Creamy (vegan!) Butternut Squash Linguine with Fried Sage
Spiced and creamy (yet cream-less) butternut squash sauce tossed with whole grain linguine. Top with fried sage for a healthy, comforting meal.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
My dog, Cookie, and I have been visiting the vet three times a week lately. We don’t mind the excursion. The girls behind the desk are fun to be around and Cookie loves the attention. She has quickly become a staff favorite (of course!). It’s also a prime spot for people watching. I always feel like I’m experiencing that 101 Dalmations scene where all of the dogs match their owners, remember that one?
The manly men bring in their 80-pound manly-man breeds who shake their heads like lions. Eccentrically dressed older ladies wait with their dachshunds and shaggy little dogs. A beautiful, elegant blond woman picks up her equally elegant and blond mystery breed. The lady with a high-pitched voice and nervous laugh tells me about her rat terrier. I suppose Cookie and I match, too. I will shamelessly admit that we both have great hair, and it doesn’t hurt that I’m always dressed in black or gray.
During the more dull moments, I’ve spent a fair amount of time flipping through Instagram photos and glancing at the heart worm brochures on the side table. I grabbed the February issue of Bon Appetit before I left for our last appointment so I would have something to read while I waited. I’m glad I did, because I was reminded of the butternut squash carbonara that I had dog-eared earlier.
How to Make Vegan Butternut Squash Linguine
Bon Appetit’s recipe called for pancetta and chicken broth, but I knew I could easily make it vegetarian and amp up the flavor with spices. The cooking technique is what really caught my eye—basically, you make a butternut purée while you cook pasta, then marry the two together in a warm pan with the help of some starchy reserved pasta cooking water. Genius, right? It’s even easier to make than the béchamel that I made for my pumpkin fettuccine alfredo.
The best part is that the puréed squash is rich and luxuriously creamy without any cream at all. I also used whole grain pasta, which further prevented the steamroller after-effects of eating a giant bowl of creamy carbs. Make this before the weather warms up! If you’re in the market for more lightened-up, creamy pasta recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook.
Watch How to Make Creamy Butternut Squash Linguine
Creamy (vegan!) Butternut Squash Linguine with Fried Sage
Spiced and creamy (yet cream-less) butternut squash sauce tossed with whole grain linguine. Top with fried sage for a healthy, comforting main dish. Serve with salad or roasted vegetables to further lighten up the meal. Recipe yields 4 large servings.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
- 2 pound butternut or kabocha squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into small ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (up to ¼ teaspoon for spicier pasta sauce)
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 12 ounces whole grain linguine or fettucine
- Optional additional garnishes: shaved Parmesan or Pecorino and/or smoked salt
Instructions
- Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sage and toss to coat. Let the sage get crispy before transferring it to a small bowl. Sprinkle it lightly with salt and set the bowl aside.
- Add the squash, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is soft and the liquid is reduced by half, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Once the squash mixture is done cooking, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender, but keep the skillet handy. Purée the mixture until smooth (beware of hot steam escaping from the top of the blender), then season with salt and pepper until the flavors sing.
- In the reserved skillet, combine the pasta, squash purée and ¼ cup cooking liquid. Cook over medium heat, tossing and adding more pasta cooking water as needed, until the sauce coats the pasta, about 2 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve the pasta in individual bowls topped with fried sage, more black pepper and shaved Parmesan/Pecorino and/or smoked salt, if desired.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit’s Winter Squash Carbonara with Pancetta and Sage (February 2014).
Make it vegan: Skip the cheese garnish.
Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta. Commenter Jenn recommends corn and quinoa blended gluten-free pasta, which is firmer than brown rice pasta.
Change it up: The squash purée is a killer bisque, which you could thin with vegetable broth if you’d like. You could also stir it into risotto at the end of cooking.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I actually cooked this dish. hmm it actually doesn’t taste as nice as it looks…
I recommend putting only one cup of veg stock and not using any additional salts because veg stock has so much salt in them usually. I only used one veg stock and added some salts. It was still too salty.
