Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach is a perfect Autumn comfort food. This easy and flavorful recipe is packed with veggies and will become your favorite Fall and Winter family weeknight dinner!
Butternut Squash Pasta - Seasonal and Holiday Main Course
Butternut squash pasta is one of those recipes you would probably make only in the Fall and Winter when the butternut squash is in season. Which makes this pasta so much more special! It's so good I hope you will be looking forward to making it every year! My other favorite butternut squash pasta dish that I highly recommend is butternut squash and spinach lasagna.
This easy pasta is also a great holiday main course. If you want to expand your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu, add this colorful and flavorful butternut squash pasta to your holiday menu! Another fantastic holiday recipe is Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries.
Why Make Butternut Squash Pasta
This butternut squash pasta is one of those rare pasta recipes that combine both comfort food deliciousness and healthy ingredients. This pasta is surely comforting yet it's packed with fiber and nutrients. A perfect family weeknight dinner!
- Butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6, C, and E, as well as several minerals, including magnesium, manganese, and potassium. Butternut squash is also rich in dietary fiber.
- Spinach is packed with nutrients and antioxidants. It’s high in fiber and a good source of many vitamins and minerals. Spinach is a great source of vitamins A and C, as well as folic acid, iron, and calcium.
How To Make Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- Bow Tie Pasta. This recipe uses an Italian pasta, called Farfalle, or bow tie pasta. The bow-tie shape of this pasta works very well with the cubed butternut squash and add an appealing look to your dinner. Cook bow-tie pasta al dente for best texture.
- Butternut Squash. This wonderful vegetable is known for its subtly sweet and nutty flavor. In this recipe, butternut squash is roasted with olive oil and acquires a nice soft texture on the inside with a little crunch on the outside.
- Sausage. If you have a spicy sausage somewhere in your fridge or a freezer, this is the recipe to use it! Spicy sausage will blend exceptionally well with sweet and nutty butternut squash and creamy pasta sauce. Use crumbled sausage without casings. Any type of pork sausage, spicy sausage, or Italian sausage will work!
- Spinach. Spinach adds flavor, texture, and colorfulness to this pasta dish.
How to Roast Butternut Squash
For everything you need to know about roasting this fantastic vegetable, refer to my recipe on how to roast butternut squash.
The butternut squash should be peeled, seeded, and cubed. You can do it yourself or buy cubed butternut squash in the store. Tip: If you peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash ahead (or bought cubed squash in the store), you can store it refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Use cubed butternut squash within 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Combine butternut squash with 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss together.
- Then, spread the squash on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure the butternut squash is not overcrowded. This way the air can circulate around the squash in the oven and the squash roasts properly instead of steaming. Roasted this way, without overcrowding, will give squash a slightly crunchy texture on the outside. This will ensure that the squash is roasted and not steamed.
- Roast the squash in the preheated oven at 400 F for 30 minutes.
How To Make Creamy Pasta Sauce
While the butternut squash is being roasted, prepare the cream sauce.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil together with 4 minced garlic cloves and 6 oz of spinach. Cook on medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the spinach starts to wilt.
- Add heavy cream. Bring to boil and immediately reduce to a low or medium boil.
- Add shredded Parmesan cheese while the sauce simmers, constantly stirring.
- Season with salt to taste, about ¼ teaspoon of salt. Note: No salt is necessary if the sausage is very salty.
Cook Sausage
In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Add crumbled sausage and cook for about 10 minutes, regularly stirring, until the sausage is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
How Long to Cook Pasta
- Usually, the pasta is cooked in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Always check the cooking time on the package instructions for precise times of cooking pasta.
- To prepare any pasta al dente, cook pasta in boiling water for 8 minutes, or for 2 minutes less than indicated on the package instructions.
Assemble the Pasta
- Add drained cooked pasta and cooked sausage to the creamy spinach sauce in the skillet. Stir. Season with salt and pepper.
- Top with roasted butternut squash. Stir it in, or leave butternut squash on top.
Tips on Making Pasta Ahead
Make-ahead Tip: Roast butternut squash up to 2 days ahead. Keep it refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use. Reheat it briefly in the microwave (for about 30 seconds) before adding to pasta. Or, just add to the creamy pasta sauce, stir it in and reheat in the cream sauce.
How to Store, Freeze, Reheat Butternut Squash Pasta
- Refrigerate. Store leftover butternut squash pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze. You can freeze butternut squash pasta in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- Reheat. Reheat the pasta gently on the stovetop in the skillet over medium heat, stirring halfway through. Add extra milk or heavy cream to thin out the sauce.
It's always best to serve bow tie pasta (or any pasta) al dente. That's when the pasta texture is at its best. Storing cooked pasta for a day or two will cause the pasta to lose its perfect texture, however, it will still taste great.
Also, keep in mind that the cream sauce when refrigerated loses its texture and becomes thick. To reheat it the next day, reheat over medium heat and add extra milk or heavy creamy when reheating to thin out the sauce.
Substitutions
- Pasta. Use any type of short pasta. That includes farfalle (bow-tie pasta), penne, rigatoni, fusilli, or orecchiette. You can also use gnocchi.
