This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.

The cheesiest, creamiest, sauciest, Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie. Best for nights when you’re craving Italian, but also craving fall flavors. Butternut squash roasted with garlic, shallots, and fresh sage is pureed into a creamy cheese sauce with buttery gouda cheese. The sauce is baked into the rigatoni for a fun, saucy pasta pie. Crispy-salty prosciutto adds a little crunch on top. Roll your eyes back GOOD!

Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie | halfbakedharvest.com

Well, isn’t this fun? When I started making this I was so nervous. I just wasn’t sure how it would turn out. Sometimes dishes like this can be amazing, and better than I envisioned. Other times they’re disastrous.

But this turned out! And it’s so good, even better than I dreamt up in my head.

So I am so excited to share!

Prior to this recipe, I’d only made a rigatoni pasta pie once before. It was back during the 1st or 2nd year of HBH. It was also a butternut squash pie but with gorgonzola and a different method of cooking. It’s an old, old recipe. I’m sure it’s just fine, delicious even, but this is better.

My version today is easier, creamier, and has a few different flavors. But most importantly, it’s just delicious.

Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie | halfbakedharvest.com

The details

I did my best to keep this easy and minimize the steps. This may look a little fancy, but it’s quick and honestly fun to make.

The heart of the pasta is really all in the butternut squash. It’s in season throughout fall and always so delicious when roasted up. Roast the squash, garlic, and herbs together on the same sheet pan. As the squash roasts, the garlic caramelizes, and the herbs infuse everything with flavor.

Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie | halfbakedharvest.com

Toss the squash with garlic, shallots, sage, a small drizzle of honey, chili flakes, salt, and pepper.

While the squash roasts, boil the pasta. Be sure to save some of the water for thinning the butternut sauce.

Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie | halfbakedharvest.com

When the squash has finished roasting, puree everything on the pan with a splash of milk, hot pasta cooking water, and gouda cheese until smooth. You can do this in a food processor or blender.

Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie | halfbakedharvest.com

At this point, arrange the noodles upright in a spring-form pan. If you don’t have a spring form pan, no big deal, just use a regular baker with a flat bottom. Pour the sauce over the noodles and let it sink down into every nook and cranny.

It is going to seem like a lot of sauce, but this is the real secret. So much butternut cheese sauce!

Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie | halfbakedharvest.com

Top the pie with more cheese and then some prosciutto. If you’re not a prosciutto fan simply omit it.

Bake until the cheese is melty and the sauce is bubbling up. The prosciutto should be nice and crispy too! The edges of the pasta should have a little crust and everything will smell delicious.

Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie | halfbakedharvest.com

The cheese sauce really melts into the pasta making every bite even more perfect than you can imagine. Like mac and cheese meets ravioli. Trust me, it is so good!

Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other butternut squash recipes? Here are a few ideas: 

Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta

Rosemary Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza

Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with Rosemary Bacon

Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad

Hasselback Butternut Squash with Sage Butter and Prosciutto Breadcrumbs

Lastly, if you make this Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie 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!

Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 314 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
    2. On a baking sheet, toss together the butternut squash, garlic, shallots, sage, olive oil, honey, and a pinch each of chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Bake 15 minutes, toss, then bake another 10-15 minutes, until the squash is tender.
    3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Just before draining, remove 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water. Drain.
    4. Add the roasted butternut squash, garlic, shallots, milk, gouda cheese, and butter, to a food processor. Pour over 1 cup hot pasta water and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Thin the sauce with additional pasta water.
    5. Grease a 9-inch spring form pan with olive oil. Arrange the rigatoni in the pan, standing on their ends. Pour the butternut sauce over the pasta, pushing the sauce into the holes, filling them up. I used ALL the sauce. Sprinkle over the mozzarella.
    6. Arrange the prosciutto over the cheese. Top with oregano. Bake 25-30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly. Let sit 5 minutes before serving, then devour.
View Recipe Comments
Butternut Squash Rigatoni Pasta Pie | halfbakedharvest.com

Add a Comment

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. 3 stars
    Made this last night and followed the recipe but also added more chili pepper flakes, pancetta, prosciutto, and 1/2 cup of Smoked Gouda as well as 1 cup gouda. I used dried sage and dried oregano. I felt this dish was lacking in flavor despite adding more spices, herbs, and meat. Also, this is VERY dense.

