I am always on a hunt to make my pasta more interesting, healthy and delicious! Since butternut squash are so easily available this time of the year, Creamy butternut squash pasta has become my new favorite way to devour pasta. It is rich, hearty and full of flavors.
The only tedious and time-consuming part in this recipe to me is peeling, seeding and chopping up the squash into small cubes. Hence to save time, I buy the pre-cut butternut squash from the store. Doing this not only saves my precious time but that means I don’t have to worry about the remaining half of the butternut squash had I bought it whole.
WHICH PASTA TO USE IN THIS RECIPE?
In this recipe I have used cavatappi pasta made with semolina. But you can use any pasta of your choice. However, I personally prefer fusilli, cavatappi, or rotini as they hold the pasta sauce better thus optimizing the flavor in every bite.
If you don’t want thicker and creamier sauce and keep it light, then use table cream instead of heavy cream in the recipe.
If there is one ingredient that I would recommend not skipping or substituting, that would be ground nutmeg. It makes all the difference and make this recipe so much richer and tastier.
Looking for more pasta recipes? Check out my Pesto Pasta recipe!
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Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 8-10 Sage Leaves
- 3 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 cup Chopped gold pearl onions you can also use shallots
- 450 g Peeled and diced butternut squash
- Salt as per preference
- 2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- ¼ tsp Ground nutmeg
- 2 cups Vegetable broth
- Water to boil the pasta
- 250 g Cavatappi Pasta or any other pasta of your choice
- 2 tbsp Salted Butter
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano Grated
Instructions
- Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a deep non-stick pot. Add 8-10 chopped sage leaves. Within 1 min the sage leaves will crisp. Gently remove the sage leaves and keep it aside on a plate lined with paper towel.
- In the same non-stick pot, add 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 cup of chopped gold pearl onions, 450 gm of peeled and diced butternut squash, and mix everything together.
- Now add salt (as per preference), 2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp red chili flakes, ¼ tsp nutmeg powder, and give it a mix. Cook for 8-10 mins or until the onions are translucent.
- Now add 2 cups of Vegetable broth, stir it and let it come to a boil. Then cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer on low for 15 mins or until the butternut squash is completely cooked and soft.
- Meanwhile, bring another large pot with water to a boil. Then add 2 tsp salt and 250 of Cavatappi pasta. Cook it for 10 mins or until the pasta is al dente.
- Let the mixture cool down a bit. Transfer the mixture into another bowl and make a puree using a handheld immersion blender.
- In the same non-stick pot, add 2 tbsp of salted butter, pour in the butternut squash puree, half of sage leaves, and give it a mix.
- Transfer the boiled pasta directly from boiling water pot to the butternut squash mixture.
- Add ¼ cup of heavy cream, 1 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and give it a mix.
- Transfer in to serving plate, garnish it with the remaining sage leaves and enjoy!