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This butternut squash pasta sauce is a dairy-free sauce made with butternut squash, garlic, and sage! It’s the perfect simple sauce for fall.

A bowl of butternut squash pasta sauce.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce with Coconut Milk

Butternut squash is a fall staple, and it can be used in so many different ways! Fries, mashes, tater tots, and even pasta sauce! I always thought that you’d still need tomato and cheese to make it taste good, but rest assured, you can make an amazing pasta sauce with butternut squash as the star of the show.

This sauce tastes great with any pasta shape of your choice and is easy to make on one pan in the oven. It’s paleo, AIP, dairy-free and gluten-free.

The Ingredients for Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

  • Butternut Squash. The star of the dish!
  • Yellow Onion and Garlic.
  • Sage Leaves and Fresh Thyme.
  • Olive Oil.
  • Salt and Black Pepper. You can omit the pepper for AIP.
  • Pasta. For AIP,  use a cassava pasta.
  • Coconut Milk. If you need to make it coconut free, you can make it with just plain pasta water, but it is a bit less creamy and flavorful.
  • Nutritional yeast. For the cheesy flavor! But you can leave it out if you want.

How to make Dairy-Free Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

  • Prep the sheet pan. Add the squash and onion to the baking sheet, and place the garlic and sage on a small square of foil (or parchment). Top the entire pan with olive oil and wrap the garlic and sage to prevent burning. Top the squash and onion with salt, pepper, and thyme and toss.

A sheet pan with sliced onion, garlic, and butternut squash.

  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the squash is tender and lightly crisp. Set aside.
  • Cook the pasta and reserve some pasta water. 
  • Blend the sauce. Add the squash, onion, garlic, and sage to a high-speed blender along with the pasta water, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast.
  • Combine the sauce with the pasta and serve.

A bowl of butternut squash pasta sauce.

Can you use frozen butternut squash?

You can easily use frozen squash for this recipe. You may have to add some extra cook time, so just keep an eye on it!

Can you make this recipe without the nutritional yeast?

You can! It adds a cheesy flavor, but you can leave it out if you want.

Can you make this recipe coconut-free?

I tried making this recipe with just pasta water, and it still works, but it was a bit less creamy and flavorful. I prefer the coconut milk version, but you can swap it out for pasta water if needed!

A bowl of butternut squash pasta.

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Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce (Paleo, Gluten-free, Dairy-free)

  • Author: Michelle
  • Total Time: 55 min
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb butternut squash
  • 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 3 sage leaves
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
  • 12 oz pasta of choice (use a cassava pasta for AIP)
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Add the squash and onion to the baking sheet, and place the garlic and sage on a small square of foil (or parchment). Top the entire pan with olive oil and wrap the garlic and sage to prevent burning. Top the squash and onion with salt, pepper, and thyme and toss.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the squash is tender and lightly crisp. Set aside.
  4. While the squash cooks, cook the pasta as directed on the package. Set aside 3/4 cup of the pasta water. Strain the pasta and set aside.
  5. Add the squash, onion, garlic, and sage to a high-speed blender along with the pasta water, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth, adding 1-2 tbsp of coconut milk if a thinner sauce is desired.
  6. Add the sauce to the pasta and stir to coat. Serve by itself, or with a protein of your choice like grilled chicken, or bacon.

Notes

All nutrition facts are estimated and will vary.

  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 35 min

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 212
  • Fat: 16.8g
  • Carbohydrates: 17.4g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 2.2g