Name: Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 cups
Ingredients: 1 small butternut squash, peeled and roughly chopped; 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped; 1 yellow onion, chopped; 4 cloves of garlic; 1 tbsp avocado oil; 1 tsp salt (or to taste); 1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste); 1 cup bone broth; 3/4 cup full fat plain greek yogurt (or to desired creaminess); 1/3 cup feta cheese; 3 large sage leaves (to taste); Thyme from 3 sprigs (to taste)

This healthy butternut squash pasta sauce recipe is loaded with vegetables, high protein bone broth, and greek yogurt instead of heavy cream for a healthy twist on the classic fall recipe. With a thick and creamy consistency, this recipe is a delicious way to boost the nutrition of your next pasta night and stores perfectly in the freezer on busy weeknights.

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Of all the easy ways to add nutrition to your meals, I think pasta sauces are one of the best vehicles! Whether you are a parent looking for ways to sneak veggies into your child’s diet or an adult who simply wants to use every opportunity to nourish, start by blending more veggies into your pasta sauce!

This healthy butternut squash pasta sauce is one of my personal favorite healthy pasta sauces to make for fall. Plus, its toddler approved and fully customizable for your family!

Butternut squash is roasted with onions, carrots, and garlic to provide a flavorful and nutrient rich base. Then, you’ll blend all your roasted vegetables with high protein bone broth and greek yogurt for a healthy fall pasta saucet thats loaded with nutrition and made with no heavy cream.

Pour this pasta sauce over some high fiber noodles and top with protein of choice or store it in your freezer for a healthy pasta sauce recipe on hand all year long. Let’s get to the recipe!

Butternut squash pasta sauce

Why you’ll love this butternut squash pasta sauce

This easy butternut squash pasta sauce will be one your family reaches for all season long because it is:

Full of protein: Pasta sauce with bone broth and greek yogurt gives you a high protein pasta sauce that is creamy, delicious, and made with no heavy cream.
Has a hint of feta: You have the choice to blend your feta INTO the pasta sauce of serve a butternut squash feta pasta thats simply bene topped with a sprinkle of feta. The choice is yours!
Loaded with vegetables: The base of this pasta sauce is roasted butternut squash, onions, garlic, and a few carrots for a veggie loaded pasta.
Looks like a cheese sauce: While butternut squash tastes VERY different than a cheese sauce, it does take on a very similar color to a cheese sauce which makes it more intriguing to toddlers.
Delicious: Butternut squash soups and pasta sauces are classic fall flavors and this pasta sauce will be a great one to make throughout the winter months.
Customizable: I give you the base, you add the flavors to taste! You can customize the seasonings, add some cheese, and modify the type of broth you use to change the flavor and consistency of your sauce.
Toddler friendly: This recipe has no spice to it and is instead loaded with fresh vegetables and herby flavors making it an easy sauce to make for toddlers.

How to make a healthy butternut squash pasta sauce:

As I mentioned, pasta sauces are one of my favorite ways to sneak more nutrition into my pasta dinners. You can easily make a healthy butternut squash pasta sauce by:

Loading it with vegetables: While the base of a butternut squash pasta is clearly a butternut squash, you can also add other vegetables like onions, carrots, bell peppers, and cauliflower for complementary flavors.
Choose your liquid strategically: I like to make my pasta sauce with high protein bone broth or real dairy milk for a nutrition and protein boost. You can also skip the liquid to keep it at 100% vegetables but I do think adding in some liquid gives it a better consistency.
Skip the heavy cream: Most butternut squash pasta sauces and soups are made with heavy cream and while its delicious, you can swap it for a higher protein and lower calorie option like greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
Lean into herbs: Keep the sodium content low by using plenty of fresh herbs like sage, thyme, and more!

This butternut squash pasta sauce checks all of those boxes, plus it tastes delicious.

