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Turn your fresh butternut squash into this Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce. It’s filled with healthy plant-based ingredients and topped with roasted veggies. It’s the perfect fall meal!

completed Butternut Squash and Roasted Veggies plated on a white plate against a white background

This Creamy Butternut Squash sauce is similar to our homemade Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce. It’s rich, creamy, and one of the best ways to sneak veggies into a picky eater’s diet. Once the whole family’s hooked on winter squash, you have to try these Kabocha Squash Enchiladas and this Roasted Spaghetti Squash. Get ready for a squash-filled season bursting with flavor!

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Why You’ll Love This Pasta Sauce

  • Perfect fall comfort food. Once the cool weather hits, replace the typical marinara sauce or Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce with this butternut squash pasta dish. 
  • Great way to use up butternut squash. If you have ½ of a butternut squash left over, turning it into a delicious pasta sauce is the perfect solution. 
  • Gluten-free. When made with tamari, this pasta sauce is naturally gluten-free. Serve with rice noodles or another gluten-free pasta of choice like brown rice pasta, spaghetti squash, or zucchini noodles.
  • Ready in 30 minutes! By steaming the cubed butternut instead of roasting a larger butternut, the prep time is cut down significantly. 
  • Freezer friendly. This pasta sauce is easy to freeze. If you have a lot of butternut squash to use, make a large batch and freeze the sauce to enjoy any time of year. 

The Ingredients

ingredients for Butternut Squash Sauce and Roasted Veggies measured out against a light surface
  • Butternut squash: Use freshly cut butternut squash, pre-cut, or frozen butternut. If using pre-cut, make sure the pieces are cut into about ½-inch cubes. 
  • Carrots: We used 2 medium-sized fresh carrots, but frozen carrots will work, too. 
  • Coconut milk: Adds creaminess without dairy or heavy cream. For the best flavor, use full-fat canned coconut milk. 
  • Turmeric: Enhances the color of the pasta sauce while providing earthiness and many health benefits. 
  • Oil: Use any neutral oil. If oil-free, omit and use broth or water. 
  • Red onion: Adds a milder flavor than yellow onion, but yellow or white onion can be used. 
  • Garlic: Use one garlic clove or ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder. 
  • Soy sauce: Adds saltiness and umami flavor to the creamy pasta sauce. If gluten-free, use tamari. 
  • Granulated sugar: Cane sugar, coconut sugar, or light brown sugar are best. 
  • Broccoli: Either fresh or frozen work. Frozen is typically more affordable and cuts down on prep time.

Possible Substitutions

  • Butternut squash: Replace with another winter squash like cubed pumpkin, acorn squash, or sweet potato. Acorn squash will make a very different colored sauce but will still be delicious. You can also use a mix of a few types of squash. 
  • Veggies: Replace the broccoli with another veggie such as quartered Brussels sprouts, green beans, frozen peas, or frozen mixed veggies. 
  • Add heat: If you want your vegan butternut squash pasta sauce to have a kick, add in red pepper flakes or sriracha to the sauce to taste.

How to Make Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

  • 1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • 2) Next, steam the butternut squash and carrots until the veggies are easily pierced with a fork. 

Alternatively, use our super simple guide, How to Roast a Butternut Squash to cook the butternut squash on a sheet pan with parchment paper. You can also roast the carrots in the oven at the same time, if desired. Use our How to Make Glazed Carrots post as a guide for cook times. 

  • 3) Once the veggies are cooked and tender, add them into a blender along with the coconut milk, turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Blend on high until a smooth sauce forms. Set aside.
  • 4) In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat a neutral cooking oil until hot. Add in the onion and garlic and sauté until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. 
  • 5) Add in frozen broccoli or veggies of choice and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • 6) Add in the soy sauce and sugar and continue to cook for about 7 minutes, or until the veggies are cooked to your liking. 
  • 7) Finally, stir in the cooked pasta or noodles and the creamy sauce until well combined. Serve while hot and creamy!

