Cozy Butternut Squash Pasta with Goat Cheese

Cozy up with this comforting stovetop Butternut Squash Pasta with goat cheese and irresistible pecan topping! A super flavorful and hearty vegetarian dinner for chilly nights. This dish tastes impressive but is actually very simple to make. Whip it up for your next holiday gathering for a restaurant-worthy main!

Lads and lassies! Say hello to your new favorite cold weather meal...butternut squash pasta. Ahhh, let’s let that sink in.

We're pairing pasta with the most lovely hunks of butternut squash roasted to caramel perfection. Then we'll layer in buttery sautéed shallots, garlic and sage with tangy goat cheese to form a luscious sauce.

Top it off with an irresistibly crispy pecan and breadcrumb situation that totally sets this dish apart from all the rest!

It's like my Goat Cheese Pasta with Brussels Sprouts and Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta had a child...

Ingredients

• Pasta: Any short cut pasta like penne, rotini (like in my Creamy Cajun Pasta), or bow tie is great. Fettuccine would also be nice here! I tested this recipe with Barilla Gluten Free Penne cooked perfectly al dente and it worked like a charm.
• Butternut squash: One of the stars of our pasta show. Sweet, caramelized squash for epic flavor. Delicata squash would be lovely here, too. Use pre-cut squash to make this extra quick and easy.
• Shallot + garlic: I appreciate the delicate flavor of shallot here, but onion can also be used.
• Goat cheese: To me, pasta and goat cheese are just meant to be. Give me all the tang! Goat cheese forms the base of the sauce and gives this dish loads of creaminess and flavor. Use a log of goat cheese versus pre-crumbled for the best consistency.
• Pecans + bread crumbs: You're going to flip for this superbly flavorful combo. Nutty, crunchy, and oh so satisfying both mixed in and on top.
• Butter: Oodles of yummy flavor and mouthfeel. You could also use vegan butter if you fancy. Salted or unsalted works.
• Sage: For a pop of color and flavor intrigue. If you don’t have sage, it’ll still taste fab without.

How to make butternut squash pasta

1. First, we roast our squash on the lowest rack for 30 minutes so it gets plenty brown. Flavor town.
2. Meanwhile we cook our pasta until perfectly al dente, or about 10 minutes. We're reserving 2 cups of that nice starchy pasta water to form our simple sauce.
3. Next we brown our breadcrumbs and pecans, which will make the most amazing topping.
4. Now we start our sauce by sautéing our lovely shallot, garlic, and sage in some butter. The smell! Add in goat cheese and pasta water to form a creamy sauce.
5. Mix in the roasted squash, then add the pasta. The cherry on top is the breadcrumbs for crispy crunch!

Make it your own!

• Chicken: Pound two chicken breasts and cut into bite-size pieces. Season with salt and pepper and cook in an oiled skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165F. My husband loved it this way!
• Chickpeas: Add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas for texture plus a protein punch.
• Greens: Feel free to add a green veggies you love, like spinach!

My top tip

I really recommend not over-cooking the pasta so it doesn't break down when you're stirring in the sauce. No fun!

Storage

Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in an air tight container in the fridge.

To make this ahead, you can roast the squash and boil the noodles up to two days in advance. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe the day of.

A weeknight wonder awaits!

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Photos by The Nutritious Kitchen.