This colourful Pasta with Butternut Squash and Arugula is a quick and easy dish, perfect as a healthy vegetarian weeknight meal idea.
This Pasta with Butternut Squash and Arugula is a good example of why home cooking using fresh (and seasonal) ingredients makes sense. This simple dish requires minimum effort and few ingredients yet is full of flavour, which makes it an ideal weeknight meal.
Pasta with roasted butternut squash
Butternut squash does not need a special recommendation – it is the quintessential autumn vegetable, delicious on its own or with other ingredients. It can be prepared in a number of ways, but roasting it is by far my favourite method. Roasted squash is sweet, with a hint of caramel, and it doesn’t really need much more than a bit of seasoning and a drizzle of olive oil. Which is how I’ve prepared it in this roasted butternut squash pasta recipe. Roasting it alongside cherry tomatoes produces a delicious sauce which can be added to the pasta.
Arugula is super versatile
Arugula is so much more than just a salad ingredient! You can add it to soups (see my Vegan Split Pea Soup with Arugula), stews, pizzas and many other dishes. It can also be stirred into pasta, along with a bit of good olive oil, as I have done in this recipe. It is a pesto of sorts, only simplified and super quick to make. But it adds so much flavour to the dish. Its nutty and slightly peppery flavour works really well in this sweet and sour tasting dish!
I’ve used a similar method in this Pumpkin Garlic Pasta with Arugula recipe.
What pasta to use
I used farfalle pasta in this butternut squash pasta recipe because it’s so pretty. Though fusilli or penne are also good choices. As this is a pasta dish a sprinkle of parmesan for serving is an option, but is not essential. I enjoyed mine vegan:)
More butternut squash recipes
If you are looking for more easy butternut squash recipes check out this Mediterranean Butternut Squash Casserole Recipe (Vegan). It’s a fuss free one pot dish equally delicious as a healthy family dinner or party food idea. Another easy meal idea you might like is this Butternut Squash Vegetarian Chili recipe.
See also 10+ Best Healthy Vegetarian Pasta Recipes.
This colourful Pasta with Butternut Squash and Arugula is an easy dish made from scratch, perfect as a healthy vegetarian weeknight meal idea.
- About 250 g your favourite pasta
- 1/2 butternut squash peeled, cubed
- 360 g cherry tomatoes scored
- 50 g rocket leaves finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves peeled, whole
- 5 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf for cooking the pasta
- Parmesan for serving optional
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Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/gas mark 6.
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Place the squash, tomatoes and garlic in a baking tray, season, drizzle with oil and roast for about 35- 40 minutes. Once the vegetables are out of the oven slice or chop the garlic and then put it back in the tray mixing with the vegetables.
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While the vegetables are in the oven cook the pasta (al dente) in salted water (with the bay leaf). Drain and set aside.
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Combine the arugula with 5 tablespoons of olive oil and add to the pasta. Season and stir well.
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Serve the roasted vegetables on a bed of pasta (with or without the parmesan) with a little drizzle of olive oil.
To save time the pasta can be cooked while the vegetables are in the oven.
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I am bringing this Butternut Squash Pasta with Arugula in The Food Calendar and Pasta Please.
This looks so perfect… so much so, it’s going to be happening tonight for dinner! Thank you!
Pinned, Stumbled, Yummed, and scheduled for Tweeting!
Thank you so much! Hope you like it:)
This looks wonderful – The natural colours are just fabulous aren’t they? So refreshing to see a vegetarian pasta dish that is not covered in cheese too.
Thank you! For me this dish is all about vegetables and cheese is optional:)
This looks and sounds perfect for this time of year. I love the addition of rocket. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Thank you Kirsty! Always happy to share my recipes with #CookBlogShare!
This is a beautiful dish! I’ve never heard of rocket leaves. I’ll have to look them up!
Thank you! Rocket leaves are also called rucola or arugula and if you live in North America you are likely to know these:)
I love roasted butternut squash, I could do with a bowl of this right now!
I love it too, in any dish really, or even on its own! Thanks for visiting my blog:)
I love butternut squash, and do a pasta recipe with it too! This version sounds delicious, and I love how vibrant it looks with the pop of colour from the orange, red and green of the ingredients! x #cookblogshare
Thanks! I do love colour in my food:)
I also love roasted butternut squash and it must be so lovely with the sauce from those roasted tomatoes too! Lovely vegan pasta dish!
Thank you Corina!I love creating vegan dishes especially when it’s accidental like this one was:)
This is just my kind of dinner – I love butternut squash with anything to be honest but it does go particularly well with pasta! Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare
Thanks Mandy! I also love butternut squash (almost as much as I love beetroot) with anything:)
Looks delicious! I didn’t realize how much I loved butternut squash until recently when I roasted it:)
Thank you! Roasting it releases so much flavour doesn’t it?
That looks such a tasty colourful pasta dish
Thanks Jacqui!