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This simple Creamy Baked 4 Cheese Butternut Squash Rigatoni is the perfect dinner. Quick, easy, cheesy, and so delicious! Roasted butternut squash with shallots, garlic, and herbs in a creamy 4-cheese, sun-dried tomato, spinach sauce. Cooked together with rigatoni pasta, then finished in the oven for a simple, delicious fall dinner. Truly one of those pasta bake dinners that everyone at the table will love. Great for a weeknight, but equally fancy enough to serve up at your next dinner party too. You can’t go wrong with this Tuscan-style butternut squash pasta.
Sometimes I look back at older recipes and I wonder what I was thinking when I decided to make and share that recipe. And then sometimes I look back and think, wow I need to make this!
This is a pasta that I looked way, way, way back for. I was going through recipes for our HBH 10-year anniversary when I came across this recipe and thought, yummm!
I looked at the recipe and thought, wow I could make that so much more efficiently than it’s written. So that’s just what I did! I had all the ingredients with me at the time and decided to just go for it.
It turned out so delicious, I just had to re-share it!!
Here are details
First, you’ll want to roast up the squash. Start by tossing the squash, shallots, and garlic with lots of fresh oregano, chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
Once the squash has finished roasting, puree it with the garlic and ricotta cheese until smooth. You can do this in a food processor or blender.
Now the pasta, take a big oven-safe skillet with sides and add a few cups of water. Just enough to cook the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is just al dente, but don’t drain it! Simply stir in the butternut puree, milk, lots of spinach, the sun-dried tomatoes. And finish with a mix of gouda and parmesan cheese.
Toss everything until it is creamy. Top with fontina cheese and bake until melty and the sauce is bubbling up.
I usually top with fresh herbs, then serve it up! DELICIOUS!
This is my ideal fall dinner, and I even got the picky eaters to dive right into this! It’s all that delicious cheese and creamy butternut squash in a Tuscan-style sauce. You just cannot turn away from that combo!
Looking for more comfort pasta recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Pesto Tortellini Zuppa Toscana
Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta
One Pot French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Basil Parmesan Pasta with Crispy Chicken, Prosciutto, and Arugula
Lastly, if you make this Baked 4 Cheese Butternut Squash Rigatoni be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Baked 4 Cheese Butternut Squash Rigatoni.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 410 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 shallot, halved
- 6-10 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
- chili flakes
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 pound rigatoni or other short cut pasta
- 1 cup milk or cream
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded gouda cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded fontina or provolone cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425° F.2. On a baking sheet, toss together the olive oil, butternut squash, shallot, garlic, oregano, and a pinch each of chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Bake 20-25 minutes, until the squash is tender.3. Pop the garlic cloves out of their skin. Add the butternut squash, shallot, garlic, and ricotta to a food processor. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.4. In a large, oven-safe skillet with sides, bring 3 1/2 cups water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 8 minutes. Stir in the pureed butternut squash. Add the milk/ cream, Italian seasoning, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, stirring to combine. Stir in the gouda and parmesan until melted. 5. Remove from the heat and top with the fontina cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and gooey. Eat!
Notes
Italian Seasoning:Â Mix 2 tablespoons dried basil, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, and 1 teaspoon dried sage. Store in a sealed container.
This looks just like something I would see at a glamorous restaurant! I’ve always loved cheesy pasta as a kid, but now, not so much! I guess I was on the health train for such a long time to not crave it anymore! I do admit that I love eating with my eyes, though! Your pasta dish looks gorgeous–butternut squash is the best too!
I made this tonight and used cheddar instead of fontina (as I couldn’t get any). It was absolutely delicious and there’s plenty of leftovers for work tomorrow as well. I’ve been making loads of your recipes lately and they’ve all been fantastic.
Perfect! I am so happy you’ve been loving my recipes Sophie! Thank you!
Hi Tieghan, I made this twice over the weekend: Friday night for 6 people and Saturday night for 8 people, as it was so nice Friday and I was in the groove. Everyone loved it. I added some chilli flakes on Saturday night. Living on the edge! Thank you for a lovely recipe!
PS I would like to see your goats
Wow I am so glad this turned out so great for you and your guests Liz! Thank you so much!
I’m right there with you! A salad might be more sensible but really who doesn’t just want to hunker down with a hearty bowl of pasta? Love sun dried tomato and garlic so this sounds perfect for me.
– John Munro
http://foodvacuumsealers.com.au
Awesome! I hope you love this recipe John, thank you!!
Oh my!!!! I have frozen roasted butternut squash in my freezer. PERFECT. Sunday Supper coming up. Love your site.
Ah yes!! You need to make this one!! Let me know what you think!
I loooove all things butternut squash for fall– SO darn yummy! And I mean, come on, all that cheese?! How could one resist!?
Exactly!! Haha thank you so much Karly!!
OH MY GOD save that crispy bit on top for me. CHEESE FOR LIFE!
Yes!! Thank you!
Yummy
Lucero Love XX
http://lucerolove.blogspot.com.es
Thank you Lucero!
Well hello deliciousness!! Tieghan, I can’t wait to try this. I was thinking of making pasta tonight, so I may just have to give this recipe a whirl. Thanks for sharing!x
I hope you love it Sarah! Thank you!
Oh what a beautiful pasta dish! Love love all that cheese! I have to make this. I’m always looking for a new pasta dish because my little one loves pasta! And this is a great way to add the butternut squash which I didn’t know that you can roast them whole! That sure sounds a lot easier than peeling and chopping! It’s one thing I am not fond of is peeling and chopping the winter squash as they’re so hard! Anyways, I’d love to first see a tour of your props on FB Live! I know you’ve got a houseful of treasures! 😉
Haha I agree, it can get kind of difficult to chop. Anyway, I hope you and your little ones love this Sheila, thank you!!
i love that you topped this bad boy with pepperoni! looks amazing!
Thanks so much Jess!
I don’t keep up with the times.
I don’t belong to any of those sites.
But you sound excited so I say–go Facebook.
And of course I’ll be pinning your pasta dish.
Thank you Nancy!
Thanks Nancy!
This looks soooo good, I can’t wait to try it out. I love new pasta recipes 🙂
Awesome! I hope you love this one as well, thanks Brooklyn!
Oh yes, my Monday so needs this fall comfort meal! Love!!
Right?! I loved this one!! Thanks Laura!
I want to see the goats! 😛
Will have to show them haha!