Pasta with roast butternut squash

50 mins cooking time
Cook, strap on your apron, grab a pan and elevate your pasta game with this recipe that is guaranteed to impress. Combine the flavourful roasted butternut squash with Tuscany’s classic, pappardelle pasta. Add a drizzle of sage, chili, and pecorino cheese sauce, made with Lurpak® Plant Based, and garnish with toasted pine nuts for a luxurious finish. This is pasta perfection.
Pasta with roast butternut squash Pasta with roast butternut squash

Pasta with roast butternut squash

  • 50 mins cooking time
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Cook, strap on your apron, grab a pan and elevate your pasta game with this recipe that is guaranteed to impress. Combine the flavourful roasted butternut squash with Tuscany’s classic, pappardelle pasta. Add a drizzle of sage, chili, and pecorino cheese sauce, made with Lurpak® Plant Based, and garnish with toasted pine nuts for a luxurious finish. This is pasta perfection.
Cook, strap on your apron, grab a pan and elevate your pasta game with this recipe that is guaranteed to impress. Combine the flavourful roasted butternut squash with Tuscany’s classic, pappardelle pasta. Add a drizzle of sage, chili, and pecorino cheese sauce, made with Lurpak® Plant Based, and garnish with toasted pine nuts for a luxurious finish. This is pasta perfection.

Method

Roasted butternut squash
1
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.
2
Place butternut squash onto a large baking tray and season with salt and pepper.
TIP
Peel the butternut squash before cubing it. Use a vegetable peeler, starting from the stem and working downwards. After peeling, chop off the stem, slice the squash in half vertically, and remove the seeds with a spoon. Then, cut into chunks.
3
Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 20-23 minutes or until soft. Remove and set aside.
TIP
Roasted butternut squash obtains even more flavour if you give it a bit more heat for the last 5 minutes or so. Remove the foil and turn the oven up slightly to give it a bit more colour.
Sauce
1
Meanwhile, boil a large pan of salted water and cook the pasta for 8 minutes or until al dente. Strain and reserve 100ml of pasta water.
How to cook perfect pasta
2
Melt Lurpak® Plant Based in a deep-sided pan. Add sage and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute.
TIP
For an extra depth of flavour, let the sage leaves crisp up in some of the Lurpak® Plant Based before adding the remaining Lurpak® Plant Based and chilli flakes. Be careful not to burn the sage – a minute or two until the leaves are crisp should be perfect.
For an extra depth of flavour, let the sage leaves crisp up in some of the Lurpak® Plant Based before adding the remaining Lurpak® Plant Based and chilli flakes. Be careful not to burn the sage – a minute or two until the leaves are crisp should be perfect.
Learn more about Lurpak® Plant Based
3
Add roasted squash and reserved pasta water. Stir for 1 minute until the squash just starts to break down and a sauce forms.
To serve
1
Add pappardelle to the squash and stir for 1 minute. Stir in pine nuts and grated pecorino and serve.

Everything about Pasta with roast butternut squash

  • Roast butternut squash in pasta might not be a classic (yet!), but we do not see why it should not be among the favourite pasta dishes in every family home. The two different textures, although both soft, complement each other brilliantly. The chunks of roast butternut squash add a bit of bite to the firm pappardelle pasta without squandering the soft and creamy texture. Roast butternut squash remains sweet, but also gets a pleasant, smokey flavour that pairs well with the natural sweetness and softness from the butternut squash and the pasta. In short: if you have not already tried it, try butternut squash in pasta straight away. It makes a fantastic, veggie meat-free meal for any occasion (though leave out the pecorino cheese if you’re looking to make it a vegan dish).

  • The combination of pasta and pumpkin or squash is a match made in heaven – all because of the textures and flavours. The sweet flavour of pumpkin succumbs well to herbs and spices, making it the perfect pairing for pasta dishes. Though butternut squash is a special type of pumpkin, a so-called winter squash, it has some resemblances in texture as well as flavour with regular pumpkins. So, if you do not have butternut squash available or if you want to try something else, try to make pasta with substitutes like white Casper, kabocha, or acorn pumpkins. Common to all types is the texture and the mild flavour that can easily be enhanced by herbs and spices. And all types work very well for any dish containing pasta with pumpkin.

  • Pappardelle is a pasta with long, broad, and flat ribbons that looks a bit like tagliatelle. The difference, however, is the width with pappardelle being much broader than tagliatelle. The large surface makes it perfect for more robust sauces and heavier autumn and winter dishes. And of course, what is more wintery than butternut squash? The softness and sweetness of roast butternut squash pairs perfectly with the more rough and intense pappardelle pasta that is ideal for being coated in all the great cheesy flavour.

  • The best thing about pasta recipes is that it is very easy to make your mark and shake things up a little bit. For example, with this butternut squash in pasta dish, you can add blue cheese to get a more sharp, savoury, and salty flavour – as a bonus, blue cheese goes very well with the sage as well. You can also make it heartier by adding sausage, fennel, and spring onions which all go very well with the sweet and soft roast butternut squash. To make it creamier, add a bit of double cream and maybe a bit more pecorino cheese on top.

