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This creamy Roasted Butternut and Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta is the perfect fall pasta dinner. Rosemary and garlic roasted butternut squash pureed into a creamy parmesan cheese sauce, then tossed with pan-seared Italian seasoned chicken and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook this together with rigatoni pasta for a warming dinner made quickly. Truly one of those all-in-one dinners that everyone at the table will love. You can’t go wrong with this Tuscan-style butternut squash pasta.
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Weeknights are better with a cozy bowl of pasta. With Labor Day now behind us, I’m leaning into my cozy autumn recipes, which I kind of feel is what HBH is known for. Over the next few months, I have so many recipes to share!
In the coming weeks, we’ll have zero pumpkin recipes, we’ll save those for a little later. Instead, we have plenty of game day recipes – perfect for tailgating or watching the game from the comfort of your couch. We’ve also got simple family dinners for cozy nights at home. And of course, yummy baked goods, including a few new apple dishes. And so much more!
Eek, I am so excited! We’re starting things off with a great transitional pasta. Butternut squash is currently in season, so I used this favorite fall vegetable and pureed it in a creamy pasta sauce. This is delicious!
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Cubed butternut squash
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Chopped fresh sage
- Chopped fresh rosemary
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Heavy cream
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Italian seasoning
- Chili flakes
- Salted butter
- Short cut pasta
Here are the details
Step 1: roast the butternut squash
I kept this as simple as can be, so don’t let the steps and time throw you off. Promise this recipe is easy, you just need some time to roast that squash.
The heart of the pasta is really all in the butternut squash, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs. Everything together is what makes this such a special delish. The secret? Roasting the squash, garlic, and shallots together on the same sheet pan. As the squash roasts, the garlic caramelizes and gets a little crispy too.
First, toss the squash with garlic cloves, shallot fresh sage, and rosemary. Then, a little salt, and pepper. Bake until tender, the kitchen will smell delicious.
Step 2: puree the squash into a sauce
Once the squash has finished roasting, puree it with the garlic, shallots, parmesan, and cream, or use milk. You can do this in a food processor or blender.
Step 3: cook the chicken
I love using a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Not only are the tomatoes delicious, but I also use the oil from the jar to cook the chicken. The oil is always seasoned, so it adds even more flavor. Just make sure it’s extra virgin olive oil.
While I’m cooking the chicken, I season it with homemade Italian seasonings. I use a blend of dried basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sage with some paprika and chili flakes too. It’s a delicious mix and makes the chicken very flavorful.
Get the chicken seared up in the pot, then pull it out before adding the water.
Step 4: cook the pasta and toss it
Add water to the pot and then boil the pasta. Once al dente, you can mix in the squash purée, the remaining cream or milk, parmesan, and the sun-dried tomatoes too.
Toss everything together until the squash is very creamy. Add the chicken back to the pot with the pasta and toss everything until creamy.
I serve each bowl with extra parmesan and fresh basil. DELICIOUS!
You can serve this up on busy weeknights, but it’s equally great for dinners with friends and family.
Looking for more pasta recipes? Here are a few ideas:
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
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Lastly, if you make this Roasted Butternut Squash and Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta, 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!
Roasted Butternut Squash and Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 6-10 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot, quartered
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 jar (8 ounce) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 4 tablespoons Italian seasoning (see note)
- chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 pound short cut pasta
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400° F.2. On a baking sheet, toss together the olive oil, butternut squash, garlic, shallot, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Bake 20 minutes, until the squash is tender.3. Add the butternut squash, garlic, and shallot to a food processor. Puree until smooth. Add 1/3 cup cream/milk and 1/3 cup parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until creamy. 4. Meanwhile, drain 3 tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar into a large pot or skillet with sides. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.5. Set the pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until golden brown, 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot.6.To the same pot, add the butter and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add 3 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, add the pasta, and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 8 minutes. Stir in the butternut puree, 2/3 cup cream, 2/3 cup parmesan, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Slide the chicken and any juices left on the plate.7. Serve topped with parmesan and basil. EAT and ENJOY.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Came out great! Loved the sun dried tomato flavor with the butternut squash.
Is 1 bag of frozen squash enough or do you need two since 2 cups = 16 oz?