This recipe definitely has its potential though..maybe adding something else could make it better.
Good luck people! have fun with it:)
I appreciate the feedback, Holly. This soup can be made with low-sodium broth, and, with any recipe, you should taste as you season it to avoid over-seasoning.
I made it, ate it, and loved it!
I used quinoa gluten free spaghetti and more sage than recommended, I like lots:)
Thank you!
Personally not my favourite. Feel that with a couple of the right spices it could be made flavourful but it was definitely lacking taste. I’ve made other Cookie and Kate recipes that I have liked, such as the stuffed sweet potato burrito bowl.
Sorry this one didn’t work out so great for you, Jordan.
Made this for dinner tonight, it’s AMAZING!
Awesome! Thanks!
I bought a 2 pound butternut squash, cut it in half, and after peeling and cutting it into 1/2″ cubes, found that one half yielded about 4 cups. Did anyone else have this result? It’s a wonderful recipe! Next time, I will fry extra sage to top the pasta. We mixed in some roasted broccoli rabe (rappini) and it gave a great contrast to this unctuous dish.
Used gluten free (corn and rice) Barilla fettuccine to great effect.
This recipe was stellar! I added extra garden sage. Frying the sage was a wonderful technique. I used a quarter teaspoon ground thai red peppers that I dried and crushed myself. I blended some leftover organic bone broth with organic low sodium vegetable broth.
This will be one of my “go to” comfort food recipes. This is soooo much better than the traditional use of cream or half-and-half to make butternut squash soup. Much healthier!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Hanne!
This was amazing!! Thank you so much for this recipe. I doubled-up on the sage and also added some vegan creamer just to try. AMAZING!!!
Perfect!
This was so amazingly delicious!
I ate it all by myself with no leftovers (oops) .
Making another batch tomorrow
Thank you so much!
Haha! I’m glad you loved it so much, Jill.
I’m new to the Vegan world so this looks pretty good. I think I’m going make it tonight. My one question though was what is 1/4 cup cooking liquid? Thanks
Sorry this is late, Gabrielle! That means you should reserve some of the water you’ve cooked the linguine in. I usually put a glass measuring cup in the sink, put the colander over it, and then drain the pasta that way, so the cup catches some of that water. It retains lots of starches in it, so it helps the end result be as creamy as possible.
I used frozen cubed butternut squash and followed the directions that say to add the garlic, onions, and squash to the pan all at the same time. Unfortunately, I got myself into a pickle as the squash was mush and the onion and garlic didn’t have a chance to cook. I covered the pan after adding the broth to try to soften up the garlic and onion then will remove the lid to reduce the sauce. I hope it works…
It worked! Tasty and a welcome change from marinara.
How did it end up turning out?
I’ve made this several times now. It’s one of my family’s favorites. Thinking of making the sauce ahead of time and freezing it. Have you tried that? Does it freeze well?
OMG this is absolutely amazing. I am a new vegan and it has been difficult to find something to accommodate for myself and my meat-loving boyfriend, this is creamy, delicious, tasty and filling. I didn’t use veggie broth I used water (I didn’t have any broth) and flavored it more. I also added asparagus, spinach and mushrooms. You are very talented!
Thank you for this recipe! I followed it exactly and even though I’ve never made anything like this before it was delicious! I’m not even vegan but I’ll definitely be making it again!
I just got done making this! I did not add fresh sage but I did sauté red onions & garlic . I added parsley with the butternut squash then dried sage after. Stillll incredible! Added steamed broccoli at the end. My mom (a meat eater) asked if I added sugar (which I didn’t) said she loved it & so do i :)
Awesome! I’m so glad this was such a hit, Katrice.
I made this for my carnivore boyfriend and his friend, and it was a huge hit! It was so creamy and delicious. I am planning to make it again for my vegan friend who is visiting. Currently just looking at photos and anticipating the meal!
Thanks, Kate!
You’re welcome, Jaleh! Enjoy!
Hi there-does the squash need to be softened/boiled/cooked before adding it to the skillet?