  • Roasted butternut squash gets even more taste if you give them a bit more heat for the last 5 minutes or so. Remove the foil and turn the oven up slightly to give a bit more colour if you love the smokey roast butternut squash flavour. Butternut squash goes perfectly with autumn spices. Bake them with nutmeg, cloves, or cinnamon to get a more complex and sweet flavour before adding them to the sauce. Do not overcook the chunks of squash – especially if you give them a bit more heat to turn up the flavour. You should bake them until they just start turning soft and then only boil them in the sauce until they start to break down to avoid them getting all mushy. Experiment with herbs. You can easily try something other than sage leaves. For example, fresh thyme, basil, or rosemary.

  • First, you need to peel the butternut squash. Use a vegetable peeler starting from the stem working downwards and end with chopping off the stem and vertically slicing the squash in half before removing the seeds with a spoon. Cut it in slices, chunks, or leave it whole before roasting it in the oven sprinkled with oil, herbs, and spices.

  • Once you have cut it into chunks, it is quite easy to roast butternut squash in the oven. Drizzle the chunks with a good oil – for example a rich virgin olive oil – and sprinkle with your preferred dried or fresh herbs and spices. Roast the chunks in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden and crisp.

  • The good thing is that roasted butternut squash does not take very long. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare the squash before putting it into the oven. Preheat the oven to 200C and roast the butternut squash for 30-35 minutes depending on the size of your slices or chunks – they might need only 25 minutes if they are small.

  • Pecorino is the perfect cheese for pastas and other hot, cheesy dishes. It is firm enough for you to be able to grate it finely without it clumping or breaking, but it is still rich enough to melt into any pasta dish. It is perfect with more simple pastas where its special taste from the sheep’s milk really gets to shine.

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Take dinner to the next level with our pasta with roast butternut squash

Whether you seek a comforting weeknight dinner or an impressive recipe for guests, our recipe for pappardelle pasta with roast butternut squash promises to take your meal to the next level. The richness of Lurpak® Plant Based makes for a flavourful sauce combined with aromatic sage, a subtle kick of chilli flakes, and a salty touch from pecorino cheese. Transform simple ingredients into a gourmet delight with our pasta recipe, and enjoy the perfect harmony of textures and flavours in every bite.

Experience the best combination of pasta and cheese

Pasta and cheese are a classic duo, but adding roasted butternut squash takes this combination to another level. Sweet, tender chunks of butternut squash meld with the rich sauce made from Lurpak® Plant Based, fresh sage, chilli flakes, and, most importantly, grated cheese. With its firm yet meltable texture, the savoury pecorino cheese easily grates and melts into the sauce, adding a sharp, salty contrast and ensuring that each bite is a delightful mix of creamy cheese goodness and sweet, roasted squash.

Al dente pappardelle and tender butternut squash

Roast butternut squash in pasta might not be a classic (yet), but we are sure it will quickly become a favourite in every home. The chunks of roast butternut squash add a bite to the firm, al dente pappardelle pasta without squandering the soft and creamy texture. Roasting the butternut squash enhances its natural sweetness while adding a pleasant, slightly caramelised flavour. The long, broad pappardelle ribbons offer a large surface to hold the cheesy sauce.

Experience more recipes with vegetables as one of the main ingredients. You can try, for example, a spicy aubergine and chickpea stew, a roasted cauliflower steak with a Lurpak® Plant Based sauce, an oven-baked aubergine with feta and pomegranate, or garlic mushrooms on toast.

Flavourful Lurpak® Plant Based sauce with sage and chilli

Elevate your pappardelle and butternut squash pasta with the luxurious flavour of a sage and chilli Lurpak® Plant Based sauce. The Lurpak® Plant Based melts into a silky base, creating a rich, velvety texture that clings perfectly to the wide pappardelle ribbons. Fresh sage leaves infuse the sauce with an earthy, aromatic depth, while chilli flakes add a subtle kick that balances the sweetness of the butternut squash. Crown it with toasted pine nuts and a generous grating of pecorino cheese just before serving to introduce a delicious crunch and a sharp, salty contrast.

Make it your own

Elevate your pappardelle and butternut squash meal with innovative changes. Infuse the sauce with roasted garlic by letting it gently simmer in Lurpak® Plant Based before adding the chilli and sage. For more of that garlic flavour, enhance the butternut squash by tossing it with melted Lurpak® Plant Based and fried, finely chopped garlic before roasting in the oven.

For a nice salty note, add bacon, pancetta, or Parma ham. If you want more vegetables, add fennel, spring onions, or Brussels sprouts, which taste amazing with the sweet, roasted squash.

Feel free to experiment with herbs. Fresh thyme, basil, or rosemary can provide tasty alternatives to sage. Bake the butternut squash with autumn spices such as nutmeg, cloves, or cinnamon before adding them to the sauce for a more complex flavour. Add a bit of crunch with walnuts, cashews, or almonds. These nuts not only provide a satisfying textural contrast but also introduce a rich, nutty flavour that enhances the overall dish. Toast them lightly, either in a dry pan or in browned Lurpak® Plant Based, for an extra layer of depth and aroma.

COOK, BAKE AND SPREAD WITH

Lurpak® Plant Based

Plant Based

Lurpak® Plant based offers all the great taste and quality that you expect from Lurpak® but in a plant based product. Whether you’re cooking, baking or spreading… whatever you think about plants, think again! Crush expectations with new Lurpak® Plant Based.

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