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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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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
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
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups cubed butternut squash
- 4 cloves garlic smashed,
- 1 shallot, halved
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- chili flakes
- kosher salt + black pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded gouda cheese
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 8 slices prosciutto
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
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.
Amazingly delicious!!!
Thanks so much Sarah!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! xT
Made this for a small dinner party with friends. Everyone loved it! My boyfriend ate the leftovers and I’m a little heartbroken
Hey Emelia,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad it was a hit! xT
Ok this sauce is legit & I will 100% make this dish again, but with a different pasta! Standing up that rigatoni made me say bad words 🤣
Hey Lori,
Wonderful!🤩 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xT
My new son in law and I made this tonight for dinner. This pasta bake is no ordinary pasta bake. It is so delicious! The flavor is so full and robust! The butternut squash, gouda cheese and proscuito are a great combination. A wonderful fall meal. A garden salad and garlic parmesian crusty bread made by my daughter made this meal perfect! We have made several of your recipes now and each one has been fantastic! We are truly fans of your recipes. Thank you!
Hey Carolyn,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xT
sorry, apparently we didn’t like it as much as your other readers.
If we make it again we would add more BNSq, chili flakes, garlic. Add sage later as it all burned on the sheet pan.
note to Susanne: I weighed 4C of cubed BNSq at 21oz.
Hi Deborah,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
This dish is delicious and a show stopping presentation. Based on the directions, it would be a challenge for an inexperienced cook. My suggestions are:
Use a high quality Gouda cheese for the best flavor.
Standing the rigatoni upright! Drain the pasta well and then dry it on a clean towel. It is difficult to arrange, with slippery pasta.
Adding the right amount of pasta water, to thin the sauce, is crucial. Start with a small amount and continue to add. Test the consistency of your sauce by pouring a few tablespoons over the rigatoni to see if it fills the pasta. Too thick and it sits on top, to thin and your pie will be runny. Try it, it’s wonderful!
Hi Joan,
Happy Sunday!!🎃 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!
Does anyone have a weight for the bm squash? I bought a small one and have 7 cups by volume but it doesnt seem like much and all fits on my sheet pan.
Hey Susanne,
Sorry, I don’t have the weight, but that sounds about right! I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xT
Nice recipe, and fun way to get the sauce into the rigatoni! I would also recommend omitting the honey. It is not needed.
Hey Garth,
Happy Sunday! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Oh my lanta this sauce is the bees knees 🤩 so much flavour.. I will definitely be making it in a lasagna layering situation ASAP soon
Hey Melissa,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend!🍁
This was absolutely delicious. I used sharp white cheddar instead of Gouda (just for personal presence) and it turned out amazing. If I make this again I will skip the honey, I think the roasted butternut squash has enough natural sweetness.
Hey Michaela,
Happy Friday!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try!
So excited to try this one! Can it be prepped in advance and baked at night? For example, bake veggies, make the sauce, cook the pasta, prep in pan, leave in fridge for the day and bake at night?? Looking forward to your thoughts!
Hey Molly,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hi Molly! Did you end up making this after prepping in advance? If so, how did it turn out? Did you have to significantly increase the baking time? Thanks!!
It was fabulous! LOVED it. My hubby was suspicious of it (he’s more of an In ‘N Out burger, carnivor, kind of guy) and was happily surprised. That being said, in the future I’d make it again with another pasta, even lasagna noodles and layer. GREAT flavors! Another winner!
Hey Cathy,
Lol love it!! So glad you enjoyed this dish and your husband as well! Thanks for giving it a go! xTieghan
Delicious! Such lovely fall flavors, a great mix of savory and sweet. I also added some Italian sausage to the sauce, which was great!
Hey Liv,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Just made this tonight and waiting for it to cool…AND not often I see someone with the same name!
Thanks for trying the recipe!!
Just made this recipe today, and it did not disappoint! It was delicious!!! Everyone that had it loved it. The sweetness in the sauce, with the salty prosciutto, is perfection. The prep work is definitely worth the end result.
Hey Michelle,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Tieghan… this is outrageously good!! My house smells like fall from the roasted squash/sage combo. The cheese sauce was the perfect creamy-cheesy texture, and just the right amount of sauce to noodle ratio. We had to force ourselves to stop eating it! This is my fourth recipe that I’ve actually made from HBH, and you and I are quickly becoming bffs. Thank you for the new addition to my fall dinners!! Keep doing what you do!! 🙂
Hey Bridget,
Thanks so much for your kind message and trying so many recipes🤍 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you! xTieghan