Go Back
Butternut squash pasta in an ivory bowl viewed from above
admin

Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe

Rigatoni in a smooth roasted butternut squash sauce with sage, Parmesan and lemon.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 519

Ingredients
  

  • 700 g butternut squash peeled, seeded, cut into 3/4-inch cubes; about 5 cups
  • 1 medium yellow onion 150 g; sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic 12 g; peeled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil 27 g
  • 12 ounces dry rigatoni 340 g
  • 60 g finely grated Parmesan about 3/4 cup; divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage about 0.7 g
  • 0.5 teaspoon fine salt 3 g; for sauce
  • 0.25 teaspoon black pepper 0.6 g
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice 15 g
  • 1.5 cups reserved pasta cooking water up to 360 ml, as needed

Equipment

  • 1 Large rimmed baking sheet
  • 1 Large pasta pot
  • 1 Deep sauce pot
  • 1 Immersion blender
  • 1 Colander

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 425°F. Toss squash, onion and garlic with olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread in one layer. Roast 25–35 minutes, stirring halfway, until squash is easily pierced and lightly golden. Remove garlic earlier if it begins to darken.
  2. While vegetables roast, cook rigatoni in unsalted boiling water according to package directions until just tender with a firm bite. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water before draining.
  3. Transfer roasted vegetables and any oil to a deep pot. Add sage, salt, pepper and 3/4 cup reserved pasta water. Blend with an immersion blender, keeping the head submerged to avoid hot splashes. If using a countertop blender instead, cool slightly and follow its hot-liquid instructions; never seal hot liquid in a personal blender.
  4. Add drained pasta to the sauce over low heat. Stir in 45 g Parmesan and lemon juice. Toss, adding more pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until the sauce coats the pasta smoothly. Divide into four bowls and finish with the remaining 15 g cheese.
  5. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below for 3–4 days. Reheat to 165°F, stirring in a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Video

Notes

Contains wheat and milk. For a vegetarian version, choose Parmesan-style cheese made without animal rennet. Nutrition is estimated for one-fourth of the recipe with all oil and cheese, using unsalted cooking water.
Video credit: AnitaCooks demonstrates a related butternut squash pasta. Use the ingredient amounts and method in this card for this version.