Gluten Free Butternut Pasta Bake
Thank you to my friends at Banza for sponsoring the creation of this recipe!
This gluten-free butternut pasta bake is the ultimate fall comfort food. Brown rice pasta, a creamy butternut sauce, and crispy sage make the perfect fall meal.
Table of contents
Why you’ll love this butternut pasta bake
Once I start seeing squash in the grocery store, it’s game on! I am all ready for butternut squash, spaghetti squash, pumpkin, all of it!
I’ve been wanting to make a butternut pasta, and have tried my fair share of GF pasta in my day. Some of it tastes like cardboard, some of it has a weird flavor, and a lot of it just makes really bad leftovers. Not this one!! The new Banza brown rice pasta is made with only two ingredients, and the texture & flavor are SPOT ON.
Here’s why this recipe is going to be a fall favorite…
- It tastes just like fall! Butternut, sage, thyme… it just tastes like fall!
- You can easily make it dairy-free. The sauce itself is dairy-free, and you can easily make it without cheese.
Does butternut squash actually go well with pasta?
Yes, butternut makes the perfect pasta sauce! It’s the perfect blend of lightly sweet and savory, and it’s incredibly creamy. Pair it with herbs like sage and thyme and you have the perfect fall pasta.
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Banza brown rice pasta. This brand new pasta from banza really tastes like the real deal! It’s made with two ingredients, brown rice and chickpeas, and it’s so delicious. Banza’s foods are tested at a third-party lab and verified to be non-detectable for pesticides like glyphosate. They actually just added a QR code to the front of their packaging, where you can access test results, which you can check out here!
- Butternut squash. I highly recommend using fresh butternut squash for this recipe, as precut squash can get a little mushy too quickly.
- Shallots and garlic. You can also swap the shallot for yellow onion.
- Coconut milk and chicken broth. Coconut milk makes a great creamy base for sauces, but you can also use almond or oat milk.
- Nutritional yeast. This adds a cheesy flavor to the sauce.
- Goat mozzarella. You can easily leave the cheese off and eat the pasta without it!
- Prosciutto and sage. I love adding crispy prosciutto and sage to butternut dishes for that savory fall flavor profile!
How to make this gluten-free butternut pasta bake
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Sauté the butternut squash, shallots, and garlic in a pot until lightly fork-tender.
Step two. Simmer the butternut squash in the liquid until soft.
Step three. Allow the sauce to cool before blending.
Step four. Cook the pasta and strain.
Step five. Combine the pasta and sauce in a baking dish and top with cheese. Broil in the oven to melt the cheese.
Step six. Serve topped with crispy sage and prosciutto.
What protein goes well with pasta and butternut squash?
I love adding crispy prosciutto to this pairing, but you can also add ground turkey or cubed/ shredded chicken!
Can you make this recipe dairy-free?
Yes, you can easily make this recipe without cheese! Simply serve the pasta with the butternut sauce and top with sage and prosciutto.
More gluten-free butternut squash recipes to try..
If you tried this Butternut Squash Pasta Bake or any other recipe on my blog please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Gluten Free Butternut Pasta Bake
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 shallot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 butternut squash, cubed (about 20oz total)
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 ¼ cup coconut milk, sub oat or almond
- ½ cup broth
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 12 oz box Banza brown rice penne
- 1 ½ cups shredded goat mozzarella
- 3-4 slices of prosciutto
- 4-5 sage leaves
Instructions
- Using a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the shallot and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the butternut squash and season with herbs, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 6-7 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Add the coconut milk, broth, white wine vinegar, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and over for 10-12 minutes or until totally soft.
- Whisk the arrowroot with about 1 tbsp of water and add it to the butternut sauce along with the nutritional yeast. Stir well and remove from the heat. Allow to cool before blending. Set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the Banza brown rice penne. Cook according to package instructions, cooking al dente if you plan to bake the pasta, or cooking to your liking if you plan to not bake it! Strain and rinse.
- If baking – Heat the oven to broil, and lightly grease a 9×13” casserole dish. Add the strained pasta and top with the sauce, mixing well. Sprinkle cheese over top and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, just enough to melt the cheese and lightly brown! Set aside.
- Add a small amount of oil to a pan and add the prosciutto and sage leaves. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or just until crispy. Set aside and chop the prosciutto.
- Serve the baked pasta (or unbaked pasta mixed with sauce) with crispy prosciutto and sage on top!
