Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
Creamy butternut squash pasta made with roasted butternut squash, garlic, and parmesan. The thick and creamy sauce is tossed with penne pasta for a quick and incredibly delicious dinner the whole family will enjoy!
Creamy butternut squash pasta made with roasted butternut squash, garlic, and parmesan. The thick and creamy sauce is tossed with penne pasta for a quick and incredibly delicious dinner the whole family will enjoy!
- Carbohydrate 2.15435500042806 g
- Cholesterol 4.95000001004276 mg
- Fat 2.3638062532796 g
- Fiber 0.256674998197786 g
- Protein 0.57299500038884 g
- Saturated Fat 1.03129250187364 g
- Serving Size 1 1 people (226g)
- Sodium 3.97487500606376 mg
- Sugar 1.89768000223027 g
- Trans Fat 0.110623750157973 g
- Calories 31 calories
Step-by-step
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350F/gas mark 4.
- Cut the skin off the butternut squash and cut into medium-sized cubes. Place on a baking tray with the garlic cloves (skin still on). Sprinkle over the oregano, red pepper flakes, paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the olive oil and rub over the squash with your hands so the squash and garlic are evenly coated in the spices. Roast in the oven for around 30 minutes until the squash and garlic are soft, toss halfway through.
- After 20 minutes of roasting the squash bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the penne and cook according to instructions until al dente, drain. Tip: Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining, see notes.
- Once the squash is cooked, place in a food processor. Squeeze the garlic out of their skins and add that to the squash. Blitz until it's smooth then add the cream and parmesan, blitz until smooth and creamy. Add extra salt if required.
- Toss the sauce through the cooked penne until evenly coated in the sauce. If the sauce is too thick dilute it will a little reserved pasta water (not too much). Serve with torn basil leaves.
Undercooking the squash cubes is the primary reason homemade vegetable pasta sauces turn out grainy instead of velvety. Roasting squash until it yields completely to a paring knife at 350°F ensures the fibers break down fully before hitting the food processor.
Achieving Silky Texture Through Starch Control
Blending roasted squash with garlic, cream, and parmesan creates a dense puree that requires dilution to coat penne properly. Adding reserved pasta water starch-by-starch relaxes the emulsion without dulling the flavor. Substituting heavy cream with half-and-half works if necessary, though the reduced fat content yields a noticeably thinner sauce requiring careful use of the 1/4 cup parmesan to compensate for body.
Roasting Dynamics and Heat Management
Leaving the garlic cloves in their papery skins during the 30-minute roasting window protects the cloves from burning while caramelizing their natural sugars. Tossing the medium-sized squash cubes at the 15-minute mark promotes even browning across all surfaces. Squeezing the roasted garlic out of those skins yields a sweet, mellow paste that blends seamlessly into the squash without sharp raw pungency.
