*This Creamy One Pot Butternut Squash Pasta recipe is sponsored by Barilla Canada Inc. I’ve received compensation but, as always, all opinions are my own.
This Creamy One Pot Butternut Squash Pasta is the perfect restaurant-quality pasta dish that’s so easy to make at home! Watch the VIDEO below to see how I make it, and don’t forget to stay tuned to the end of this post for the full printable recipe!
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If you’ve been following thebusybaker.ca for any length of time you’ll already know how much I love seeing the beauty in food – a fresh strawberry glistening in the sunlight, plump red tomatoes on the vine or dark green leafy spinach, perfectly caramelized meat on the grill, fresh bread rising, or gorgeously textured pasta – Food is a thing of beauty and one of my favourite parts of my job is that I get to create recipes that not only look gorgeous, but also taste amazing!
This Creamy One Pot Butternut Squash Pasta is one of my favourite fall dishes to make because it not only tastes fantastic, featuring fresh seasonal butternut squash, but it looks so rustic and beautiful topped with freshly grated parmesan and fresh, fragrant thyme! I’m excited to be partnering with Barilla Canada today to bring you this delicious pasta recipe, in celebration of World Pasta Day and the upcoming Pasta World Championships this week!
At the Pasta World Championships event, one of the discussions will be about visual art and the beauty of food and it got me thinking about how we, as home chefs, have a blank canvas for creating visual art in our kitchens every single day. All we need to do is exercise a little bit of creativity and look for the beauty in everyday ingredients!
As the old Italian saying goes, “Anche l’occhio vuole la sua parte” – which means, “even the eye wants its part” – food should not only be pleasing to taste but visually appealing as well! This Creamy One Pot Butternut Squash Pasta recipe is a great way to combine delicious flavour with visual appeal because it features fresh, seasonal ingredients, lots of colour and texture, and lots of pretty garnishes that not only add flavour, but visual interest too!
Want to take your food presentation to the next level? Here are my top food styling tips for home chefs who want to create gorgeous dishes in their own kitchens:
- Go for colour! – choose colourful produce and brightly coloured herbs both for flavour and visual appeal. Caramelize meats until they’re a gorgeous golden brown, roast bell peppers until they develop those beautiful black char marks, and throw as many colourful ingredients as you can into your favourite dishes.
- Fresh and high-quality is best! – When it comes to colour and texture, use the freshest fruits and vegetables and the highest-quality ingredients you can find. We LOVE choosing Barilla Pasta for its high quality – if you want a gorgeous pasta dish with pasta that’s the perfect texture and doesn’t lose it’s shape, choose Barilla!
- Herbs and Spices! – Use bright green basil, mint, dill, parsley or cilantro, bright red smoky paprika or deep yellow curry or turmeric. These natural colourful ingredients add tons of flavour and will make the beauty of your dish stand out!
- Go for the garnish! – Garnish your finished dishes with fresh green herbs, freshly grated parmesan cheese, a dollop of white ricotta or sour cream, whole stems of fresh rosemary or thyme, chopped chives or green onions, or even a few cherry tomatoes still on the vine. Garnishes add a little something special to an otherwise flatly-coloured dish!
For more ways to build new pasta dishes that are both gorgeous AND delicious, check out Barilla Canada’s recipe builders HERE.
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I hope you love this Creamy One Pot Butternut Squash Pasta recipe as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite comfort food for fall? I’d love to know!
Don’t forget to visit barilla.ca for even more delicious pasta recipes!
KITCHEN PRODUCTS I RECOMMEND:
Looking for even more comfort food meals? You’ll LOVE these:
-
Easy One Pot Pasta Primavera
-
Creamy Enchilada One Pot Pasta
-
Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
-
Skillet French Onion Stuffed Chicken
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Skillet Pesto Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
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Chicken Breasts with White Wine Mushroom Sauce
Creamy One Pot Butternut Squash Pasta
This Creamy One Pot Butternut Squash Pasta is the perfect restaurant-quality pasta dish that's so easy to make at home!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
- 5 cups chopped butternut squash approximately one small squash
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 500 gram box Barilla Penne Rigate pasta
- 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- fresh thyme shredded parmesan, and red pepper flakes for garnish/serving
Instructions
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Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
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Add the olive oil, garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant.
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Add the chopped butternut squash and stir until coated.
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Add the chicken stock and cover. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the butternut squash is soft.
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Meanwhile, set a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
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When the butternut squash is soft, turn off the heat under the skillet and allow it to sit uncovered for a few minutes.
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Add the cream and parmesan, stir well, and puree with an immersion blender until the sauce is silky smooth (using a regular blender works too!)
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Drain the pasta and add it into the skillet , tossing it well in the sauce to coat.
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Sprinkle the top with some more freshly shredded parmesan, few sprigs of fresh thyme, and additional red pepper flakes, if desired.
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Serve immediately.
Kimberly says
I love butternut squash and this looks like such a delicious way to enjoy it!
Paula says
Love using squash in pasta dishes!
Chrissie says
Me too!! 🙂
Jessica | The Novice Cheg says
Butternut Squash is one of my favorites! So excited for this!
Chrissie says
Thanks so much! I hope you love it!
Alyssa Brantley says
Love easy one pot dinners for busy weeknights! This one is going on the must-make list!
Chrissie says
We sure do too! Hope you love it!
Anna says
Exactly what I was looking for! I just got a big butternut squash and I can’t wait to make this pasta!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
This looks really good! Can’t wait to give this a try!
tracey says
I am going to try the recipe and add chopped turkey bacon.
Chrissie says
Sounds like a great idea!!
Lea M. says
The only thing I did differently was that I used whole wheat rotini instead of penne; my husband & teenage son thought it was pretty good 🙂 They both agreed that it was tasty, but not something they would personally like to eat all the time.
I added A TON of salt to help balance the sweetness of the squash – I liked that the red pepper flakes gave it a bit of a kick! I was excited by how much sauce this recipe made; I think twice the amount of noodles would have fit with the amount of sauce better. I’m curious if the sauce is freezable, though…
Chrissie says
So glad you liked it! And yes, the sauce is totally freezable!