Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta (vegan/df!)

The creamiest and dreamiest butternut squash pasta made with wholefood ingredients, vegan, and dairy-free! All you need is your favorite pasta, fresh butternut squash, roasted garlic, and a few more simple ingredients.

creamy butternut squash pasta

For some reason, I’ve overlooked butternut squash for so many years. When fall rolls around I always think pumpkin, apples, spaghetti squash, but butternut squash never crossed my mind until now. SUCH an oversight on my end because I made this creamy butternut squash pasta and it was heavenly!

It’s creamy with a touch of sweetness from the butternut squash and packed with good-for-you ingredients. Not to mention it’s vegan and dairy-free!

creamy butternut squash pasta ingredients:

Butternut Squash: For this recipe, you need fresh butternut squash to roast. You can buy it whole and cut it into cubes, or buy pre-packaged, cubed butternut squash. Either way works great, as long as it’s fresh!

Onions: Along with the butternut squash, you will roast a whole onion.

Roasted Garlic: One whole bulb of garlic to roast and squeeze into the sauce takes the flavor to the next level.

Coconut Milk: You need coconut milk (canned) for this recipe for a dairy-free substitute for heavy cream

Pasta Water: The magical, secret ingredient to making your pasta extra creamy and smooth.

Olive Oil and Seasonings: Oregano, granulated garlic, salt, and cracked black pepper.

how to make butternut squash pasta:

Prep: Start by cutting up the butternut squash, onions, and garlic. For the garlic: Remove the white, paper-like outer edges of the garlic head, leaving the other layer and the cloves intact. Cut off the top of the garlic head and wrap in a small piece of foil with a tiny drizzle of olive oil.

creamy butternut squash pasta

Roast: Add the cubed butternut squash, roughly chopped onion, and garlic bulb in foil to a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender.

creamy butternut squash pasta

Blend: Once the vegetables are tender after roasting, carefully add the butternut squash, onion, and garlic to a heat-safe blender. For the garlic, gently squeeze the roasted garlic from the bulb into the blender (once cooled!). Add coconut milk and about a half cup of pasta water. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Combine: Add the sauce to a saucepan on low heat. Add in the seasonings and the remaining pasta water. Let simmer on low heat and add in your cooked pasta. Combine until the pasta is covered in sauce and serve!

creamy butternut squash pasta

FAQ’s

Is using pasta water necessary?

In this specific recipe, I think using pasta water is necessary. Being that it’s vegan and dairy-free, it doesn’t have cheese to make it creamy. The starch in the pasta water helps the pasta and sauce stick together and makes it more creamy.

Can I buy pre-cut butternut squash?

Yes, yes, yes- whatever makes your life easier!

creamy butternut squash pasta

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

Lexi Finke
The creamiest and dreamiest butternut squash pasta made with wholefood ingredients, vegan, and dairy-free! All you need is your favorite pasta, fresh butternut squash, roasted garlic, and a few more simple ingredients.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Blender
  • Sheet Pan
  • Saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups cubed butternut squash about half of 1 squash or 320g
  • 1 large white onion roughly chopped
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup canned coconut milk
  • 3/4 cup pasta water divided
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt more to taste
  • cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1 package your favorite pasta about 200g dry

Instructions
 

  • Start by cutting up the butternut squash, onions, and garlic. For the garlic, remove the white, paper-like outer edges of the garlic head, leaving the other layer and the cloves intact. Cut off the top of the garlic head and wrap in a small piece of foil with a tiny drizzle of olive oil.
  • Add the cubed butternut squash, roughly chopped onion, and garlic bulb in foil to a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork-tender. The garlic may take slightly longer to roast than the others.
  • While the vegetables bake, cook your pasta to package instructions. Once boiled, save about a cup of pasta water and set aside. This is a very important step so don't skip!
  • Once the vegetables are tender after roasting, carefully add the butternut squash, onion, and garlic to a heat-safe blender. For the garlic, gently squeeze the roasted garlic from the bulb into the blender (once slightly cooled!). Add coconut milk and about a half cup of pasta water. Blend until smooth and creamy.
  • Add the sauce to a saucepan on low heat. Add in the seasonings and the remaining pasta water. Let simmer on low heat and add in your cooked pasta. Combine until the pasta is covered in sauce and serve!

Notes

Note: If you are using chickpea, red lentil, or any grain-free pasta options, the “pasta water” may not thicken up your pasta like traditional wheat pasta. Gluten-free or brown rice pasta should work fine, though.
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2 thoughts on “Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta (vegan/df!)

  1. 5 stars
    I have tried other butternut sauce recipes that were only ok. This one was fantastic! We added some peas for color and the second night added shrimp. Thanks for the great recipe!

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