Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach is a perfect Autumn comfort food. This easy and flavorful recipe is packed with veggies (roasted butternut squash and spinach) and will become your favorite Fall and Winter family weeknight dinner!
Roasted 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 roasted 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 roasted 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 adds 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 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 the 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 it to the pasta. Or, just add it to the creamy pasta sauce, stir it in and reheat it in the cream sauce.
How to Store, Freeze, Reheat Roasted 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 Roasted 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
Nutrition Disclaimer:
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.
Joy
OMG!
This is a delicious dish! I had a butternut squash in my pantry and I wasn’t sure what to do with it, until I saw this recipe. I used wheat penne and instead of bow tie and in place of the sausage I used crumbled bacon only because I didn’t have sausage. Between the saltiness of the bacon and the sweetness of butternut, what a perfect combination! Bravo! Great recipe!
Julia
Joy, this is one of the best comments I've ever read on my website! Thank you for being so enthusiastic and so positive about this recipe - it's really important for food bloggers! 🙂
Amber
This was absolutely delicious! Even my very picky son ate it!
Caleb
Thank you for the recipe! I've made this many times and it's always a hit. I've made a few additions to mine to make it even more savory. While the heavy cream is being reduced I add a couple table spoons of white cooking wine and a tsp or two of anchovy paste (learned to put this in homemade alfredo). They add a lot of extra flavor but doesn't make it taste fishy or anything. I also add some roasted pine nuts on top with the squash. Just makes it.... MWUAH. Thanks again for the recipe!!!
Julia
Caleb, your comment made my day! 🙂 Glad you've made this many times and loved it! 🙂 Love your idea of adding white wine to the sauce and roasted pine nuts on top with the squash - sounds delicious! I love anchovies, so I like that addition as well.
Julia
Amber, I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for the comment and the 5-star rating! 🙂
Rachael
I noticed it shows calories but not portion size. How much is a portion 1 cup? or in ounces?
saybrook
the recipe says it serves 4, so you could either divide the pan in quarters or weigh the total in your serving dish and divide by 4.
Julia
Yes, that is correct. The whole recipe serves 4 people, so just divide the dish among 4 pasta bowls.
Cristina
This is absolutely delicious!!! One thing I did differently is I only used one pan. I cooked the sausage (I used chorizo) in a cast iron skillet mostly through, then threw in some of the chopped garlic and finished cooking the sausage. Then I took the sausage out of the pan and put it to the side (but left the sausage oil, brown crispies, and all the flavoring from the sausage) and then put the rest of the garlic, spinach, etc in the pan I just cooked the sausage in, and then continued the recipe as is from there. I just think it gives it that extra flavor!
Julia
Cristina, thank you so much for sharing how you made this into a one-pan recipe! Did you cook the cubed butternut squash in a cast iron skillet as well? Thank you for such a wonderful and helpful comment!
Ariz
Hi, do you think it would work if I use coconut cream instead of heavy cream?
Julia
Ariz, yes, this recipe would work great with unsweetened coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
Ariz
I have PCOS and this change will definitely help me. Thank you! <3
LaDonna
I made this tonight and it’s delicious! I do think the portions are a little small. I added a little more heavy cream, cheese and pasta to stretch it a little.
Julia
LaDonna, I am so happy you loved this recipe! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to share such a positive comment!
Alex
This recipe is delicious! BUT before you make it, read over the entire recipe and rewrite it yourself. Nothing worse than getting to the end and realizing you need the pasta already cooked.
Put the squash in to roast, start your boiling water, and cook up the sausage and everything. Also, I saw no reason to use two skillets. I removed the sausage when it was cooked and used the same skillet for the sauce. If you're quick you can have everything in the sauce ready for the squash fresh from the oven. I added a pinch of cinnamon because I felt like it but it was so delicious just as written.
Julia
Alex, thank you for such a detailed and helpful comment! You provided very helpful tips on how to make this recipe faster and more efficient. I cook pasta as the last step because I like it to be al dente and fresh. But the past can definitely be started at the beginning which will save a ton of time!
Heather
Looks like you added bacon as well or something red?
Julia
Heather, no, there is no bacon in this recipe. What you're seeing is probably charred bits of crumbled sausage.
