This creamy, cheesy, baked butternut squash pasta sauce is a delicious way to sneak in an extra serving of veggies. Toss in your favorite noodles and sprinkle some crisp bacon on top; Here’s how to make a butternut squash pasta sauce everyone in the family will love!
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How to Make Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce + Ingredients
A roasted vegetable pasta sauce?! Yup! And it’s amazing! Butternut squash has a uniquely creamy consistency that makes a great potato/cream/milk swap. It’s also slightly sweet which brings the flavor profile of this butternut squash pasta sauce to a whole new level. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Together we’ll roast cubed butternut squash, onions, and bacon with olive oil, salt, and pepper. As the bacon cooks in the oven, its fat drippings will infuse a delicious smokey flavor to our butternut squash pasta sauce.
- We’ll blend that together with ricotta cheese for an even creamier sauce.
- Then we’ll saute some garlic and sage in butter, and mix in some mozzarella and reserved pasta water. If you aren’t using pasta (i.e. you’re using veggie noodles instead), simply use vegetable broth.
- Then we’ll top our pasta bowls with more fresh sage (because it’s SO good with butternut!) and crispy crumbled bacon.
Swaps + Tweaks
As is, this is one of my favorite recipes for butternut squash. But as always, there are ways to make it unique to your cravings:
- Can I make this butternut squash pasta sauce dairy free? Sure can! Use your favorite dairy substitutes for ricotta and mozzarella.
- How about skipping the bacon… You can do this as well, although you’ll miss the smokiness it adds.
- Can I add more cheese? Yes, and sometimes I love doing this. Simply up the amount of shredded mozzarella, or mix in some parm.
Best Noodles For Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Veggie noodles will work for this butternut squash pasta sauce, but I definitely prefer a more traditional pasta with a strong shape and structure. Here are some options:
- Traditional wheat pasta noodles, we love rotini as it’s great at capturing extra sauce.
- A wheat noodle substitute, such as Banza (which I used!), edamame noodles, or storebought almond flour pasta.
- Veggie noodles are great but because of their shape, the sauce won’t cling to the noodles as well. If you go this route, my favorite options include spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or shirataki noodles. You can also use riced veggies as I do when making cheesy cauliflower rice. I suggest skipping the butternut squash noodles here.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this gorgeous pasta dish with bacon and sage on top and alongside your Italian favorites. Think:
- Proteins such as Caprese chicken or pesto chicken.
- Side salads, like this arugula salad or keep it fall with this shaved Brussels sprout salad.
- Baguette or a toasted slice of bread are both great ways to soak up extra sauce.
Storing and Reheating
This pasta sauce stores well in the fridge, and can easily be reheated in the microwave just before serving. I suggest adding a splash of veggie broth or reserved pasta sauce before reheating to keep the sauce luscious and smooth. Stash bacon and sage on the side so it remains crisp as a topping.
More Baked Squash Recipes
- Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Roasted Zucchini
- Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
- Shrimp Scampi Spaghetti Squash
- Roasted Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 3 cups butternut squash cubed
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onion cubed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or avocado oil
- 2-3 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 6 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces pasta spiralized veggies or cooked spaghetti squash
- 1 cup vegetable broth optional if using vegetable noodles
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
- 3/4 cup mozzarella shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Option to line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.
- Place butternut squash and onions on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then toss to combine. Spread veggies in a single layer on the baking sheet, then drape bacon over the top. Bake in preheated oven until the veggies are soft and the bacon is fully cooked, 30-35 minutes.
- Place bacon aside on a plate, and transfer veggies to a food processor. Add ricotta, and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to. your liking.
- Once the bacon has cooled complete, chop into small pieces.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta according to package instructions, or follow my instructions for prepping veggie noodles (below). If using traditional pasta, reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid. For veggie noodles, grab 1/2 cup of vegetable broth.
- To the drained pasta pot, melt the butter. Just before it starts to bubble, add the garlic and sage. Stir constantly until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the pureed butternut squash, 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water or veggie broth, shredded mozzarella, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir to combine.
- Stir in the pasta, and add more pasta water/veggie broth if needed to coat the noodles. Taste and adjust to your liking, I always add an additional teaspoon of salt here.
- Top pasta with chopped bacon and more sage if desired. Enjoy!
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