, plus some protein, but you'd have no idea it's in the sauce!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Meal Prep
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 cups butternut squash, peeled & cubed into 1" cubes (keep the squash cubes uniform in size to allow for even cooking)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage (~6 leaves) or 1 Tbsp dried, plus garnish
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus garnish
- 1 cup silken tofu, cubed
- 16oz protein pasta
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional garnishes: fresh sage, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Sautee squash in olive oil in saucepan over medium heat until the squash is soft (use a fork to determine softness), about 15-20 minutes. Add garlic and shallot and cook until garlic is golden and shallot is translucent.
- Place squash mixture in a blender or food processor along with sage, nutmeg, chicken broth, cheese, and tofu. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup of pasta water after cooking.
- Put cooked pasta back into pot and add sauce. Add ½ cup pasta water and stir ingredients together. Add 2 Tbsp of pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
- Garnish with desired toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe can be made vegan by omitting parmesan cheese and adding a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and using vegetable broth in lieu of chicken broth!
- Store pasta in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Sauce will freeze well on its own for up to 2 months. Just make pasta whenever you’re ready to eat the sauce!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 132
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 4
- Trans Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 23
- Cholesterol: 5
Keywords: butternut squash pasta recipe, roasted butternut squash pasta, butternut squash pasta sauce, butternut squash recipe, vegan butternut squash pasta, creamy butternut squash pasta sauce
Leave a Reply