This One-Pot Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta recipe is made with lots of amazing squash and even some spinach! Perfectly cheesy and cooked up in one pot, this cozy veggie-loaded dinner is done and on the table in under 30 minutes!
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Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta
Happy (officially) fall! Life is busy with back-to-school, returning to old schedules or embracing new ones. Many people have holiday prep on the brain and the days are getting shorter and shorter. Days are cool(er) and we all want to hunker down with something cozy at the end of a busy autumn day.
Enter all the veggie-loaded comfort food! I love a good slow cooker soup, an Instant Pot stew, or veggie-packed lasagna during this time of the year, but I am currently loving oh-so-hard on this One-Pot Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta!
This amazing, easy fall dinner is the creation of my dear friend, busy mama, and fellow veggie enthusiast, Heather from Happy Kids Kitchen. Heather is no stranger to TNN, contributing other amazing veggie-loaded recipes such as Healthy Taco Stuffed Peppers and Healthy Sweet Potato Pancakes.
Heather’s site is also full of other amazing recipes that are kid-approved, wonderful to make with your little one AND that you are going to adore! I personally recommend the Homemade Fish Nuggets…they are a TNN family favorite!
Why this one-pot pasta is so amazing…
- It is made in one-pot! I believe that is the dream of all meals for busy families! Less dishes in the sink at the end of dinner is always a good thing!
- Full of veggies! My goal with every recipe I serve up here is to help YOU serve up veggies in a delicious and exciting way…and this recipe 100% does just that!
- Cheesy goodness to the max. I feel like cheese makes veggies soooo much more exciting to veggie-iffy eaters.
- Like a healthier mac and cheese!
- Is made in 30 minutes or less. Because who needs to spend MORE time in the kitchen at the end of a busy day? Not me! And not you. This recipe is great to plug in on those nights when we are short on time but still want to serve up a great meal.
Suggested adaptations
- Give it a cheesy crust. Make in a large, oven-safe dutch-oven, sauce pot or pan with high sides. Reserve 1/4 cup mozzarella. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella on top of pasta. Broil until golden brown. Serve warm.
- Add peas for extra veggie-loading!
- Use frozen butternut squash to make this dinner extra easy to prep.
- Make it gluten free by using gluten free brown rice pasta
- Adjust amount of cheese to fit your family’s preference.
- Add canned tuna or cooked chicken for a boost of protein!
Want to make sure you always have spinach on hand for this butternut squash pasta? Check out my tips & tricks for keeping spinach fresh all week!
Other amazing pasta recipes that you are going to love
- Lentil Mushroom Pasta
- Pumpkin Pasta Sauce (quick & easy)
- Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce (vegan)
- Veggie-Loaded Turkey Lasagna
- Kid-Friendly Vegetable Sauce
One-Pot Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion (1 small or 1/2 large)
- 12 ounces peeled and diced butternut squash about 3 cups
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
- 1-3 cups water how much you will need will depend on what pasta you use
- 12 ounces pasta, any small shape I used brown rice pasta
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese + extra for garnish is desired
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Add oil to a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until in begins to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Add squash and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to get golden brown. Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook another minute. Lower heat if onion begins to get too brown.
- Add in broth and 1 cup of water, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Stir in pasta. Add in any additional water needed to just cover the pasta with liquid. Bring up to a boil then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Stir occasionally until pasta is cooked through, usually about 10 to 12 minutes depending on what kind of pasta you use.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain off extra liquid if needed. Stir in spinach to wilt. Stir in parmesan cheese and mozzarella. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve and enjoy warm. Top with extra parmesan if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!
Comments
This was so easy and yummy.
If you consider 15g of fat “healthy eating” I hate to see what you consider unhealthy.
I think everyone defines healthy in a different way. For me, that is whole foods and lots of veggies. If that isn’t your definition, that’s fine.
I personally don’t follow a low-fat way of eating and, as I mention above in the post, that adjusting the amount of cheese in this recipe to fit your needs is totally fine. I also made this with whole fat cheese, again…my preference. You could use low fat cheese or non-fat to fit your personal needs.
For anyone else reading this – “low fat” is defined as less than 3g of fat per 100 calories. This recipe, despite using full fat milk and cheese, isn’t too far off that mark. It would be incredibly easy to reduce the fat if you wanted to or just eat a smaller portion and round it out with a salad.
Also, it is recommended to consume 10g of fat per meal to ensure optimal gallbladder emptying.
This recipe is great! Adults and kids gave it a thumbs up here!
So glad this was a hit all around in your house!
Quick and easy weeknight meal! Delicious and toddler approved.
Yay! I am so glad it was a success!
I love your recipes! But I’m struggling with this one. When should I expect the squash to start softening and be more of a sauce? I’m currently at the boiling pasta part and they are still solid, did I miss something?!
How large are the chunks of butternut squash? Maybe use a spatula to break them into smaller pieces to help them cook quicker. Also, the squash will soften after the pasta boils. Let me know how it turns out!
I use only Parmesan for this recipe, all stock, and sage instead of basil. It’s delicious. Also I grate my Parmesan with a microplane. It helps to melt it and merge everything together.
Oh delicious ideas! Thanks for sharing!