This was phenomenal! Definitely a new favorite pasta dish. Would 10/10 recommend.
Hi there! Thank you soooo much for trying out this recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT
Made for family on Christmas Day. I would add a touch more water next time because it was very thick until I added some more liquid. I also made the chicken as breaded cutlets on the side instead of mixing it in. Overall, it was very tasty!
Hi! Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas! xT
I made this last night and it’s DELICIOUS!! I did use a bag of frozen cubed squash instead of fresh because I had it on hand. I just roasted it with the other ingredients the way the recipe says to. I made the sauce a few hours ahead of time so the flavors would permeate. My husband and teenage son had seconds and thirds. This is a really great way to get some veggies in when you have kids who avoid most vegetables. I don’t think my son had any idea that it was a squash based sauce. So creamy and buttery tasting! I also only used 1/2 jar of the sun-dried tomatoes because they can be overpowering to my taste buds, but if you love them, I would definitely use the whole jar.
For those concerned about the fat content, I do think that this would be good with whole milk or half n half instead of cream – you just might need a thickening agent (cornstarch or flour). I used heavy cream like the recipe calls for so I didn’t need that. Not draining the remaining pasta water helps the sauce thicken as well since it’s starchy water. I have never made my pasta with cream sauce this way but think I will from now on. It makes things easier – one less pot to clean. Brilliant! =)
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! xT
what if I don’t have a food processor? What can I use?
You can use a blender! xT
Best thing I have ever made! Can’t wait to make this for my family 🙂
Thank you so so much! Sooo glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂 xT
Yum!!! This is such a delicious fall recipe. I think adapting with shrimp if that is preferred with jarred roasted red pepper would be a simple switch up I am thinking of trying. Never blended veggies for pasta sauce before and my husband and I both loved it!
Generally loved this recipe, but thought the Italian seasoning was a little heavy-handed and couldn’t taste the butternut squash. We decided to add some pumpkin pie spice (couldn’t find our nutmeg), and honestly, it added a whole other level! Made it a warmer/fall flavor and pulled out the squash flavors.
Hey Jennifer,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
Could this be made ahead of time and then heated in the oven? Or do you think it would dry out?
Hi Kayla,
I would worry about it drying out. Here are some other recipes with similar flavors that would work better to make ahead:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/roasted-butternut-squash-and-spinach-lasagna/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/butternut-squash-rigatoni-pasta-pie/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/skillet-butternut-squash-lasagna/
I hope this helps! xT
This was absolutely delicious but took me over an hour to execute. I had a problem roasting my squash. I thought I could roast it in two halves in 20 min. Not so much. That was a mistake that set me back. Otherwise, dinner was a success!!
Hi Kim,
Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for trying it and your feedback! Sorry this took longer than expected, the squash definitely needs to be cubed:) xT
I will definitely make this one again. I made the sauce different because I missed adding the puree to the pasta water. I heated the puree with the sun-dried tomatoes, and cooked chicken adding in a ladle of pasta water at a time, then added in cream and parmesan cheese.
My dinner guests really liked it as well! Thanks
Hi Melanie,
Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
Hi, I made this and loved it, but would have been good to know what to do with the extra sauce (we didn’t need as much as the recipe gave us). Is it possible to freeze the sauce if too much is made?
Thanks 🙂
Hey Gracie,
Happy Friday!🍂 I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it and your comment! Sure, you can totally freeze the sauce! xx
I look forward to trying this recipe, but have one question. Do you drain the water after cooking the pasta?
Thank you
Hi Robin,
Nope, no need to drain the water, it will become part of the sauce:) Let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Any recommendations on what to sub for heavy cream to make this dairy free? Maybe coconut milk? Thanks!
Hi Erin,
You could certainly use coconut milk in place of the heavy cream, I would note that you might get a flavor difference using that! Let me know if you give the recipe a try! xT
This was delicious! Is there a way to turn this into a soup recipe? Would love a bisque of some kind with these flavors.
Hey Danielle,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was a hit! Sorry, I’ve never made this as a soup, but love the idea!! xT
When and where do we add the Chili flakes?
Hi Martha,
You can add the chili flakes in step 5 if you want the extra heat:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish! xx