Fall Kale Salad with Butternut Squash

Get the recipe

Ingredients and Instructions:

Ingredients:

Butternut squash: The base of your healthy butternut squash pasta sauce is a butternut squash which is loaded with fiber, vitamin A, and other healthy nutrients.
Small Onion: Diced and roasted with your other vegetables.
Carrots: Carrots not only boost the nutrition of this butternut squash pasta sauce but they also will add a boost of sweetness with no added sugar.
Garlic: Added to taste
Feta: You can blend this into your pasta sauce OR simply add it to the top of a pasta recipe. Trust me, a butternut squash feta pasta is the pasta sauce you didn’t know you needed!
Maple syrup: Optional but will add a touch of sweetness to your butternut squash pasta sauce.
Bone broth: While most butternut squash recipes are made with chicken stock or vegetable broth, bone broth boosts the protein content of this pasta sauce recipe. Feel free to use other broths if you do not like the taste of bone broth or want to forego the protein boost.
Greek yogurt: This adds the creamy texture to your sauce without needing heavy cream. If preferred, you can use cottage cheese as a greek yogurt substitute. This will keep the protein flavor but reduce any tangy flavors!
Sage: A key ingredient for a good butternut squash sauce or soup is fresh sage. Blend it directly into your sauce and add it to taste!
Thyme: In addition to the fresh sage, thyme is another must have flavor in your butternut squash pasta sauce. Feel free to add this to taste as well.
Seasonings: Add salt, pepper, and any other preferred seasonings to taste.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1

Slice your butternut squash in half length wise then peel with an apple peeler.

LTN Tip- If you want to save time on this recipe then feel free to buy the 16 oz bags of pre-chopped butternut squash cubes.

Step 2

Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.

Step 3

Roughly chop your butternut squash, onion, and carrots then add them to a 9x13 baking dish. Add your peeled garlic cloves then add some olive oil and salt and pepper seasoning to taste. Cover and roast at 415 for 40 minutes or until your vegetables are fork tender.

Step 4:

Add your roasted vegetables, bone broth, greek yogurt, feta cheese, sage, thyme, and maple syrup to a blender and blend until smooth. For a thinner consistency, you can add more bone broth or a splash of milk. For a creamier consistency, add more greek yogurt or feta cheese.

Step 5:

Blend your ingredients until fully smooth and adjust liquid ingredients and herbs as needed until it reaches the consistency and flavors that you enjoy.

Step 6:

Pour your pasta sauce over noddles and top with protein of choice and an optional sprinkle of feta cheese for a butternut squash feta pasta that your entire family will love! You can also add your pasta sauce to the freezer to keep on hand for busy weeknights.

How to serve your butternut squash pasta sauce:

This recipe makes plenty of pasta sauce for you to serve for dinner AND stock your freezer which in my busy mom mind is the best of both worlds. Here are a few ways that I like to serve it:

Simply serve with noodles: This pasta sauce has a boost of protein and is loaded with vegetables so it’s perfectly balanced to serve with high protein, high fiber noodles for a dressed up girl dinner!
Top with protein: My favorite way to serve this recipe is topped with sausage for a tasty sausage butternut squash pasta dinner! Sprinkled with feta cheese, this is an easy fall dinner thats full of flavor.
Over ravioli: Butternut squash pasta ravioli is a delicious take on a pasta dinner.
Mix it into a fall chili: Let’s think outside the box with this one! You butternut squash pasta sauce can definitely be loaded with beans, protein, and other whole vegetables for a fall chili idea.
Freeze into individual squares: I love to prep a batch of pasta sauce then freeze it in my souper cubes for smaller portions. This makes it easy to pair with single serve pastas when you need something quick and healthy.
Enjoy it as a soup: This butternut squash pasta sauce can certainly double as a soup recipe with a few adjustments for consistency.

And more! Make these pumpkin recipes your own and tag me on instagram with any fun ideas you come up with!

Recipe FAQ:

How many grams of protein are in this recipe?
1. With greek yogurt, bone broth, and a sprinkle of feta, this pasta sauce has about 40 grams of protein. You can easily add more protein to your meal by pairing your butternut squash pasta sauce with high protein pastas or topping it with a protein like chicken or sausage.
What if I don’t like bone broth?
1. If you don’t like the flavor of bone broth or are looking for a plant based option then feel free to swap it for chicken broth or vegetable broth. You’ll lose some protein but keep the delicious flavor.
Can I make this pasta sauce with cottage cheese?
1. Absolutely! Swap the greek yogurt for cottage cheese and you’ll have an equally as delicious butternut squash pasta sauce recipe with no heavy cream.

Other healthy pasta recipes you will love:

Looking for other healthy pasta recipe ideas? I have a few on my blog that I think you will love:

High Protein Mac and Cheese Recipe

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Tuscan Chicken Orzo Pasta

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Unstuffed Pepper Skillet

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Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Butternut squash pasta sauce

Why you’ll love this butternut squash pasta sauce