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
- First, we roast our squash on the lowest rack for 30 minutes so it gets plenty brown. Flavor town.
- 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.
- Next we brown our breadcrumbs and pecans, which will make the most amazing topping.
- 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.
- 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!
PrintNourishing Butternut Squash Pasta with Goat Cheese
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Cozy up with this comforting Butternut Squash Pasta with goat cheese and pecan topping. A super flavorful vegetarian dinner for fall and winter nights!
Ingredients
- 12 oz box penne pasta (or other short cut pasta, reserve 2 cups pasta water)
- 4 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced small (20 oz)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter, divided
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (gluten free if needed)
- ½ cup pecans, finely chopped
- ¾ cup shallot, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh sage, chopped (optional)
- 2 oz goat cheese (use log style versus pre-crumbled)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and move the rack to the lowest position. Line your largest baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place squash on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil plus a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bake on the lowest rack for 30 minutes, tossing halfway.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
- Warm 1 tbsp butter over medium heat in a large pot (I used my 5.5 qt dutch oven). Add breadcrumbs and pecans and cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer mixture to a small bowl.
- In the same pot, melt remaining 3 tbsp butter. Add shallot and a pinch of salt and cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic and sage and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add goat cheese, squash, and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, stirring to form a creamy sauce. If mixture looks too thick, add another ½ cup water.
- Remove from heat and stir in pasta, tossing to combine. Fold in ½ cup of the breadcrumb mixture. The pasta will absorb liquid as it sits, so serve immediately or add more pasta water as needed to loosen. Top with remaining breadcrumbs before serving!
Notes
Inspired by this recipe.
Photos by The Nutritious Kitchen.
Julie says
Delightful! I roasted the onions with the squash, and it was perfection!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Oh that sounds soooo good. Thanks, Julie!
Ron Roberto says
Amazingly good and substituted vegan butter for butter and used chickpea pasta to dial up the healthy factor.
Alexis Joseph says
You made my day Ron, thank you so much!
Melissa says
This butternut squash goat cheese pasta is insane! It tastes like a rich decadent comfort food straight out of a fancy 5 star restaurant. Going to be making this all winter long! It especially makes me happy because I've been obsessed with Trader Joe's pumpkin pasta sauce and they broke my heart by discontinuing it this year, I used to literally (be that person) and buy 10 jars at a time. It's so hearty and less acidic than traditional tomato sauces, so it seems to digest better for me. This pasta tastes so similar to my favorite pumpkin flavor. Will be making again + again. Thank you Alexis!
Alexis Joseph says
Awww you made my day! I'm so glad this was a winner. And boo when TJ's takes away products we love! Thanks so much for the review, Melilssa.
Lisa says
Delicious! My whole family enjoyed it and my 1 1/2 year old sat quietly scarfing it down. Definitely will be making this again!
Alexis Joseph says
Hahaha I love it. I need to make it for my son next!
Lindsay Remley says
This is family friendly, easy and so yummy. We substituted the penne for the banza penne and it was great. Definitely adding this into our regular rotation!
Alexis Joseph says
You made my day, thanks a ton Rachel!
Sarah says
This was SO delicious and flavorful and truly an easy weeknight meal! It was a big hit for the whole family, including our 4 year old! Will definitely make this again!
Alexis Joseph says
Yayyy I'm thrilled to hear it!! Thanks a ton!
Robin says
This is sooooo good! I made with Barilla Chickpea casarecce noodles, which are made with one ingredient, Chickpea flour, so super clean!! I added more goat cheese as I am a goat cheese freak 🙂
Alexis Joseph says
I'm so glad, Robin! Thank you so much!
Robin says
This is sooooo good! I made with Barilla Chickpea casarecce noodles, which are made with one ingredient, Chickpea flour, so super clean!! I added more goat cheese as I am a goat cheese freak 🙂
Kori says
Looks and sounds like the perfection of fall!
Dylan says
Mmm we made this last week and it was the perfect Fall meal! Love those cozy flavors!