This butternut squash pasta sauce is a rich and creamy alternative to classic tomato-based sauces. Its natural sweetness and velvety texture make it a comforting choice for autumn and winter meals. Perfect for coating pasta, layering in lasagne, or stuffing into cannelloni, it adds a delicious seasonal twist. With its vibrant colour and warming flavour, it’s a great way to accompany your usual pasta dishes.
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce – A Comforting Autumn Twist
This butternut squash pasta sauce is a smooth and delicious alternative to traditional tomato-based sauces. Made with roasted butternut squash, tomatoes, red onion, garlic, and sage, it brings a subtle sweetness and warmth to any pasta dish. Rich and velvety, yet completely dairy-free, it’s also low in fat, and makes a perfect addition to your meal prep routine.
Easy to make, this sauce adds a cosy, autumnal twist to your meals with its smooth texture and naturally sweet, nutty flavour. Toss it with your favourite pasta, layer it into a lasagne, or use it as a pizza topping in place of tomato sauce. Its versatility means it will quickly become one of your go-to autumn recipes.
When I serve this butternut squash sauce with pasta, I love to top it with crispy fried sage leaves, along with walnuts and a sprinkling of grated cheese. This is entirely optional, but butternut squash and sage are truly a match made in heaven!
This recipe makes about 400ml [ US 1 3/4 cups] of sauce.
TOP TIPS:
- For extra flavour, be sure to use sweet cherry vine tomatoes—my favourites are the Vittoria or Sugarbelle varieties. Roasting the tomatoes brings out their rich sweetness, making this butternut squash pasta sauce even more delicious.
- If you don’t have fresh sage leaves, or if you’re using the sauce for lasagne, cannelloni, pasta bake, mac and cheese, or as a pizza topping, dried sage works just as well. See recipe note 2 below for instructions on how to use it.
Why You’ll Love It:
- Rich and Creamy: Made with roasted butternut squash, this sauce adds a comforting, velvety texture to any dish without the need for dairy.
- Packed with Veggies: A delicious way to boost the vegetable content of your meals, with a lovely sweet and nutty flavour that even kids will enjoy (just be mindful to adjust the amount of red chilli flakes for little ones).
- Perfect for Autumn: This is a brilliant autumn and winter recipe filled with plant-based goodness.
- Versatile: Use it for pasta, lasagne, pizza, or baked dishes —this sauce works beautifully in a variety of meals.
For more inspiration check out this 5 Best Homemade Pasta Sauces roundup.
How to Use This Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce:
- Toss with Pasta: A perfect match for any type of pasta—fettuccine, penne, gnocchi, or even autumnal mac and cheese.
- Lasagne or Baked Pasta: Use it in place of traditional tomato sauce for a creamy, autumn-inspired lasagne or baked pasta dish.
- Pizza Base: Swap your usual pizza sauce for this butternut squash alternative.
- Grain Bowls & Roasted Veggies: Drizzle over grain bowls or roasted veggies for an extra boost of flavour.
Watch how to make this butternut squash pasta sauce
In this post
How to make this butternut squash pasta sauce
Ingredients
To make this butternut squash pasta sauce you will need:
- butternut squash
- sweet cherry tomatoes (I like Vittoria cherry vine tomatoes because of their intense flavour)
- red onion
- garlic
- olive oil
- butter (conventional or dairy-free)
- fresh sage leaves
- red chilli flakes
- grated nutmeg
- salt and pepper
TO SERVE:
- dry pasta of choice
- walnuts
- Parmesan cheese (conventional or dairy-free or try my cashew Parmesan cheese)
Step 1: Roast the vegetables
Peel, deseed, and dice the butternut squash. Chop the red onion roughly. Toss all the vegetables and garlic in olive oil on an oven tray. Roast in the oven for around 30 minutes until the butternut squash is soft and golden.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and leave to cool down until the garlic is cool enough to handle. Squeeze the garlic cloves out, and discard their skins.
Step 2: Fry the sage leaves
Heat the butter in a small saucepan or frying pan. When the butter is melted and start to bubble. Add the sage and cook for a few minutes until the sage is crispy. Scoop out the sage leaves and set aside on a sheet of kitchen towel.
