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This creamy Roasted Butternut and Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta is the perfect fall pasta dinner. Rosemary and garlic roasted butternut squash pureed into a creamy parmesan cheese sauce, then tossed with pan-seared Italian seasoned chicken and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook this together with rigatoni pasta for a warming dinner made quickly. Truly one of those all-in-one dinners that everyone at the table will love. You can’t go wrong with this Tuscan-style butternut squash pasta.
Weeknights are better with a cozy bowl of pasta. With Labor Day now behind us, I’m leaning into my cozy autumn recipes, which I kind of feel is what HBH is known for. Over the next few months, I have so many recipes to share!
In the coming weeks, we’ll have zero pumpkin recipes, we’ll save those for a little later. Instead, we have plenty of game day recipes – perfect for tailgating or watching the game from the comfort of your couch. We’ve also got simple family dinners for cozy nights at home. And of course, yummy baked goods, including a few new apple dishes. And so much more!
Eek, I am so excited! We’re starting things off with a great transitional pasta. Butternut squash is currently in season, so I used this favorite fall vegetable and pureed it in a creamy pasta sauce. This is delicious!
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Cubed butternut squash
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Chopped fresh sage
- Chopped fresh rosemary
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Heavy cream
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Italian seasoning
- Chili flakes
- Salted butter
- Short cut pasta
Here are the details
Step 1: roast the butternut squash
I kept this as simple as can be, so don’t let the steps and time throw you off. Promise this recipe is easy, you just need some time to roast that squash.
The heart of the pasta is really all in the butternut squash, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs. Everything together is what makes this such a special delish. The secret? Roasting the squash, garlic, and shallots together on the same sheet pan. As the squash roasts, the garlic caramelizes and gets a little crispy too.
First, toss the squash with garlic cloves, shallot fresh sage, and rosemary. Then, a little salt, and pepper. Bake until tender, the kitchen will smell delicious.
Step 2: puree the squash into a sauce
Once the squash has finished roasting, puree it with the garlic, shallots, parmesan, and cream, or use milk. You can do this in a food processor or blender.
Step 3: cook the chicken
I love using a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Not only are the tomatoes delicious, but I also use the oil from the jar to cook the chicken. The oil is always seasoned, so it adds even more flavor. Just make sure it’s extra virgin olive oil.
While I’m cooking the chicken, I season it with homemade Italian seasonings. I use a blend of dried basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and sage with some paprika and chili flakes too. It’s a delicious mix and makes the chicken very flavorful.
Get the chicken seared up in the pot, then pull it out before adding the water.
Step 4: cook the pasta and toss it
Add water to the pot and then boil the pasta. Once al dente, you can mix in the squash purée, the remaining cream or milk, parmesan, and the sun-dried tomatoes too.
Toss everything together until the squash is very creamy. Add the chicken back to the pot with the pasta and toss everything until creamy.
I serve each bowl with extra parmesan and fresh basil. DELICIOUS!
You can serve this up on busy weeknights, but it’s equally great for dinners with friends and family.
Looking for more pasta recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Pesto Tortellini Zuppa Toscana
Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta
One Pot French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Basil Parmesan Pasta with Crispy Chicken, Prosciutto, and Arugula
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Lastly, if you make this Roasted Butternut Squash and Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken 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!
Roasted Butternut Squash and Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 492 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 6-10 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot, quartered
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 jar (8 ounce) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 4 tablespoons Italian seasoning (see note)
- chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 pound short cut pasta
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400° F.2. On a baking sheet, toss together the olive oil, butternut squash, garlic, shallot, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Bake 20 minutes, until the squash is tender.3. Add the butternut squash, garlic, and shallot to a food processor. Puree until smooth. Add 1/3 cup cream/milk and 1/3 cup parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until creamy. 4. Meanwhile, drain 3 tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar into a large pot or skillet with sides. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.5. Set the pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until golden brown, 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot.6.To the same pot, add the butter and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning. Cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add 3 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, add the pasta, and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 8 minutes. Stir in the butternut puree, 2/3 cup cream, 2/3 cup parmesan, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Slide the chicken and any juices left on the plate.7. Serve topped with parmesan and basil. EAT and ENJOY.