Recipe FAQs

How do I steam the butternut squash and carrots?

Prepare a steamer basket or pot. Fill the pot with fresh water, then place the steamer basket over top, making sure the water is not touching the upper basket. Cover the pot, set the heat to medium-high and bring the water in the pot to a low boil. Once simmering, add the cubed butternut squash and chopped carrots in the steamer basket, cover again, and steam for about 15 minutes, or until the veggies are fork tender.

Can I use frozen butternut squash in the sauce?

Absolutely. This is a great way to cut down on prep time since peeling and preparing a whole butternut squash can be difficult and time-consuming. 

Can I use a different type of pasta with butternut squash sauce?

You can use any kind of pasta. Since it’s cooked separately and combined at the end, cook your favorite pasta shape according to its unique package instructions. 

Top Recipe Tips 

  • Adjust the consistency. ​Depending on preference, you may prefer your sauce thinner. If so, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth at a time until your desired consistency is reached. 
  • Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. ​Adding the reserved pasta water when mixing the pasta and pasta sauce together helps the pasta sauce to stick to the pasta. 
  • Use ripe butternut squash. Ripe butternut squash is sweeter and more flavorful than unripe butternut squash. When browsing the produce section, choose a butternut squash that has a beige color with no green patches. It should also feel heavy for its size. 
completed Butternut Squash and Roasted Veggies plated on a white plate against a white background

Serving Suggestions 

Here are a few of our favorite side dishes to serve with this healthy butternut squash pasta: 

Make Ahead Tips and Storage Instructions 

If making this butternut squash pasta sauce for meal prep, store the sauce separately from the veggies and noodles. The pasta and sauce can be stored mixed together, but the pasta or noodles will absorb the sauce overnight in the fridge and won’t be as creamy the next day. 

Leftover butternut squash pasta sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to 3 months. This sauce will freeze well in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers such as mason jars.

If storing the pasta and pasta sauce together, enjoy within 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan until warmed through again.

More Butternut Squash Recipes 

Photos by Alfonso Revilla

Butternut Squash Sauce and Roasted Veggies

5 from 69 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Turn your fresh butternut squash into this Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce. It's filled with healthy plant-based ingredients and topped with roasted veggies. It's the perfect fall meal!

Ingredients 

  • 1 package of rice noodles
  • ½ of a small butter squash, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 cup of full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 cups of frozen chopped broccoli
  • 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar

Instructions 

  • Boil water and cook rice noodles according to package instructions.
  • Steam butternut squash and carrots until tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Place tender butternut squash, carrots, coconut milk, turmeric, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
  • In a large pan over medium-high heat, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until onions are tender and translucent. Add frozen broccoli and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add soy sauce and sugar and cook for about 7 minutes.
  • Add cooked noodles and creamy butternut squash to the pan and stir until well-combined.

Notes

  • Adjust the consistency. ​Depending on preference, you may prefer your sauce thinner. If so, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth at a time until your desired consistency is reached. 
  • Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. ​Adding the reserved pasta water when mixing the pasta and pasta sauce together helps the pasta sauce to stick to the pasta. 
  • Use ripe butternut squash. Ripe butternut squash is sweeter and more flavorful than unripe butternut squash. When browsing the produce section, choose a butternut squash that has a beige color with no green patches. It should also feel heavy for its size. 

Nutrition

Calories: 582kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 8gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 701mgPotassium: 1029mgFiber: 7gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 20460IUVitamin C: 87mgCalcium: 141mgIron: 5mg

Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Additional Info

Author: Toni Okamoto
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Method: Stovetop
Diet: Vegan
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂
About

Toni Okamoto

“They say you are what you eat, so I strive to be healthy.
My goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy,
‘Cause true wealth comes from good health and wise ways…
we got to start taking better care of ourselves ” – Dead Prez

More about Toni Okamoto

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    A new favorite butternut squash recipe! I love the flavor and it goes amazingly well with roasted veggies. A must try!