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The 30 Most Popular Fall Recipes.
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Welcoming Monday with this cozy, Creamy Butternut Squash Alla Vodka Pasta. Best for nights when you’re craving Italian, but also craving cozy fall flavors. Seasonal autumn butternut squash, roasted with fresh herbs, shallots, and garlic, all pureed into a creamy vodka sauce that’s vibrant and so delicious! Then finish off this pasta with salty prosciutto bread crumbs for an autumn dinner that’s mouth-wateringly delicious. This is a great fall pasta to serve any night of the week, or for your next Saturday night dinner party.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Monday is always better with a cozy dinner to look forward to. I’m well aware that fall is still officially one week away. But here in Colorado, we are just about to enter our fall foliage season. The leaves are just starting to turn their beautiful shades of yellow/orange/red. The air is incredibly crisp…and incredibly cool at night…and the days are slowly getting shorter. So, it’s very much fall here, and I love it so much. I’m trying to soak up these awesome September days as much as possible. I know that the nice weather won’t be sticking around for too much longer.
Speaking of nice weather, we could not have had more picture-perfect weather for my brother’s wedding this past Saturday. Bluebird skies all day long, temperatures in the ’70s, and truly a perfect day. I’m going to share more photos and details this Sunday. But I just thought I’d let everyone who’s been following the wedding know, it honestly went so well. The studio looked absolutely gorgeous. Lyndsie was the prettiest bride (and also nice…which I know isn’t always the case…wedding day can be stressful). Everyone had so much fun. And if you’re wondering about my contribution…the cakes? While they weren’t perfect, they still turned out pretty great. I shared photos on Instagram, but will share even more details in Sunday’s favorite’s post, so stay tuned for that!
And for those here solely for the food (and not so much the stories), we’ll get to this pasta. Because it is so good and has all the things I love!
(butternut squash before roasting)
(butternut squash after roasting)
One of my favorite autumn vegetables has always been butternut squash. Every season I love using it in new and different ways.
In the past, I’ve made soups, ravioli, and salads. But pureeing the squash into a pasta sauce is something I’ve never done before. I had to tweak this recipe a few times to make it just right. But thankfully, in the end, the final product turned out better than I’d originally anticipated.
Here is how I make this creamy butternut squash alla vodka pasta.
While there are a handful of ingredients, making this dish is relatively simple. Start out by roasting the squash with fresh thyme, oregano, shallots, and garlic. Slow roasting the squash with herbs adds so much flavor and amplifies the delicious essence of the squash.
Of course, if you don’t eat meat, you can easily omit the prosciutto to make this a vegetarian pasta.
Once the squash is roasted, puree until it’s smooth and creamy. You can do this in a food processor or blender.
During this same time, you’ll want to make the breadcrumbs. Now, I know the breadcrumbs are a bit of an “extra”, but in my opinion, they’re an extra that’s worth it. Salty prosciutto breadcrumbs are the perfect topping to this pasta.
Once everything is out of the oven, simply add the squash puree to a large skillet. Next add a splash of vodka, some milk, and a few other things. Soon you’ll have a silky, smooth, velvety and creamy butternut squash alla vodka pasta sauce.
I like to toss this sauce with linguine, but any pasta cut works really well, so use your personal favorite.
Toss the pasta with sauce, add plenty of parmesan cheese, and then serve each plate of pasta topped with breadcrumbs.
It’s such a warming fall pasta that’s hearty too. and it’s also on the healthier side. Plus it’s such a nice switch up from the classic tomato-based alla vodka pasta. Great for any upcoming dinner parties, or just a really good Monday night meal that all will look forward too.
If you make this creamy butternut squash alla vodka 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!
