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Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Butternut squash pasta sauce is blended until completely smooth, then simmered silky with cream, parmesan, and warming spices. Toss it with rigatoni or penne so every bite coats evenly.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb rigatoni or penne Dry pasta
  • 0.5 cup pasta water More as needed for thinning and coating
Squash base
  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed About 4 cups
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Creamy seasoning
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup parmesan, grated
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper to taste Add to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Build the sauce
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the garlic and chopped sage and cook for 2 minutes, stirring so nothing browns.
  2. Add the butternut squash and broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the squash is very tender.
Blend and finish
  1. Blend the mixture completely smooth with an immersion blender until no squash pieces remain. Stop and scrape down the sides to keep the texture silky.
  2. Stir in the heavy cream, parmesan, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes until hot and glossy.
Cook pasta and combine
  1. Cook the rigatoni or penne according to package directions until al dente. Keep a bit of pasta water for thinning and emulsifying.
  2. Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce and add pasta water as needed to help it coat smoothly. Simmer 1–2 minutes if needed so the sauce clings to the pasta.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve immediately. Adjust with a splash more pasta water if the sauce looks too thick.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, blend while the squash is very hot and scrape the pot well so no streaks remain. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently with a splash of broth or pasta water to loosen. Freezing is not ideal because the cream can separate after thawing, but you can refrigerate and reblend on reheat. For a lighter option, swap heavy cream with half-and-half and use part-skim parmesan.