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This was so easy and delicious! My pasta sauces never come out as planned, but i’ve made this one twice now and both times came out perfectly. Another staple recipe added to the list.
Erin
Hello hi!
Good news, friends! We are looking at creamy-but-not-overly-creamy FALL PASTA on the menu tonight.
This can be filed under the category of fall bliss – little bites of whole wheat orecchiette with roasted butternut squash and broccolini, tossed with a light Parmesan cream / thyme / garlic sauce and sprinkled generously with pumpkin seeds and Parmesan.
Not too heavy, not too light, just total pasta perfection that is everything October should be, all in one big bowl.
I ate my first inspirational version of this pasta at the blog retreat I attended this weekend (shout out to Chef Tony from Kroger – seriously AMAZING), and this pasta specifically was the kind of life-changing food magic that just requires that you come home and make it happen immediately, again and again, in your real life.
Things I love about this recipe include its meatlessness (although please, by all means, ADD THAT BACON and we will shout your name from the rooftops), its quick and easy method, its comforting cream sauce that is just barely there and requires nothing more than just a light roux and a little broth or milk + Parmesan, its large quantity of leftovers and their ability to stay yummy for several days, and its glorious way of satisfying a hangry dinner situation with pretty minimal effort. You know I’m all about the good food / minimal effort combo.
This might sound weird, but since the squash sort of melts into everything and the cream sauce is just a little bit Parmesan-cheesy, it DID kind of remind me of a grown up version of macaroni and cheese. Like, think THIS mac and cheese. And just to be clear: I’m saying that as a compliment because as we all know, mac and cheese is, in fact, the single food item that makes life worth living. It is like macaroni and cheese is meeting its lighter version with grown up pasta shapes, more exciting flavors, and luscious roasted fall vegetables. And let me tell you: it is a PARTY.
How are you guys feeling about fall cooking right now? Are you so totally in the zone? Are you over it and just ready to bake Christmas cookies and beautiful tea rings and homemade bread for the next two months?
I am making, like, I think 300 fall recipes today that I am so excited about: winter miso vegetable soup, moroccan-spiced chickpea burrito bowls (don’t even get me started), homemade bread bowls, and pumpkin cake with a caramely streusel layer running through the middle. I literally cannot be stopped. I burn those candles, I wear those tall boots, and I cook the heck out of my fall life. This is my official food season, and after a few weeks of slowed-down rest this last month, I feel like I am finally getting into my fall food groove where I can actually make the exciting food ideas I have at or near the rate that they are coming to me. A little late, maybe, since it’s now almost November, but late is my lifestyle.
Today: I’m wishing you all the weeknight joys of a good meatless pasta dish coated with a light and creamy Parmesan sauce.
May your roasted veggies be just the right amount of crispy, your sauce perfectly creamy, and your pasta bowls super extra deep. 😘
Creamy Parmesan Orecchiette with Butternut Squash and Broccolini
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
Creamy Parmesan Orecchiette! With roasted butternut squash and broccolini, tossed with a light Parmesan cream / thyme / garlic sauce and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds. Pasta perfection!
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1–2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
- 2–3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or milk
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- lemon juice to taste
- salt to taste
For the Pasta:
- 16 ounces orecchiette (I used DeLallo whole wheat orecchiette)
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash
- 3 cups broccolini
- olive oil, salt, and pepper
- pumpkin seeds
- additional Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- SAUCE: Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until soft. Add the flour and whisk until smooth – let it cook for a few minutes to avoid a floury taste. Add the wine and whisk to incorporate. Add the broth or milk, 1/2 cup at a time, and whisk to incorporate. When thickened slightly, add more liquid. Finish with the Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Sauce should be smooth and light.
- VEGETABLES: Place the veggies on two separate baking sheets. Drizzle with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, until tender but not falling apart.
- PASTA: Cook the pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
- FINISH: Toss everything together (sauce, pasta, vegetables, additional broth as needed to keep it loose) and top generously with pumpkin seeds and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: parmesan pasta, orecchiette, broccolini, squash
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our completely delicious broccoli recipes page. Check it out!
This recipe is one of my all time favorites. It’s the perfect fall dish!
This recipe needs alot of changes. First, the roux was very thin. I followed the instructions. I had to make a second roux to add. Second, it was very bland. had to add extra garlic, extra wine, extra lemon juice, and spices plus salt. Probably won’t make this again. No offense. I have found great recipes on your site. And people need to actually make this before rating it.
This is perfect!!! I also love creamy pasta but not so much of the overly creamy pasta. I cannot wait to try this recipe. This is going to be perfect for family dinners. Thank you so much for sharing this!
