Butternut Squash and Parm Pasta
I have to say this before you read any further. If you are not a butternut squash fan then this recipe is most likely not for you. On the other hand, if you are…then you need to make this right away because it will change your squash loving life forever. I made this a few days ago and shared it with my sweet friend. We sat in her yard…enjoyed the awesome weather…had a baby fawn make a visit…and…we ate Butternut Squash and Parm Pasta. It was an awesome evening for a number of reasons. I couldn’t beat the company and the location was perfect but also the dinner was such a great way to enjoy one of my favorite veggies.
I’ve made dishes like this before. In the past I have roasted the squash but I decided to cut it up small and cook it on the stove top to save time. It worked and adding broth was helpful because it speeds up the process and thins the sauce at the same time. NOTE: The freezer section of the grocery store also has some great veggie options that might work well for this dish and take some of the prep work out of making this dish.
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The sauce will come together in the time it takes to boil the pasta which is so great. I cooked the onions until they were softened and then added the butternut squash and garlic. I cooked it for an additional few minutes.
Then I added the broth. I used chicken broth but if you wanted to make this a vegetarian dish then you could use vegetable broth. It cooks like this until the squash is softened enough to blend it smooth.
Add it to a blender or food processor with the milk {or heavy cream}. Be sure that the mixture has cooled for about 5 minutes before this step.
Pulse/blend the mixture for a minute or so. There may be a few very small pieces of butternut squash left in the sauce but it should be creamy and fairly smooth.
Return the sauce back to the pan on the stove top over medium-low heat.
The final step is the addition of the cooked pasta, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and thyme. Isn’t it gorgeous?
Serve the dish warm with additional parmesan cheese on the top and enjoy butternut squash in a whole new way.
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Butternut Squash and Parm Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 large onion {diced}
- 2 cloves garlic {minced}
- 2 cups butternut squash {diced}
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp fresh thyme {minced}-optional
- 1 lb cooked pasta-I used fettuccine
Additional parmesan cheese for top of pasta
Instructions
- In a large pan over medium heat, add oil until heated. Once oil is heated, add the onion and cook until it is softened. Once the onion is softened add the minced garlic and butternut squash, cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. After the 3-4 minutes, add the broth and cook for 6-8 minutes more {or until the squash is tender}. Cool mixture for 5 minutes.
- Once the mixture is cooled for 5 minutes, add it to a blender or food processor with the milk and pulse until the mixture is smooth. NOTE: There will still be small flecks of butternut squash in the sauce and that is alright. Return mixture to the pan on the stove over medium-low heat and add parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and thyme. Add cooked pasta to sauce and stir to coat. Serve warm with additional parmesan cheese.
Notes
- ย If fresh thyme isn't your favorite, try using sage.ย It adds a wonderful fall flavor to the dish.
- I always reserve a 1/2-1 cup of the pasta water before I drain the pasta.ย It is a great liquid to use to thin out pasta sauce of any kind.
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