Butternut Squash Whole Wheat Pasta is a gorgeously vibrant vegetarian pasta dish made with goat cheese, radicchio, toasted walnut and fresh basil.
It wasn’t until after I made and photographed this Butternut Squash Whole Wheat Pasta that I realized my last recipe was also a pasta one also. But ehhhh, what are you gonna do? I personally can never get enough of pasta, and even when it starts to become too. much. pasta. that’s what zucchini noodles are for, or spaghetti squash, which I am literally just realizing as I type this that it’s what we just had for dinner. Seriously. Give me allllll the pasta (and vegetable pasta substitutes).
What’s pretty cool about this Butternut Squash Whole Wheat Pasta is that it is very seasonally appropriate, because it is Fall…technically. Even if I’m still very much standing in front of a blasting fan and sleeping with the blankets kicked off the bed, I’m definitely feeling the strong Autumn vibes on Pinterest and stuff, so what I’m craving at the dinner table totally reflects that. So long heirloom tomatoes, I’m over you (for now). Bring on the gourds!
I roast a whole butternut squash for this recipe- half of it is pureed with coconut milk, some of the pasta cooking water and a touch of nutmeg to create a velvety (yet healthy) Autumn-esque sauce, and the rest is diced and tossed in with the pasta. There’s also charred and wilted radicchio, toasted walnuts, goat cheese and fresh basil, which together make the finished dish super fun and vibrant. Tastes as pretty as it looks too, and it’s got kind of a lightness to it- as much as a pasta dish can be light.
I like the slight nuttiness that whole wheat pasta adds to this dish, but feel free to swap out your favorite kind of noodle, even zucchini noodles if you want! Something tells me it would be pretty legit too, let me know if you decide to try it that way!
P.S. Do you love these bowls as much as I do? They’re from Anthropologie! I can never leave there without purchasing one of them and as a result now have them in almost every color of the rainbow (large and small).
Butternut Squash Whole Wheat Pasta
Butternut Squash Whole Wheat Pasta is a gorgeously vibrant vegetarian pasta dish made with goat cheese, radicchio, toasted walnut and fresh basil.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4-1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/3 cup toasted walnuts
- 1/2 radicchio
- 2 ounce goat cheese
- 1/4 cup basil chiffonade
Instructions
Boil pasta according to package and drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water.
Preheat oven to 400°. Spread butternut squash in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt and roast until tender, tossing once, for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place half of squash in a blender or food processor along with 1/4 cup coconut milk, nutmeg and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Puree until a saucy consistency is achieved, gradually adding more coconut milk and/or pasta water if necessary to thin out. Set aside sauce and remaining squash.
Place radicchio on a cast iron skillet over high heat or a prepared grill and cook until edges are crisp and slightly charred, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and slice thinly.
Toss pasta with sauce, butternut squash, toasted walnut and radicchio. Divide into bowls and top with goat cheese and basil.
These turned out wonderfully!