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Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta

Roasted garlic butternut squash pasta with a very smooth, golden-orange cream sauce made from roasted squash and roasted garlic. Rigatoni (or penne) gets tossed until glossy, then finished with parmesan and crispy fried sage.
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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
  

Pasta base and cooking water
  • 1 lb rigatoni or penne
  • 0.5 cup pasta water
Roasted vegetables
  • 1 butternut squash small, halved
  • 1 garlic head top sliced off to expose cloves
Sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil for brushing and roasting
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup parmesan grated
  • 0.5 cup vegetable broth
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
Herb topping
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage fried crispy

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 blender
  • 1 large pot
  • 1 skillet

Method
 

Roast squash and garlic
  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Brush butternut squash halves and the garlic head with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
  2. Roast the squash and garlic for 35-40 minutes (squash) and 35 minutes (garlic) until completely tender, with browned edges on the squash.
Make the smooth sauce
  1. Scoop the squash flesh and squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from the skins.
  2. Blend the squash, roasted garlic, heavy cream, vegetable broth, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes until very smooth.
  3. Simmer the blended sauce for 5 minutes, then stir in parmesan until melted and glossy.
Cook pasta and finish
  1. Cook rigatoni or penne until al dente, then reserve 1/2 cup pasta water for the sauce.
  2. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and 1/2 cup pasta water, then season with salt and pepper until evenly coated.
  3. Top with crispy fried sage right before serving.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, blend the roasted squash hot and keep the sauce moving so it emulsifies without lumps. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of pasta water. Freezing is not recommended because heavy cream can separate after thawing. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.