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Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta

Roasted garlic butternut squash pasta with a silky golden-orange sauce is blended until very smooth and then simmered briefly for a glossy finish. Rigatoni or penne gets fully coated, topped with crispy sage and parmesan for a warm, savory bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 690
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rigatoni or penne
  • 1 lb rigatoni or penne
Butternut squash and garlic base
  • 1 butternut squash small
  • 1 garlic head top sliced off to expose cloves
Olive oil
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
Creamy sauce
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup parmesan grated
  • 0.5 cup vegetable broth
  • 0.5 cup pasta water
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 salt to taste
  • 0.5 black pepper to taste
Crispy topping
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage fried crispy

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Roast squash and garlic
  1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Brush the butternut squash halves and the exposed garlic cloves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste, then place cut-side down on a sheet pan.
  2. Roast the squash for 35-40 minutes and roast the garlic for about 35 minutes, until both are completely tender. Look for deep golden edges on the squash and soft, fragrant garlic cloves.
Blend into a smooth sauce
  1. Scoop the squash flesh and squeeze the roasted garlic from their skins into a blender. Transfer everything while warm so the sauce blends smooth.
  2. Blend the squash, roasted garlic, heavy cream, vegetable broth, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes until very smooth. Stop once you see a uniform golden-orange puree with no squash bits.
Finish the pasta
  1. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep it at a gentle simmer until slightly thickened and glossy.
  2. Stir in the parmesan and cook just until it melts. The sauce should look smooth and cohesive.
  3. Toss the cooked rigatoni or penne with pasta water, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix until every piece is coated and clings to the sauce.
  4. Top with crispy fried sage just before serving. Aim for visible crisp sage leaves that stay crunchy at the edges.

Notes

For extra silky texture, blend hot and scrape down the sides of the blender so the sauce is fully uniform before simmering. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of pasta water to loosen. Freezing is not recommended because cream sauces can separate after thawing. If you need a dairy-light option, swap the heavy cream for a 1:1 unsweetened cashew cream and use parmesan or a vegetarian aged substitute for similar richness.