Jonathon Suess
I just made the recipe for the first time. Everything is great except for the squash. It seems to add a sweetness that feels out of place with the rest of the dish. I think I may try adding mushrooms and roasted onions and yellow/orange bell peppers. That will add some sweetness, but a different kind of sweetness.
Julia
Roasted butternut squash does add sweetness. I think mushrooms would be a great addition, too, and will add more of a savory touch.
Ali
I've made this recipe countless times this year, and it always gets rave reviews!! I make it for my own family, and it's also become my new go-to for "new baby meals" (usually make a double batch– one for us, one for them!). I'm now starting to print out the recipe to send it with the meal because I always get asked for the recipe afterward anyway. 😉
A couple adjustments I make for personal preference: I always use turkey sausage in lieu of pork, and I use oat or almond milk in place of cream for my family. I also always add ground nutmeg and sage to the cream sauce– highly recommend it!!
Even though it's a *tad* on the tedious side for a busy mom like myself (chopping/roasting squash takes some time, and there are several pots and pans to clean), I always think it's worth it! Especially when I make a large batch that feeds us more than one night. With the sub of turkey and nondairy milk, it's a somewhat healthy meal, and (particularly for the new baby meals) it's a welcome change from the usual heavy casseroles. 🙂
Julia
Ali, thank you so much for writing such a positive and thoughtful comment - I really appreciate it! 🙂 I love that you share the adjustments you make to this recipe - they will be so helpful to other readers who might want to try similar changes. I especially like that the recipe worked with oat or almond milk, and I love the addition of ground nutmeg and sage to the sauce!
Dorothy T.
Oh my goodness! This was SO good! I ran out of parmesan cheese so I used white sharp cheddar. I also used yams instead of squash. This dinner is restaurant quality. So colorful and delicious. It's going on my "make again" list.
Julia
Dorothy, I am super flattered by your comment! I love that you used sharp cheddar and used yams instead of squash. Delicious substitutions!
Kerry T
Made this tonight. Used Jimmy Dean Turkey Crumble in place of sausage. We loved it. Will for sure be making this again.
Julia
Kerry, so glad you loved this recipe! Turkey meat works well in this recipe!
Carissa
This is a great recipe, even my husband who swears he hates squash had seconds. I would just fix the order of the recipe to have you start boiling water right away. This way pasta can be started before cooking the garlic and spinach and it all come out close together. This way the spinach is not over cooked. Other than that, we added some cayenne to give it the spice we love and I used coconut milk and it was a great Sunday night dinner!!
Julia
Carissa, thank you for the helpful feedback! It will certainly save time if you start boiling the water earlier in the recipe!
Jennifer Gylling
Delicious! Loved it! My family loved it! Even my father enjoyed it and he does not even like AnY type of Squash! Thank you for sharing this <3
Julia
Jennifer, you are very welcome! Glad you liked it! 🙂
Janet C
I made this last night and it was amazing! At first, I thought that there wouldn't be enough butternut squash after I took it out of the oven, but it was the perfect amount. I made it with Italian sausage and it was wonderful, I will be making this again. Thanks!
Julia
Janet, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing such a positive comment - I appreciate it!! 🙂
Lorna
I put this together for a crowd the night before Thanksgiving. All the roasting and cooking was prepared ahead of time making family time the priority! Everyone loved this dish!! (even the grankiddos❤️)
Julia
Lorna, your comment made my day! WOW! I am glad that your crowd loved this recipe. 🙂 And thanks for the feedback that this dish can be made ahead of time successfully!
CJ
So yummy! I substituted the heavy cream for half and half and it was delicious! Not gonna lie I went back for seconds and thirds, and I never do that haha. Thanks for sharing!
Julia
Your comment made my day and made me smile at the same time. 🙂 Thank you for the 5-star rating and thanks for the feedback about using half-and-half instead of heavy cream - very helpful to other readers!
Jacquelin
Great recipe! I followed as directed and really enjoyed the end result. The balance of sweet and savory was excellent.
Julia
Jacquelin, you said it well: this recipe perfectly combines the sweet and the savory! I am glad you found this recipe and liked it! 🙂