Introduction

Have you ever stood in the kitchen at 6:47pm with hungry mouths to feed and thought—what if I just…? That’s exactly where I found myself last Tuesday when this butternut squash spinach pasta first blooped into existence. My grandmother Eloise (never “grandma”—she’d pinch your ear for that) always said good food happens when you’re too tired to overthink it. I’ve been cooking since I was tall enough to reach the stove with a step-stool (about 9… or was it 11?), but somethin about this particular dish makes me stupidly happy every time I make it.

Let me admit right off the bat—I invented what I call the “half-swirl technique” purely by accident when I was watching reality TV and stirring absentmindedly. Now it’s essential to this butternut squash spinach pasta, which somehow became my most requested dish when friends invite themselves over (they always do, usually right when I’ve changed into my elastic-waist pants).

How This Recipe Came To Be (Or: My Relationship With Orange Vegetables)

So I was thinking about how butter gets all melty and wonderful when it hits a hot pan, but that has nothing to do with this story. Except that I originally tried making this butternut squash spinach pasta after a catastrophic attempt at butternut risotto that my cat Jinx actually hissed at. The shame! My friend Darcy (who claims to be a chef but I’ve only ever seen her make toast) suggested I should “let the squash be more squashy” whatever that means.

I first started experimenting with pasta-veggie combos back in 2018… or was it late 2019? Anyway, it was definitely after that weird summer when I tried going vegan but failed because of gas station cheese puffs (don’t judge me). Living in the mountains meant fresh produce was sometimes questionable—especially during that three-week period when the only road into town kept washing out from unexpected rain. That’s when I discovered the magic of winter squash + leafy greens + carbs.

When you’re making this butternut squash spinach pasta, remember that what I call a “squash tumble” is just my weird way of saying “don’t be precious about how you add it to the pan.” My cooking style generally involves more enthusiasm than precision!

Ingredients List

8 oz pasta (I use cavatappi because it holds sauce in its little curly corridors)
2½ cups butternut squash, diced into what I call “pinky-nail chunks” (roughly ½-inch cubes but who’s measuring?)
3 generous handfuls fresh spinach (approximately 4-5 cups if you’re one of those people who needs exact measurements)
4 Tbsp butter (the good kind, not that weird tub stuff my neighbor Linda swears by)
2 garlic cloves, minced—or 7 if you’re me and fear nothing and no one
⅓ cup chicken broth (homemade if you’re showing off, from a box if you’re normal)
a splash and a half of heavy cream (roughly ¼ cup for the timid, ⅓ cup for the brave)
one lemon’s worth of zest (save the naked lemon for emergency G&Ts)
parmesan cheese for finishing (the amount depends entirely on whether anyone’s watching you)
salt & pepper to taste (but mostly salt, let’s be honest)
a pinchful of nutmeg—NOT pre-ground unless you want this butternut squash spinach pasta to taste like sadness
optional: one finely diced shallot if you’re feeling fancy (or half an onion if the shallots at your store looked pitiful)

The Actual Cooking Part

1️⃣ First things first—get that pasta water boiling. Add enough salt so it “tastes like the Atlantic in August” as my fictional Uncle Mitch used to say. Remember—pasta cooked in unsalted water is a personal failure you can never take back.

2️⃣ While the water does its bubbling thing, melt 2½ Tbsp of butter in your largest skillet over medium-ish heat. Add your butternut squash chunks and let them get acquainted with the hot pan. DON’T STIR YET! I made that mistake once during my sister’s engagement party and ended up with butternut mush. Let them sear on one side for about 3 minutes until they develop what I call “flavor freckles” (small brown caramelized spots).

3️⃣ Now—and this is critical—execute a proper squash tumble and add your garlic (and shallot if using). If the pan looks dry, add the remaining butter because life is short and arteries are overrated. Season with salt, pepper, and that pinchful of nutmeg. Cook for another 4 minutes or until you can easily pierce the squash with a fork but before it turns to baby food.

4️⃣ Your pasta should be happening simultaneously—cook it 1 minute less than the package directions say because it’ll finish cooking in the sauce. Trust me on this one. Check out my pasta perfection tips for more details.

5️⃣ Pour in the chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan—that’s where the magic lives! Let it simmer until the liquid reduces by half, approximately the length of one good TikTok scroll.

6⃣ Drain your pasta BUT—I cannot stress this enough—save at least ½ cup of that starchy cooking water! This is the secret ingredient that makes butternut squash spinach pasta creamy without adding eighteen cups of cream! Add the pasta directly to your squash mixture along with a splash of the pasta water and do the half-swirl technique (stir halfway, stop, let sit for 20 seconds, then stir again).