Step 3: Cook the pasta
Cook the pasta al dente according to packet instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving some the cooking liquid.
Step 4: Blend the butternut squash pasta sauce
In meantime, transfer the cooled roasted vegetables and peeled garlic cloves to a blender. Add the red chilli flakes, nutmeg, and 125ml (1/2 cup) of the reserved pasta cooking liquid (or water).
Whizz until you have a smooth and creamy pasta sauce, adding if needed more of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to get your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Reheat the sauce with the pasta and serve
Mix the butternut squash pasta sauce with the pasta over medium heat and reheat until hot. Serve straight away topped with crunched sage leaves, walnuts, and parmesan cheese.
Common questions about this butternut squash pasta sauce recipe
This recipe makes about 400ml [ US 1 3/4 cups] of sauce.
Yes, this sauce is easy to freeze, which makes it a great option for batch cooking. Once the sauce has cooled completely, transfer it into an airtight container or freezer bag, leaving a little space for expansion. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, simply thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the hob or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth.
I use about 125ml (1/2 cup) of the pasta cooking liquid to adjust the sauce consistency. If the sauce feels too thick, you can thin it out by adding a bit more pasta cooking liquid or water.
Yes, you can use either. If using frozen, you can either thaw it first so you do not have to adjust the roasting time, or place the frozen butternut squash first in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, then add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic.
I hope you enjoy this butternut squash pasta sauce recipe as much as I do. If you do make it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Equipment
Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTA SAUCE:
- 450 g butternut squash
- 250 g sweet cherry vine tomatoes I like Vittoria or Sugarbelle
- 75 g red onion
- 2 large garlic cloves skin on
- ½ to ¾ tsp red chilli flakes
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE PASTA:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 35 g butter (see note 1)
- 10 g fresh sage leaves (see note 2)
- 360 g dry pasta of choice
TO SERVE:
- roughly chopped walnuts to taste
- grated Parmesan cheese of choice to taste (see note 1)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C /425°F.
- Peel and deseed the butternut squash, cut it into 2cm [3/4 inch] dice. Chop the red onion roughly.450 g butternut squash, 250 g sweet cherry vine tomatoes, 75 g red onion
- Toss the butternut squash, cherry tomatoes, onion, and garlic in olive oil on an oven tray.2 large garlic cloves, 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Roast in the oven for around 30 minutes or until the butternut squash is soft and golden.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool down until the garlic is cool enough to handle.
- Squeeze the garlic cloves out, and discard their skins.
- Heat the butter in a small frying pan or saucepan over a medium-high heat.35 g butter
- When the butter is melted and start to bubble. Add the sage and cook for a few minutes until the sage is crispy. Scoop out the sage leaves and set aside on a sheet of kitchen towel to drain.10 g fresh sage leaves
- Cook the pasta al dente according to packet instructions.360 g dry pasta of choice
- Drain the pasta, reserving some the cooking liquid.
- In the meantime, transfer the cooled roasted vegetables and peeled garlic cloves to a blender.
- Add the red chilli flakes, nutmeg, and 125ml (1/2 cup) of the reserved pasta cooking liquid (or water).½ to ¾ tsp red chilli flakes, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- Whizz until you have a smooth and creamy pasta sauce, adding if needed more of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to get your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.salt and pepper
- Mix the butternut squash pasta sauce with the pasta over medium heat and reheat until hot.
- Serve straight away topped with crunched sage leaves, walnuts, and parmesan cheese.roughly chopped walnuts, grated Parmesan cheese of choice
Video
Notes
- You can easily make this recipe vegan by swapping the butter and cheese for dairy-free alternatives. The Parmesan can also be substituted with my plant-based cashew Parmesan cheese
Instead of fresh sage leaves you can also use dry sage (this works well if you are making the sauce to use in a lasagne for example.
- if you are using dry sage, skip Steps 7 and 8 and instead add 1 teaspoon of dry sage at Step 12 when you are seasoning the sauce.
Nutrition
Find this recipe online:
https://theflexitarian.co.uk/recipe-items/butternut-squash-pasta-sauce/
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