We hope you love it!
Can I use frozen butternut squash? Looked everywhere, cannot find it in the stores.
Yes, frozen will work just fine!
I’m about to make this but I don’t have that kind of pasta. Any recommendations of what to substitute it with? I’m thinking this would be good with tortellini?
Came out soooo yummy! Store didn’t have broccolini so I used kale – just chopped and added it to squash for last ten min of roasting. Came out great!
Great recipe. I actually used it as a side dish to chicken marsala but left out the vegetables. It was still delicious. This is the second recipe I’ve followed and both have been great. I’ll definitely be back.
Yum! Sounds great with chicken marsala!
This looks amazing? Do you use the stems of the broccoli I or just the crowns?
I added bacon 😉 it was amazing! Thanks POY team!
Wow! This was incredible! And gave me all the autumn feels! Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
Just made this! Halved the recipe. Used Banza shells, half and half and regular broccoli. So good and extra creamy!
This is SO delicious – I used a chickpea pasta (trynna be better about carbs and it’s the only substitute that holds its own with sauces) and added goat cheese to the sauce and it made a creamy, rich, perfect fall dish. OH I also added chicken sausage because my I had some that was about to go bad and man oh man. I am satisfied, full, happy, and we both have lunch for the rest of the week.
This was so easy and delicious! My pasta sauces never come out as planned, but i’ve made this one twice now and both times came out perfectly. Another staple recipe added to the list.
Glad to hear that!
This is comfort food at it’s finest! Even kid friendly. Any way this could be made in an instant pot?
We haven’t had a ton of luck doing pasta in the Instant Pot, so probably wouldn’t recommend it!
Great recipe! A bit with the entire family!! The butternut squash adds such great flavor!
I always love your recipes but found this one didn’t work sadly. I think the creamy sauce/thyme/lemon just tasted weird together and my family barely touched it.
Sorry to hear that, Mel! Thanks for the feedback.
You are so inspiring! I love all the creative ways you have used butternut squash. A friend gave us a huge butternut squash last week so I have been trying to figure out how to best use it. So far I came up with this butternut squash and sausage casserole. http://www.homeecathome.com/the-home-economist/butternut-squash-and-sausage-casserole
Looks delicious! Enjoy!
I just want to say thank you for wonderful recipes. Thanks to you i started enjoying cooking because i dont have to eat every day the same, boring food. I only cook from your website, you have everything i need. Thank you.
We love hearing that, Monika! Thanks for the comment! Enjoy! 🙂
Waoh, it looks so so tasty!! 🙂 Great pictures!
Thanks, Zora!
Making this tonight with the autumn glow salad!I can’t find broccolini anywhere. Do you think kale or maybe spinach would sub in OK?
Definitely – would work great!
i made this for dinner last night and it was so delicious! it was easy to put together and didn’t take too long either. i didn’t have any fresh thyme but i did have fresh sage (!), so i used that instead and it was yummy.
Glad you enjoyed it, Kate!
This looks so yummy! Does it keep well in the fridge and then reheat well for leftovers? I’m cooking for one so I often make a big dish and eat it over 2 or 3 days and would love to try this!
Yes, this keeps really well!
I would love to know where you got the bowl in the picture. I’ve been looking for one like it for months!
Oh, nevermind. I just read the other comments!
No wait! I just tried searching for that website and it doesn’t exist! Does he sell more bowls just like that? I NEED ONE!!!💕😃
I like parmesan and I am Definitely gonna try this!
Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I love butternut squash and anything with pasta, especially as the chill sets in here in West Virginia. I love the use of links to Pinterest and directly to the recipe and the nutrition facts are awesome! Healthy is yummy and yummy can be healthy, too! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Brittany! 🙂
This looks like a great quick fall one-dish meal. I love sage + squash + brown butter (which makes most thing better), so I might try that sometime, though I’m not sure how broccolini will taste with those flavors (my first thought is “incompatible”).
But I have an issue with orecchiette: they always stick together in clumps. It seems that there is something about the concave nature of the pasta that holds them together ( surface tension plus the starches turning to glue?). It’s a frustrating situation because then the pasta is unevenly cooked, with the agglomerations being too tough. Can this be prevented?
marc – i made this with fresh sage last night because i didn’t have any fresh thyme and it was delicious. the broccolini/sage combo wasn’t weird at all.
You’re right – it’s close to impossible to keep them from sticking! Just from some quick research, it’s recommended to 1) Use plenty of water; 2) Make sure the water is at a rapid, hard boil before adding; and 3) Stir constantly for the first few minutes. 🙂