Hi! No, it doesn’t. You’ll cook it in the skillet as instructed.
I can’t wait to try this recipe, but I’ve got picky eaters in my house who won’t try sage. Can you recommended a good substitution?
I loved this dish! It really is creamy and I definitely didn’t feel guilty for eating this pasta dish. Will be making it again!
Thanks for the recipe. Have you considered going vegan? It seems like you’re almost there. There’s an equal amount of harm in dairy as there is in meat. And vegan Parmesan is pretty delicious too. Cheers.
Looks sooooo yummy! Very excited to try this :D
P.S. Real parmesan is made w veal rennet (aka stomach) so not vegetarian. Just an FYI, obviously you do you :)
Hi Vanessa, Whole Foods Market 365 Brand and BelGiosio actually offer animal rennet-free Parmesan.
This was amazing!!! made it tonight, and everyone loved it. I made it exactly as directed, and our kids who can’t do dairy had nutritional yeast on top while we parental units had grated parmesan. Everyone had seconds and this recipe is being bookmarked. Thank you so much!
Hi I have been looking for a a vegetarian, vegan, or low-calorie butternut squash sauce, have any ideas if so will you please email them to me thank you rush appreciate it
Hi Jennifer, you’re in the right place. For butternut sauce, just make this recipe but ignore the instructions on cooking the pasta and frying the sage.
Hands down the whole family’s favorite meal! I make it every chance I get!
I really appreciate the review, Tawni! Happy it is a family favorite!
This is my favorite recipe ever. Thank you for creating it.
I am happy to hear it, Haley! Thank you for your review :)
This recipe is just amazing (and we are self proclaimed picky eaters)! Thanks for sharing
You are welcome!
This recipe comes together so easily and delivers a taste that will have everyone thinking you put much more time and effort into it than it really takes. I made this for my girlfriend along with a vegan caesar salad for a dacadent at-home dinner date and we both loved it. Definitely will be making this again!
Thank you, Chris for your comment. If you would want to leave a star review, since you liked it so much, I would appreciate it!
This is definitely a five star! Amazingly wonderful! Next time I’ll add more than a pinch of red pepper flakes. I tend to be conservative on hot spices. Very rich and very creamy. Question….can this be frozen for later meals?
I haven’t tried freezing this recipe. I’m not sure how well that will work, specially with that pasta. But if you try it, let me know what you think!
I will! Only one of me so must do something. :)
This recipe is fantastic! I topped mine with coconut “bacon” crumbles to add some extra salt and crunch. So tasty, thank you!
Delicious! Thank you, Becca for your review.
This tastes delicious! I made it with a shorter strand pasta and no cheese. Will for sure make this again!
Oh yeah and acorn squash. Very sweet! :)
Thank you, Natalie!
I made the vegan butter not squash linguini. It was delicious!!! What is the serving size? One cup? Two cups? It says only 4 services and it seemed to make enough for 8 people!! Let me know please
I just made this and loved it! Kate, all of your recipes are so awesome!
Aww, thanks Lisa! I appreciate the review.
I followed this recipe nearly exact. It was wonderful. I left out the cheese to have it vegan. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Welcome! I’m glad you liked it.
It’s great that everyone thinks this looks good but has anyone actually made it?
It is delicious! Let me know what you think when you try it.
Hi Kate, I made this the other day and was so surprised at how good it was! The mouth-feel is awesomely creamy. We ate the leftovers cold after a hot day and it was still delicious. What a great way to get a creamy sauce without the fat. A question for you: how do you tell when the sage is crispy? I think I overcooked mine. I bought mushrooms to try your risotto… maybe tomorrow. Thanks again for your great recipes!
It’s delicious! It will turn a little darker green, but be careful it doesn’t get too dark or start to turn brown. Hope that helps!
Delicious and straightforward. Had the creaminess of a carbonara without any of the animal products.
Thank you, Rachael!
Hey!
Made this tonight and it was delicious. Im vegan, so i fried up some fake-bacon and put that on top with my crunchy sage.