- Spinach. This butternut squash pasta will work equally well with spinach, kale, Swiss chard, or arugula. Pick the greens of your choice, add them to the pasta, and enjoy!
- Sausage. Use crumbled sausage without casings. Regular or spicy pork sausage (such as Jimmy Dean brand) is a great choice. Crumbled Italian sausage or spicy Italian sausage is another excellent option.
- Cheese. Use shredded Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, or Asiago. You can also use shredded low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella cheese. Do not use soft Mozzarella cheese balls.
- Cream. If you don't have heavy cream, you can use half-and-half instead and add more shredded cheese to thicken the sauce.
Other Butternut Squash Pasta Recipes
Butternut squash is an amazing vegetable that pairs beautifully with pasta, whether the squash is roasted or pureed. Here are some delicious butternut squash pasta recipes to explore:
- Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Pecans
- Butternut Squash and Spinach Tortellini
- Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Pasta
- Salad. Because this pasta has a rich creamy sauce with lots of veggies, any type of simple fresh salad will make an excellent pairing. Serve this pasta with a simple spinach salad with pine nuts and Parmesan or cranberry spinach salad with cashews and goat cheese. Or, pair the pasta with the colorful and easy-to-make arugula salad with apples, cranberries, and pecans.
- Bread. Serve the pasta with warm garlic bread or olive bread. If you want to venture out and make your own simple loaf - try this easy bread recipe made in a bread machine.
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash
- 2 cups butternut squash , peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lb sausage , crumbled, without casings
Creamy Pasta Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 6 oz spinach
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Pasta
- 8 oz farfalle (bow tie pasta)
Instructions
Roast Butternut Squash
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- In a large bowl, toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Spread the squash on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in one layer, without overcrowding.
- Roast in the preheated oven at 400 F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.
Cook Sausage
- In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.
- Add crumbled sausage and cook for about 10 minutes, regularly stirring, until the sausage is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Tip: Cook the sausage while the butternut squash is being roasted.
Make Creamy Sauce
- In a separate, large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil together with minced garlic and spinach over medium heat. Cook, occasionally stirring, for about 5 or 7 minutes until spinach starts to wilt.
- Add heavy cream. Bring to a brief boil, then immediately reduce to simmer (boiling but not intensely). Add shredded Parmesan cheese. Keep stirring the sauce with the Parmesan cheese on low to medium boil (simmer) until the cheese melts. Remove from heat.
- Season with salt to taste, about ¼ teaspoon of salt. No salt might be necessary if the sausage is very salty.
- Tip: Use your judgment about whether to add salt or not based on how salty the sausage is. Make the cream sauce while the butternut squash is being roasted.
Cook Pasta and Assemble
- Cook pasta al dente in boiling water according to package instructions. That usually means cooking pasta in boiling water for about 7 to 11 minutes. Drain.
- To a large skillet with the creamy spinach sauce, add drained cooked pasta and cooked sausage. Stir. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Top the pasta with roasted butternut squash. Stir the squash in, or leave it on top.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I tried this recipe and it was SO good. My 2yo ate up all the "butterfly noodles" and I chopped the spinach first so that it would be impossible to pick around. My husband said to add it into the rotation which is high praise from him. I've already made it again and it has gotten consistent results. Skarsten family approved.
I just subbed veggie sausage and it was delicious!
I made this last night and the whole family loved it! So tasty!! I added red pepper flakes for a touch of heat and the next time I make it I'll add mushrooms. Thanks for sharing this easy and delicious recipe!
Made this for my daughter who lives out of town while visiting her. She’s not a big pasta fan. She had two servings for dinner and more for lunch the next day saying if all pasta tasted like this she would eat it everyday. Her four and two year old boys also loved it. Awesome recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
I just made this exactly as recipe calls with the exception of subbing 16oz sautéed baby portabella mushrooms for the sausage. It was amazing!!!
This was amazing. Followed the directions exactly and I wouldn't change a thing. My 10 year old daughter loved it.
Awesome recipe the whole family enjoyed it!
Julie, I am happy to hear that! 🙂
This was ridiculously good. I may try next time with a pink sauce just as a variety. But so so good just as it is
Julie, comments like yours make me so happy! So glad the recipe was enjoyed! 🙂
This recipe is fabulous! The sweetness of the squash, the spicy sausage, the creamy sauce...outstanding! I will be making this again and again.
Lynn, your comment made my day! Glad you've enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Wowzas!!!! Flavor explosion! This was amazing. Sweet and savory goodness I’ll definitely be making again. So quick and easy. Thanks for this delicious recipe.
Melissa, thank you so much for such a positive and enthusiastic comment! 🙂 I am so happy you've enjoyed this recipe and took the time to share this wonderful feedback! 🙂
This was a hit! I was able to make this with ingredients I had on hand, except for the butternut squash. I didn’t have one and didn’t want to run to the store mid-week for one so I used diced and roasted sweet potatoes I had in the pantry and it was great also!
Dawn, thank you so much for such helpful feedback! I am so happy to hear this recipe worked with roasted sweet potatoes! Thank you for taking the time to share this - it would be so helpful to others, too!