7⃣ Now add your spinach in batches (it looks like too much but will shrink faster than my patience at a slow checkout line), your cream, lemon zest, and half the parmesan. Stir until the spinach wilts and everything looks harmonious—about 2 minutes or the length of an average commercial break.

Notes & Tips From My Kitchen To Yours

• CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF: You should never wash butternut squash after cutting it! The moisture makes it steam rather than caramelize. Instead, wash before peeling and just wipe your cutting board halfway through. My grandmother would roll in her grave if she knew some people wash their cut squash (she’s not actually dead, just very judgmental about cooking techniques).

• The signature “Crenshaw Egg Timer Test”: If you’re unsure if your butternut is cooked properly, press a fork into a piece—it should slide in with light resistance, similar to pushing a fork into a hard-boiled egg. I learned this from my imaginary cooking instructor, Chef Paolo, who trained at a monastery in Switzerland where they weren’t allowed to use timers.

★ EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WARNING: Never, ever add the cream while the pan is at full heat! I did this during a dinner party in 2017 and had to explain to my boss why the fire alarm went off. Lower the heat first, then add cream, then you can turn it back up if needed. Visit The Kitchn for more sauce rescue tips

• For storage: This butternut squash spinach pasta actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to get friendly in the fridge. Store in an airtight container but—here’s my weird tip—place a piece of parchment paper directly on the surface of the pasta to prevent it from drying out!

My Ride-Or-Die Kitchen Tools

LEOPARD-PRINT SILICONE SPATULA ★★★★★
The flexible edge gets into all the pan corners, catching every bit of that butternut sauce.
I’ve had mine for six years and the handle melted slightly when I left it too close to a burner, but that just gives it character.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2SKT7M

15-YEAR-OLD CAST IRON SKILLET ★★★★★
Weighs approximately as much as a small child but distributes heat more evenly than my ex distributed blame.
Grandma Eloise seasoned it using a technique involving bacon fat and moonlight that I’m still trying to perfect.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006JSUA

DISCONTINUED MICROPLANE GRATER ★★★★★
They don’t make this model anymore but I refuse to replace it despite the broken handle.
Can zest a lemon in 12 seconds flat and has removed approximately 0.4 cm of my knuckle skin over the years.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004S7V8

Variations That Won’t Make You Sad

For a PROTEIN BOOST: Add grilled chicken or—my personal favorite—brown some Italian sausage before the butternut goes in. The fat from the sausage adds this ridiculous depth that makes the butternut squash spinach pasta taste like it took hours, not minutes.

THE CONTROVERSIAL GOAT CHEESE SWAP: Replace the parmesan with 4oz of crumbled goat cheese. I served this to my mother-in-law who claimed to “hate goat products of all kinds” and she asked for seconds. Then again, she was being polite and later I found most of it wrapped in a napkin in the guest bathroom.

VEGAN ADAPTATION: Use olive oil instead of butter and coconut cream instead of heavy cream. Nutritional yeast can sub for the parmesan, though you’ll need to add extra salt. It’s different but weirdly satisfying in what I call a “parallel universe” kind of way.

The One Question People Always Ask

Q: Why doesn’t my butternut squash get caramelized like yours?

A: You’re probably overcrowding your pan, you eager beaver! Butternut squash pieces need personal space to develop those crispy edges—like introverts at a party. Use your biggest pan and work in batches if needed. Also, I’ve found that squash from certain farms (particularly the Greendale Harvest Co-op near me) has a higher sugar content and caramelizes better. The test I use is the “thumbnail press”—if your thumbnail easily dents the raw squash skin, it’ll caramelize better than one that resists.

Final Thoughts From My Chaotic Kitchen

This butternut squash spinach pasta has saved my dinner reputation more times than I care to admit. There’s something about the combination of sweet butternut, earthy spinach, and cheesy goodness that makes people think you’re a better cook than you actually are (which is my entire culinary philosophy).

What will you add to make it your own? Could you substitute sweet potato? Would kale work instead of spinach? These are the questions that keep me up at night, along with wondering if I remembered to turn off the oven.

I’m working on a pumpkin version for next month, and let me tell you—the testing process has been an emotional rollercoaster involving three burnt pans and one very confused dinner guest.

Remember that cooking should be fun, slightly messy, and occasionally alarming to bystanders. This butternut squash spinach pasta embraces all three principles!

Seasonally yours,
Chef Maribelle W. (Third runner-up in the 2019 County Fair “Vegetable Reimagined” contest and certified knife skills enthusiast)