Other things I did:
-added a soy creamer for a more velvety texture
– fake bacon
– added sage and rosemary to the sauce while it was boiling, and took out before i hand-blended
– added 1 drop of liquid smoke to make it almost like a carbonara!
Thanks so much for this. It was amazing!
Thank you, Samantha for sharing! I love how you made this work for you. I appreciate the review.
This is so so so so so so good. So creamy and comforting ,so easy to make. The sage perfectly rounds it off..and makes it looks so gourmet like. Thanks for sharing the recipe! I’ll be posting a picture on ig later!
You’re welcome, Sarah! I’m glad you like it.
2 pounds and 3 cups are very different set of amount so with that being said. This will be a difficult recipe to follow
I always use 3 overflowing cups and it turns out great!
What is the fiber content per serving?
Hi JJ, please click on the “nutrition information” label below the recipe and you will get a full rundown! Fiber content will depend on the pasta you choose; I recommend whole grain because it has more fiber and that’s what the nutrition information is based upon.
I made this tonight. It was delicious and my whole family (including my two boys) loved it! I didnt have sage so I used rosemary instead. This is a great savory (vegan) pasta dish.
Great to hear, Devon! Thanks for sharing and for you review.
I’m finally getting around to reviewing some of the recipes I’ve been referencing for years!
Yes, I’ve been making this for years (with small, lazy-people modifications). I don’t fry the sage (because I’m lazy), and instead add dried sage. I also add some cumin because I add cumin to almost everything. The
The result is incredible! I’m looking forward to making this TONIGHT, and using the remaining 1/2 squash to whip up a batch of butternut squash chipotle chili (another house favorite).
Happy fall, y’all!
I’m so happy you have been following for so long! And thank you for taking the time to review, it’s so good to hear from you. Thanks for sharing how you have been preparing this, Heather!
Fairly easy to make and absolutely delicious.
Thank you, Bob!
This was delicious! I used a splash of coconut milk for extra creaminess and in place of a bit of the veggie broth. I also used puréed butternut. Yum! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Hi Kate. This sounds amazing. Can I half and roast the butternut squash before blending in lieu of peeling and cutting? Thanks!
You could try it, but it sometimes is hard to get the cubes when roasting the squash in parts rather than in cubes as it gets soft when baked.
This is so good! All my family loves it and my wife is downright obsessed with it. Which is great, but that just means she forces me to make it ALL THE TIME!
Love that! Thank you, Zuza.
Made the butternut squash puree linguine last night left some pieces whole….. and added roasted parsnip and sweet potato it was lush..we are not quite a veggie but cutting down meat consumption dramatically
Thanks for sharing, Jane!
This was soooo good to use up the kabocha in my kitchen!! The only thing I changed is I cooked bacon first and then sprinkled it in top. The puree was fantastic and it made a PERFECT lunch on a cold fall day.
Thank you!
Another gluten free pasta that is really good is chickpea pasta. I’m DEFINITELY making this soon!
Be sure to report back what you think!
I love this meal so much. It is one of my go-to, easy peasy dinners. My five and three year old eat double servings every time! I add a handful or two of raw cashews to the veggies as they cook (or to the blender before pureeing) for extra fat, protein and creaminess :)
Wonderful to hear, Dannah! Thanks so much for sharing.
I made this the other night – absolutely delicious!
Wonderful, Suzette! Thanks for reviewing this recipe.
Ya know I was not a huge fan of this unfortunately. It felt like I made some squash soup and then dumped noodles in.
There was way too much sauce for the amount of noodles, and I even used extra noodles- about a pound and a third! I weighed out 2 lbs of chopped squash, so maybe I should’ve gone by 3 cups instead? Possibly reduced it more?
The flavor was really good, just too weirdly soupy for my preference. I think if I were to make it again I’d half the sauce recipe at least, and maybe add some almond milk or cashew cream to make it creamier.
But, I served it at a potluck and everyone else seemed to love it so, to each his own!
I’m sorry you didn’t love this recipe, Laura! But great that it was a hit with your guests. Thanks for sharing your experience!