Butternut & Sage Pasta Toss
Like autumn in sweatpants — roasted cubes of butternut squash, crispy sage, and a lazy pour of cream over al dente pasta. It’s 15 minutes of work for a dish that tastes like you planned it during a woodland walk, not while standing in front of the pantry with one shoe on.
Ingredients
- 12 oz 340 g short pasta (rigatoni, penne, or shells)
- 3 cups butternut squash peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 1 small squash or pre-cut)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt divided
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 12 fresh sage leaves
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg optional, but makes it sing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss squash cubes with olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper on a baking sheet. Roast until golden and tender, 18–20 minutes, flipping once.
- While squash roasts, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just al dente; reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sage leaves and fry until crisp and aromatic, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer sage to a paper towel, leaving butter in the pan.
- Pour cream into the sage butter, add remaining ½ teaspoon salt and nutmeg if using. Simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add roasted squash and pasta to the skillet. Toss gently, adding splashes of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen. Stir in Parmesan until melted and silky.
- Serve topped with crispy sage and extra Parmesan.
Notes
Shortcut magic: Use frozen butternut squash and skip peeling/cutting. Roast straight from frozen — just add a few extra minutes.
• Toddler tweak: Mash some roasted squash into the cream before tossing for a smoother sauce that clings to pasta.
• Apéro angle: Serve in small bowls with toothpicks for an unexpected fall nibble.
• Flavor swaps: Try sweet potato or pumpkin if butternut’s MIA. Fresh thyme or rosemary also works if sage isn’t your herb.
• Toddler tweak: Mash some roasted squash into the cream before tossing for a smoother sauce that clings to pasta.
• Apéro angle: Serve in small bowls with toothpicks for an unexpected fall nibble.
• Flavor swaps: Try sweet potato or pumpkin if butternut’s MIA. Fresh thyme or rosemary also works if sage isn’t your herb.