  2. 5 stars
    Made this recipe last night and everyone loved it! We subbed crisped bacon for prosciutto since we had it on hand. It was a nice crunch on top.
    Have you ever tried to freeze this recipe, or a similar one? I’d loved to know. Maybe freeze it before the final baking stage?

    1. Hey Lindsay!
      Awesome!! So glad this dish was enjoyed! Yes, you could totally freeze before baking, that would work well for you! xT

  3. 5 stars
    Delicious! Your recipes are always so creative and I really enjoyed this one! I’m the only one in my house who enjoys butternut squash, but I think this is a recipe the whole family would enjoy. Thank you for another tasty recipe

    1. Hi Candace,
      Thank you so much for your kind message and giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xx

  4. 5 stars
    Such a unique recipe! I enjoyed making it and eating it! 😊 Just gave myself plenty of time so didn’t feel rushed.
    Thanks Tieghan!

    1. Hey Natalie,
      Happy Tuesday! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xT

  5. 5 stars
    I never write reviews of any kind but I felt after making this recipe the need to seriously THANK YOU! I really enjoyed using different ingredients and most of all I enjoyed that my family loved it. I will be making this all throughout fall. This is definitely kid approved! My kids are 3-12 thank you!

    1. Hey Mariana,
      Perfect! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! Thanks so much for your kind message🤍 xx

  6. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. Made it tonight for our Sunday splurge dinner…we have been calorie counting. Didn’t add the meat and my carnivorous husband didn’t notice. We both agreed this recipe has given squash a whole new life. Thank you and kudos to your creativity.

  7. What kind of pasta is in the photos? It’s too wide to be rigatoni, but doesn’t look big enough to be cannelloni.

    I made this with rigatoni and it was delicious but definitely more pasta than what it looks like from the photos.

    1. Hi Erin,
      Thanks so much for trying this recipe! I used rigatoni noodles:) Let me know if you have any other questions! xT

      1. Hmmm ok. I’ve never seen rigatoni that wide or without ridges. Just asking because the pasta/sauce ratio looks perfect in the photo and when making this with typical rigatoni it’s a bit dry. Also takes a looooong time to stand them up since there are so many in a pound. Good recipe regardless!

  8. 5 stars
    Loved this recipe! 1 lb of rigatoni just fit the 9” springform. For me personally next time I’ll add a little more sage, garlic and shallot and might try with smoked Gouda. Very tasty!

    1. Hi Michelle,
      Happy Monday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you! Thanks for making it:) xx

    1. Hi Kelley,
      Totally, just prepare up until baking and cover to keep in the fridge until you are ready to bake. I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xx

    2. Hi Kelley. I actually made this last night and I am having it again today for lunch and let me tell you, it was definitely much tastier the second day! Given that, I would say yes it’s good enough to make ahead!

  9. 4 stars
    I would recommend not cooking the rigatoni pasta all the way to al dente, I found them really hard to stick up straight in the pan cooked to this point.

    I’d maybe cook to halfway next time so they can hold their shape better, and let them finish cooking in the sauce in the oven. Otherwise, so delicious!

    1. Hi Hannah,
      Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I’m glad to hear it was enjoyed for the most part:) Have a great Sunday! xx

  10. 4 stars
    Ok this was a great recipe with wonderful flavors. Sage and butternut squash go well together along with the garlic and shallot that caramelized. The problem I had was execution – a 9 inch springform pan was way too small for a pound of rigatoni, it was overflowing before I even added the sauce and cheese. I used a 12 inch pan and just tossed the pasta in as I don’t have time to line up that many rigatonis. The cheese, oregano, and prosciutto on top were a great addition. Overall wonderful dish just needs bigger pan to cook 🙂

    1. Hi Courtney,
      Thanks so much for trying this pasta and sharing your review! Did you stack the rigatoni in the pan? So glad it was enjoyed overall:) xT

  11. So I thought the sauce was thin enough and didn’t add all the pasta cooking water.Big mistake as the finished dish was a little dry.Grwat flavourful though.But I would chop the prosciutto and mix that and the oregano into the pasta.I didn’t have rigatoni so used rotini.

    1. Hi Barbara,
      Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear it was a little dry, but glad you enjoyed the flavors! xx

  12. 5 stars
    This is delicious! I didn’t have the patience to stand the rigatoni up so I dumped the pasta into a rectangular Pyrex and it worked perfectly. I used more prosciutto as well. Great dish!

    1. Hey Sheri,
      Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xx

    1. Hi Samantha,
      Totally, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx