Creamy Butternut Squash Spaghetti

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This Creamy Butternut Squash Spaghetti is cozy, silky, and so easy — roasted squash blended into a luscious sauce for the perfect weeknight pasta.

When you want a cozy, comforting pasta dinner without spending hours in the kitchen, this Creamy Butternut Squash Spaghetti hits all the right notes. The sauce is made from just a handful of simple ingredients — roasted butternut squash, onions, garlic, and oregano — blended with broth, nutmeg, and a splash of half-and-half. The result: a velvety, golden sauce that tastes like fall comfort in a bowl. It’s creamy without being heavy, flavorful without being fussy, and packed with warmth your whole family will love.

This is one of those recipes that feels fancy but is actually incredibly easy, making it perfect for busy weeknights. While the squash roasts, you can boil the pasta and set the table, and within 30 minutes dinner is ready. Toss everything together with spaghetti and Parmesan cheese, and you get a silky, delicious, nutrient-rich dish that’s satisfying and kid-friendly. It’s cozy, it’s nourishing, and it’s exactly the kind of pasta recipe that becomes a weeknight staple.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love Butternut Squash Spaghetti
• Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
• Simple Equipment for Butternut Squash Spaghetti
• Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
• Talking Tip!
• Talking Tip!
• Finish Your Butternut Squash Spaghetti
• Variations on the recipe
• Recipe FAQs
• Want More Recipes like this?
• Creamy Butternut Squash Spaghetti
• Comments

Why You’ll Love Butternut Squash Spaghetti

This recipe is perfect for veggie lovers, but also great for busy families! Here are some of the reasons to love it.

• Simple ingredients — mostly pantry staples plus one squash.
• Creamy but light — comfort food without the heaviness.
• Kid-approved flavor — mild, sweet squash + cheesy pasta always wins.
• Quick prep — roast, blend, toss with pasta.
• Nutritious — a veggie-packed sauce that still feels indulgent.
• Great leftovers — reheats beautifully for lunch the next day.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

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Daniela, Please see instructions linked here.

• Butternut Squash – You can buy and prep a whole butternut squash for the best price value. But for more convenience, you can buy it cubed from the produce section or frozen. Other veggies that you could use instead are carrots, sweet potatoes, or a blend of root vegetables and or potatoes.
• Onion – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions. If you don’t have fresh onion, you can also use a tablespoon of onion flakes or onion powder.
• Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Dried Oregano – Oregano is such a perfect herb to bring this sauce to life. You can substitute dried Italian seasoning or dried marjoram or even dried rosemary or thyme.
• Vegetable stock or broth – You can also use Chicken Broth or stock or Beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
• Half and Half – I love half and half because it adds creaminess without being too heavy. You can substitute milk to make this a bit lighter or heavy cream for more creaminess. You can substitute coconut milk for a dairy free option.
• Ground Nutmeg – Just a touch of nutmeg goes a long way to add depth and bring out the sweetness of the squash without adding sugar.
• Parmesan Cheese, grated – Parmesan adds more depth, salty, and nutty flavor to the sauce. Shredded is fine too. If you don’t have parmesan cheese, you can substitute with shredded or grated pecorino romano cheeses, manchego cheese, cotija, gruyere, or other hard salty cheese.
• Spaghetti pasta – You can use your favorite pasta. Spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, or short shapes like penne or rotini all work beautifully.

See recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment for Butternut Squash Spaghetti

For this recipe, you only need basic equipment and tools from the kitchen.

• I used a Y-Peeler to peel the butternut squash and a sturdy large knife, such as a chef’s knife. Check out my post for How to Prepare Butternut Squash for Easy Dinners.
• Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.
• Use a large sheet pan for roasting the butternut squash with the onions. Line the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
• You need a blender for blending the ingredients into a smooth and creamy sauce. You could also use a food processor for this.
• Finally, you need a large pot for boiling the spaghetti.

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below) 

Peel and cut the butternut squash into small ½ inch cubes (will cook faster).

Dice the onion. Mince the garlic.

Add the squash, onions, and garlic to a large sheet pan.

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Roast for 15 minutes or until the butternut squash are fork-tender.

Add another ¼ cup of broth if the sauce is too thick. Taste for seasonings and add salt or pepper to taste. Either store in an airtight container in the fridge or set aside until ready to add to pasta.

Finish Your Butternut Squash Spaghetti

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain well, but save a cup of the cooking pasta water for adding to the sauce if needed.

If your sauce needs to be reheated, add it to the pasta pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to make sure it doesn’t burn. Once warmed through, turn off the heat, add the pasta and the parmesan cheese. Mix together.

If needed to thin it out, add a little of the reserved pasta water. Garnish with parmesan and enjoy!

Variations on the recipe

Here are some fun ways to change up this Butternut Squash Spaghetti recipe.

• Add Protein: Stir in cooked chicken, Italian sausage, or white beans.
• Make It Dairy-Free: Use coconut milk or a creamy oat milk and swap Parmesan for a dairy-free cheese.
• Spicy Version: Add crushed red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne to the sauce.
• Greens Boost: Wilt in spinach, kale, or arugula right before serving.
• Swap the Pasta: Use fettuccine, rigatoni, or even gluten-free pasta.

Recipe FAQs

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