Creamy Butternut Squash Alla Vodka Pasta.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1304 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 ounces prosciutto (omit if vegetarian)
- 1 cup finely torn ciabatta bread
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 small squash)
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 small shallots, halved
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 pound dry linguine pasta
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 cup canned full fat coconut milk or whole milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan, cheese plus more for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a baking sheet, toss together the bread, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Lay the prosciutto around the bread. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until toasted. Crumble the prosciutto into fine crumbs. Set aside. 2. On a separate baking sheet, toss together the butternut squash, 2 tablespoons olive oil, oregano, thyme, and a pinch each of crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Add the shallots and garlic, tossing to coat. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes or until the squash is tender. 2. Transfer the squash, shallots, and garlic to a food processor. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the squash puree, vodka, broth, tomato paste, and milk. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and boil the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Just before draining, remove 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain.5 Add the pasta to the sauce along with a splash of the pasta cooking water, tossing to combine. Remove from the heat and add the parmesan, toss to combine. If needed, thin the pasta sauce with a little of the reserved cooking water.6. Divide the pasta among plates and top with prosciutto bread crumbs. Eat and enjoy!
Notes
To Replace Vodka: use 1/4 cup apple cider and 1/4 cup additional broth.
Hello, I have lots of squash and am thinking about making a double batch. Can this sauce be frozen if there are leftovers?
Hi Lucy,
Yes, you can definitely freeze this sauce! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Made this last night after staring at it for days (my partner isn’t a huge pasta fan but I had finally convinced him!) I tried this with bucatini and it was phenomenal. Love the sweet & savory of the sauce. Definitely will be making again. Thanks!
Hey Rachel,
Perfect! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
I made this with bow tie pasta and it came out DELICIOUS. The seasoning is perfect. A comfort pasta.
Hi Kelly,
Happy Friday🍁 I appreciate you making this recipe and love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
great )thanks!
I hope you love the recipe!
Hey! I was very interested in the name of the dish, especially one ingredient))) Two days ago I invited my friends to a small party and I wanted to cook something, both simple and unusual, I wanted to surprise my friends. And thanks to you, I made it. Listen to this is very, very tasty. Thank you very much from all our friendly team of the company https://writemyessay.nyc. Everyone really liked it. The only thing I changed in the recipe is that I used canned pumpkin (I didn’t find fresh in the supermarket), but it turned out very tasty.
Hi Sharon,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xx
Would I be able to use nutritional yeast in place of Parmesan to make this dairy free? Or, what would you recommend?
Hey Megan,
Sure, you could do that, or just skip the cheese. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I made this for the first time. It was an easy recipe to follow. Even better the next day!
Thank you for all your creative recipes
Hey Heli,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
YUM. This recipe is so cozy and delicious! The sauce is so aromatic, herby, and creamy. I added Italian sausage and broccoli, which compliments the slight sweetness of the squash really well. I will definitely be making this again, probably for guests! 🙂
Hey Liv,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!❄️ xTieghan
Tieghan,
I made this tonight and it was delish.
For the topping instead of bread and prosciutto I did roasted broccoli and crispy prosciutto. I highly recommend you trying the combo. The sweet butternut squash pared amazingly with the broccoli
Thanks so much for trying out this recipe! 🙂 xTieghan
Absolutely delicious!! This recipe is a keeper and perfect for Fall. Even my 16 year old loved it!
Awesome! Thanks a bunch for trying out the recipe, love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
I’m thinking of making raviolis with this but I can’t seem to think of a filling for the ravioli to pair with the sauce also how would you think if I added basil into the Vaca sauce before I blended it and using oat milk instead of coconut?
I have some burrata I wanna use up and was wondering how I can incorporate it into this recipe? And what ingredients should I omit when adding burrata?
Hey Max,
You can just simply top the dish with burrata. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious!!! Made this last night. It was excellent- I did have to sub trimmed bacon for the prosciutto- and I didn’t add all the pasta- making the sauce a little heavier.
Hey Beth,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I’ve made this recipe a bunch to varying degrees of success. One thing that always trips me up is the squash measurement. Is it 2 cups cubed squash? How do you measure it? I’ve never had a butternut squash yield only 2 cups. It’s usually 6 or 8 cups! It’s such a large difference. Is there a more precise measurement like grams that I could use? Thanks!
Hey Sam,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I use a measuring cup to measure out the squash, but when using a small squash, I usually end up with 2 cups:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
How much will the taste be affected if I don’t add vodka?
Hey Sana,
You will want to use broth or water in place of the vodka. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan