Butternut squash pasta topped with spicy Mexican chorizo sausage and fresh herbs! The butternut squash and onion are roasted in the oven, then blended with cream into a flavorful pasta sauce. After simmering the sauce, toss with the cooked pasta then top with chorizo and onion that have been browned in the skillet. Finish it with some fresh thyme, and you’ve got a hearty fall meal that’s full of flavor.
Most recipes for butternut squash pasta are vegetarian, but I wanted to incorporate meat into this recipe to make it a bit more hearty. The warm spice of the chorizo pairs so well with the creamy butternut squash pasta sauce, the two feel like a match made in heaven! Plus, with so many plant-based chorizo options on the market, this dish can still be prepared as a vegetarian meal!
How to Make Butternut Squash Pasta with Chorizo:
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
- Peel the onion and slice it in half. Dice half of the onion, and cut the other half into strips as pictured.
- On a large baking sheet, toss the cubed butternut squash and large onion chunks in a generous amount of olive oil. (Note, leave the onion in larger chunks if you want it to cook less, or separate into smaller pieces if you want it to cook more). Make sure everything is evenly coated in oil. (diced onion should be set aside for later)
- Bake the butternut squash and onion pieces in the preheated oven until the squash is soft and stating to char on the outside, about 30 minutes. Toss it once about halfway through.
- Meanwhile, cook the chorizo and diced onion together in a large skillet over medium heat until the chorizo is cooked through (about 10 mins, see left reference image), then raise the heat to medium-high and keep cooking, stirring frequently, until it begins to char (see right reference image). Remove the mixture to a plate and carefully wipe the pan clean.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook pasta per package directions for al dente, but don't add the pasta to the water until the dish is almost ready, after the squash is done roasting. Drain and set aside until needed.(The pasta shape pictured is paccheri millerighe, but you can use any large wide pasta like rigatoni or penne pasta.
- When the squash and onions are done roasting, add them to a blender or food processor along with the half-and-half (half heavy cream, half milk), garlic, corn starch, chicken broth (or vegetable broth), salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Add the blended sauce to the large skillet and set it over medium heat. Heat the sauce until it is simmering, stirring constantly. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water or half-and-half. If the sauce is too thin, allow it to reduce further. Taste and season and add another pinch of salt and pepper if desired.
- When the sauce is ready, add the drained pasta and mix well, so the pasta is completely coated. Plate the pasta into serving dishes, then top with the chorizo mixture and fresh thyme (or fresh sage).
Key Tips - Butternut Squash Pasta
Try chorizo made from premium cuts of pork.
- Traditional Mexican chorizo is made from low quality pork byproducts, which taste great but do leave a little to be desired. You may be able to find "premium chorizo" or "chorizo made from premium cuts" which uses regular pork instead of byproducts.
- My grocery store carries premium chorizo, and it isn't too much pricer than the regular chorizo, so I usually pick that up if it's available.
- Spanish chorizo is very different, so I don't recommend using that.
The cornstarch is our “pasta water”.
- Most pasta sauce recipes call for using some of the pasta water in the sauce. Pasta water has starch in it from the pasta, and this helps the sauce thicken and stick to the pasta. A little bit of cornstarch dissolved in water or cream will also do the trick, and actually give us better and more consistent results than using pasta water.
Check out my guide on freezing fresh garlic to save some time in the kitchen.
- If you're looking for the convenience of pre-minced garlic, but the flavor of fresh garlic, freezing your own minced garlic is a great option! You'll be surprised to find that the flavor of frozen garlic is nearly as good as fresh, without the sticky prep and clean-up. Read more about it here: How to Freeze Garlic.
Buy cubed butternut squash for quick prep.
- I sliced up fresh butternut squash for the batch pictured here, but if you're looking to save some time, pre-cubed butternut squash is a great option! You can typically find it in the refrigerated produce section at major grocery chains in the US.
Dietary Restrictions - Butternut Squash Pasta
Make this Vegetarian:
- There are lots of options out there other than pork chorizo that work with this chorizo breakfast burrito recipe! For a vegetarian option, you can use a soy chorizo, or other plant-based chorizo. Check out this Soy Chorizo, or this Plant Based Chorizo!
Make this Gluten-Free:
- Substitute the pasta with gluten-free pasta.
- Make sure you're using gluten-free chicken stock.
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it very difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. I've listed the serving size for this recipe as a standard 2 oz serving of pasta, but some people may prefer to have more than one serving. The pictures show two servings per bowl.
Butternut Squash Pasta with Chorizo
Creamy, roasted butternut squash pasta, topped with crispy Mexican chorizo and onions, finished with fresh herbs.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ~ 1 ½ lbs cubed butternut squash about 1 medium-sized squash
- 6 - 8 oz mexican chorizo sausage I use premium chorizo, see notes
- 8 -12 oz dried rigatoni pasta or similar, such as penne (pictured is paccheri millerighe)
- 1 large white onion
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or similar, such as sage or rosemary
- olive oil
- 1 ½ cup half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon corn starch for thickening sauce
- ½ cup chicken stock or sub water or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
- Peel the onion and slice it in half. Dice half of the onion, and cut the other half into strips as pictured.
- On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the cubed butternut squash and large onion chunks in a generous amount of olive oil. (Note, leave the onion in larger chunks if you want it to cook less, or separate into smaller pieces if you want it to cook more). Make sure everything is evenly coated in oil. (diced onion should be set aside for later)
- Bake the butternut squash and onion pieces in the preheated oven until the squash is soft and stating to char on the outside, about 30 minutes. Toss it once about halfway through.
- Meanwhile, cook the chorizo and diced onion together in a large skillet over medium heat until the chorizo is cooked through (about 10 mins, see left reference image), then raise the heat to medium-high and keep cooking, stirring frequently, until it begins to char (see right reference image). Remove the mixture to a plate and carefully wipe the pan clean.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook per package directions for al dente, but don't add the pasta to the water until the dish is almost ready, after the squash is done roasting. Drain and set aside until needed.
- When the squash and onions are done roasting, add them to a blender along with the half-and-half, garlic, corn starch, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Add the blended sauce to the large skillet and set it over medium heat. Heat the sauce until it is simmering, stirring constantly. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water or half-and-half. If the sauce is too thin, allow it to reduce further. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired.
- When the sauce is ready, add the drained pasta and mix well, so the pasta is completely coated. Plate the pasta into serving dishes, then top with the chorizo mixture and fresh thyme.
Notes
Typically, Mexican chorizo is made with pork byproduct, but some brands offer chorizo made with "premium cuts of pork" like pork shoulder. They are a little more expensive, but I prefer the premium version when it's available.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25 batchCalories: 615kcalProtein: 22g
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