Notes
Italian Seasoning: Mix 2 tablespoons dried basil, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 2 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoons chili flakes, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, and 1 teaspoon dried sage. Store in a sealed container.
This post was originally published on September 5, 2023
This was amazing, as per usual!! I added some chopped up artichoke hearts towards the end b/c i love them so. Thanks for sharing another wonderful recipe….I can’t wait for your announcement Sunday!!!
So glad you enjoyed this Christina! Sounds like such a good addition with the artichokes! xT
What can I substitute for the Parmesan cheese? My husband doesn’t like it ☹️
Hi there! Some gruyere cheese could be yummy! xT
This was autumn in a bowl! It was worth the effort to put together. We will definitely be making this again. Thanks!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this fall recipe! xT
The perfect fall pasta that was worth the effort! 💯💯💯
Thank you Erin! xT
I’m not a huge fan of sun-dried tomatoes, can I substitute something in place of them?
Hi there! You could use regular roasted tomatoes if you’d like! xT
So easy and delicious! Don’t drain the water, its part of the sauce. Loved this recipe, will definitely make it again!
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks for trying it out 🙂 xT
Just made this tonight! So so yummy! I subbed barillas GF penne pasta and followed everything else. It’s perfect! Kids love it too
Sooo glad you enjoyed this recipe! xT
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks for trying it out 🙂 xT
Is the water not discarded after cooking the pasta? Seems like a lot of water.
Hi Victoria! You don’t drain the water! xT
Hi there! Nope, you don’t discard the water! xT
Delicious, easy. Addressing several questions in these comments, after following the recipe: no need to drain the water of the pasta because it is nearly fully absorbed by the pasta.
It was a beautiful Fall weekend here in Carolina, but today the temperature went up into the high 90s… But I had cubed butternut squash leftover, so made this for dinner.
My house smells SO GOOD (gotta love sage!) Thank you! Another Tieghan WINNER!
Love to hear that!! Thank you! xT
I agree with Jeanine…3 1/2 cups is not much water for a pound of pasta.
Hi Tieghan, this recipe looks so delicious! Do you roast the squash with the seeds and blend/process the seeds with the garlic and shallots? I have never roasted my squash with the seeds. Also, do you drain the pasta water or incorporate it with the squash puree? So looking forward to having this recipe when our squash is ready. This recipe reeks of Fall!
I too have the very same question Tieghan. One of the pics you show on this recipe has the squash pieces roasting along with the seeds and such attached. I am assuming that the squash seeds are edible and are similar to pumpkin seeds which I love to roast and eat!!!! If that is the case, I believe that this would be a genius idea that would also add to the creaminess of the completed roasted squash sauce. Bravo! I love this idea. Easier that having to remove all those seeds. Please reply with the answer that it was intended and/or not but either way I am going to make it and include the seeds!!!!
Hi Lois! I am so sorry for the confusion, I take the seeds off of the squash! xT
Hi there! I roast the squash without the seeds! xT
This sounds amazing! I plan to make soon. My son is dairy free. What can I replace the heavy cream with to keep the dairy out? Thank you!
Coconut milk is great dairy free option.
Hi there! You could use coconut milk!
This looks delicious!
If I omit the chicken to make this a vegetarian dish, do I still add the Italian seasoning? Thanks in advance:)
Yes, I would still add the italian seasoning! xT
This looks amazing. I have the same question – drain the pasta????
wondering the same- seems obvious but…
Just made this- it was awesome. I did not drain the water from the pasta. It kinda boils away mostly.
Great weeknight meal and easy to make- thanks Tieghan!
Hi there! You don’t need to drain it!