Creamy Butternut Squash and Spinach Tortellini – perfect holiday recipe for Christmas or Thanksgiving. It will work great as a holiday side dish or main dish. Or, if you love butternut squash, you can make it anytime of year!
You will love the flavorful creamy sauce prepared with freshly made butternut squash puree and spiced up with lemon pepper, nutmeg and paprika! It makes this Creamy Butternut Squash and Spinach Tortellini very special.
This is one of those truly seasonal recipes – perfect in the Fall and in the Winter when the fresh butternut squash abounds! This dish is great on its own, as a meatless entree, it’s also great with grilled chicken.
If you like this butternut squash and spinach tortellini, you might enjoy these recipes:
Creamy Tortellini with Bacon and Brussels Sprouts
Creamy Chicken, Asparagus, and Bacon Tortellini
Creamy Mozzarella, Sausage, Spinach, and Tomato Tortellini
Pesto Chicken, Tortellini, and Veggies
This is a great recipe to make during the holidays (Christmas or Thanksgiving). Easy and healthy holiday side dish or main dish. Butternut Squash and Spinach Tortellini in a creamy sauce.
- 1 cup butternut squash puree
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 cups tortellini uncooked
- 8 oz spinach , uncooked, fresh
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- Add 1 cup of butternut squash puree, 1 cup of half and half, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, a pinch of paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the large skillet, on medium heat. While heating, stir all the ingredients to combine. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning - don't add all of it at once, add a little and add more, to your taste. Add the spinach on top of the mixture, cover with the lid, remove from heat. Let the spinach wilt in the pan, covered, off heat.
- While the spinach wilts, bring the medium pan of water to boil, add 2 cups of uncooked tortellini, and cook according to the package instructions (usually 7 - 10 minutes in boiling water). Once the tortellini is cooked, drain the water.
- Add cooked and drained tortellini to the skillet with the butternut squash sauce and spinach and stir to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add more half and half to thin it. Also, taste and add more salt, nutmeg and lemon pepper, if desired.
- Serve topped with chopped fresh parsley.
WHAT IS HALF AND HALF? Half and half is the US milk product that combines half milk half cream to form a lighter cream.
To make 1 cup of half and half, combine 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup regular cream (heavy, or whipping cream).
Want another delicious butternut squash recipe?
Check out this Thanksgiving Side Dish – Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries
This looks delicious!! Would fat-free yogurt work instead of half and half, maybe thinned with stock if it’s too thick? Just trying to brainstorm a lower calorie option…
http://www.thislifeisbelle.com/
sort to ask but I’m not sure what half and half is in the ingredients
Half and half is what we buy in the US stores. You can closely reproduce it in the UK by combing heavy cream and milk in equal proportions. So, 1 cup of half and half equals 1/2 cup heavy cream + 1/2 cup milk.
This was really good! Even better than I expected. I doubled the sauce and used about three cups of spinach and Ricotta tortellini.
So glad you liked it, Amy! 🙂 Butternut squash and spinach is a great combination, isn’t it?
Love it!! Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
You’re very welcome! 🙂
Delicious! I used full fat canned coconut milk instead of half and half and it came out soooooo good!
Thank you! Full fat coconut milk is a delicious substitution for half & half, and good to know that it worked!
Do yoy think this would be freezer friendly?
Absolutely delicious. I did’t follow exactly I used what I had. I had 18% cream (I think the American term is table cream) which is thicker so I thinned out the sauce with a bit of white wine. I also skipped the nutmeg (of just not a flavour i enjoy) . And to add a bit of protein I removed some honey garlic saussages from their casings and fried them up, then just added the sauce and simmered for a few min. I also added the spinach at the last minute, just stirred it in while it’s still hot. Only way to truly wilt spinach in my opinion, otherwise it becomes too soggy.
Great recipe. Loved it!
So glad you enjoyed it! Honey garlic sausages sound so delicious – what a great addition to the sauce! Adding fresh spinach the last minute is something I usually do, as well, spinach doesn’t really need much cooking, it just needs to wilt a bit.
This is just wonderful!! How well do you think it would freeze?
I would also like to know how to freeze and thaw for later!
If you freeze it, I would suggest reheating it in the oven. Or let it thaw completely in the refrigerator, and then reheat gently on the stove top until hot. At that point, you might have to add extra half & half or cream. I would not use the microwave for thawing or reheating, as the sauce will separate.
Do you know the nutritional info. Calories and how much in a serving?
Thanks
I don’t have that capability on my site yet, but you can use the following online tool: https://www.verywell.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4129594
I’m not a fan of butternut squash, but this is so good!
Thank you, Jess! I am flattered to hear that a non-fan of butternut squash enjoyed this recipe! 🙂