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Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Butternut squash pasta sauce made silky-smooth by blending until fully emulsified, then finished with cream and parmesan for a golden-orange coating. Simmered until tender and tossed with rigatoni or penne for a rich Italian-American main-dish sauce.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rigatoni or penne
  • 1 lb rigatoni or penne Use 12–16 oz depending on brand; enough to serve 4.
Butternut squash base
  • 1 butternut squash Peeled and cubed (about 4 cups).
  • 0.5 onion Diced (about 3/4 cup).
  • 4 garlic Minced (about 4 cloves).
  • 3 cup broth Vegetable or chicken broth.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage Chopped.
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup parmesan Grated.
  • 0.5 cup pasta water Reserve from cooking pasta.
  • 1 salt To taste.
  • 1 black pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 immersion blender

Method
 

Sauté aromatics
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Sauté the diced onion for 5 minutes, then add the minced garlic and chopped sage and cook for 2 minutes.
Simmer squash
  1. Add the cubed butternut squash and 3 cups broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the squash is very tender.
Blend smooth
  1. Blend the sauce completely smooth using an immersion blender. Stop when it is silky with no visible squash pieces.
Finish sauce
  1. Stir in the heavy cream, grated parmesan, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through and slightly thickened.
Toss with pasta
  1. Cook rigatoni or penne separately until al dente, then add it to the sauce. Toss and loosen with reserved pasta water as needed until the pasta is evenly coated.
Season and serve
  1. Season the pasta sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust before serving hot.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, blend while the squash is very hot and fully cover the blender head to avoid splashes. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently with a splash of pasta water or broth. Freezing is not recommended for best cream texture. If you want a lighter option, swap heavy cream for half-and-half and simmer just until warmed (avoid boiling hard).