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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: 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.
Hi there, can you freeze the leftovers once cooked?
Hi Kate,
Sure, I mean you can really freeze anything, I’m not sure it will be the best after reheating though! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I made this tonight! Our family loved it! Thank you for the fantastic recipe. It was delicious! After reading the comments, I noticed that you said to leave the pasta in the water… I missed that step, but it still turned out great.
Hey Rebekah,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
Made this for dinner tonight! Oh my!!! Wow, this was an amazing recipe and I plan to make it again very soon. Husband gives 2 thumbs up too
Hey Jana,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was so good! I added some panko crumbs on top for a crunch. A great fall dish
Hey Crystal,
Great idea to add some breadcrumbs! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it:) xT
This is such an amazing recipe! My whole family loved it, even my daughter who is a picky eater! Thanks for so many great recipes!
Hey Janine,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! xx
The photo of the butternut squash shows skin and seeds. Did you puree the seeds?
Hi Michele,
Nope, I did not puree the skin and seeds:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xT
You leave the water in the pot when you add the squash mixture, correct?
Hi Kim,
Yes, that is correct:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I’m excited to try this! My one question is, do I drain the water from pasta, before adding the other ingredients?
Hi Kate,
Nope, no need to drain the water, there shouldn’t be much left and that will become part of the sauce. I hope you love this recipe! xT
It was easy and it was really yummy!!
Thanks so much Patricia!! So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe:) Happy Sunday! xx
Do you drain the remaining water after the pasta is cooked but before adding other ingredients?
Sylvia
Hi Sylvia,
No need to drain the water, there won’t be much left and that will become part of the sauce. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Did you remove the skin from the butternut squash before baking or blending or is it ok to throw it all in? Thank you!
Hi Maria,
I just cut around the skin before baking. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe is delish! xx
This was a hit!! Sooooo goooood. Cut back a lil on the cheese, will definitely be making again!
Hi Nicole,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you making it! Have a great weekend! 🍁🍂
Hi Nicole,
Did you drain the pasta after it was done cooking?
No need to drain the water Allison:)
I don’t have an oven safe skillet. Would it be ok to transfer it to a casserole dish to bake?
I baked mine in a casserole dish & it was perfection
Hey Allison,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope this recipe is delish, let me know if you give it a try! xT
Hey there! Wondering what you use for a skillet on this one? I have a 5qt le creuset skillet and I thought that would be OK, but the water wasn’t enough to cover the pasta. Recommendation for next time?
Hey Cadi,
For this recipe, I used a 12 inch skillet with sides. The water doesn’t need to full cover the noodles, you just need to make sure they have enough space. I would try a bigger pot next time! xT
I just made this as a gift for my sister’s birthday (put it in a disposable tin). Any idea on how long to cook if frozen?
Hi Karen,
I would say at least an hour. I hope she loves the recipe, thanks for making it!! xx