If you're looking for a simple, flavour-packed pasta dish, this Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Pasta is a great one to add to your meal rotation. Roasting the vegetables brings out their natural sweetness, while sweet paprika, herbs, chilli flakes and a drizzle of honey add plenty of flavour with just a gentle hint of warmth.
Everything is tossed together with bow tie pasta, a splash of reserved pasta water and grated Gruyère cheese to create a light, silky sauce that coats every bite. It's an easy, satisfying meal that's perfect for busy weeknights and pairs wonderfully with a crisp green salad or your favourite protein.
Calories in Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Pasta
This recipe serves 2 and is 540 calories per serving.
If you're looking for more recipes by calories, you'll find plenty of options grouped by calorie range here: Slimming Eats Low Calorie Recipes
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie needs using a reliable calorie calculator. The calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary depending on the exact ingredients and portion sizes you use. Using your own calculations helps ensure you're meeting your individual needs. A calorie calculator can help you make informed choices and stay on track with your goals.
See the recipe card for full nutritional estimation.
Ingredients Notes
To make this recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- Butternut squash: Peel and cut into even-sized cubes so it roasts evenly. The squash adds sweetness, creaminess, and body to the sauce.
- Red bell pepper: The red pepper adds sweetness and a roasted, slightly smoky flavour.
- Onion: A regular brown, yellow, or white onion will work. Roasting the onion softens its sharpness and adds depth to the sauce.
- Olive oil: Helps the vegetables roast and caramelize beautifully.
- Seasonings: Paprika, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and a pinch of red chilli flakes give the roasted vegetables plenty of flavour. Use sweet paprika for a mild taste or smoked paprika for a deeper, smokier flavour. Adjust the chilli flakes to suit your preferred level of heat.
- Honey: Balances the savoury herbs and brings out the natural sweetness of the squash and pepper. Maple syrup is fine to use also.
- Salt and black pepper: Season before roasting and adjust again after blending or mixing with the pasta.
- Pasta: I use farfalle bow pasta but any pasta like penne, fusilli etc will work for this recipe.
- Gruyere cheese: Gruyere adds a nutty, rich flavour and melts well into the pasta.
- Fresh parsley: Add at the end for freshness and colour.
Once you've gathered all the ingredients and prepared them accordingly, you're all set to create this easy and delightful recipe.
See the recipe card for specific quantities and instructions.
Variations and Substitutes
This recipe is easy to adapt with whatever vegetables, cheese or pasta you have on hand, making it perfect for using up ingredients from the fridge.
- Change the vegetables: Try roasting carrots, sweet potato, cauliflower, courgette (zucchini), aubergine (eggplant), or tomatoes alongside the squash for a different flavour.
- Swap the cheese: Gruyère can be replaced with mature cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, or any cheese that melts well.
- Use a different pasta: Farfalle can be swapped for pretty much any pasta you like - penne, rigatoni, rotini, farfalle, linguine or wholewheat pasta.
- Make it gluten free: use gluten free pasta
- Make it Vegetarian: ensure cheese you use is vegetarian friendly
- Add protein: Stir through cooked chicken, crispy bacon, shredded turkey, prawns, chickpeas, or cannellini beans to make it a more substantial meal.
- Adjust the heat: Add extra chilli flakes for a spicier sauce, or leave them out completely if you prefer a milder flavour.
- Fresh herbs: Replace the dried herbs with fresh rosemary, thyme, or oregano if you have them, or finish the dish with fresh basil instead of parsley.
- Make a hidden veg sauce: Got fussy kids? Blend the roasted vegetables with a little stock to make a smooth sauce, then toss with the cooked pasta and sprinkle the cheese over the top when serving. Alternatively, blend the cheese into the sauce with the vegetables for a creamy, cheesy vegetable sauce.
- Make it creamy: stir through some light cream cheese, creme fraiche or reduced fat single cream.
- Make it dairy free: Swap the Gruyère for your favourite dairy-free cheese alternative or simply leave the cheese out for a lighter sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This roasted butternut squash and red pepper pasta is a satisfying meal just as it is, but there are plenty of ways to round it out into an even heartier dinner.
I love serving it with a simple mixed salad made with crisp lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion and radishes, finished with a light vinaigrette or lemon dressing to balance the richness of the pasta.
It also pairs beautifully with extra roasted vegetables on the side. Roasted broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus or Brussels sprouts are all great choices and make it easy to add even more vegetables to your meal.
Storing and Reheating
To store: Allow the pasta to cool, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Reheat in the microwave until piping hot, or warm gently in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. If the sauce has thickened, add a splash of water or vegetable stock to loosen it as it heats.
Can I freeze this recipe? I don't recommend freezing this recipe. The roasted vegetables can become mushy once thawed, and the pasta can dry out and lose its texture after freezing and reheating.
More Butternut Squash Recipes
Do you love butternut squash? There are lots more delicious recipes with butternut squash as one of the main ingredients to choose from:
See more Butternut Squash Recipes →
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Recipe Card
Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Pasta with Gruyere
Roasted butternut squash, sweet peppers and caramelized onions are tossed with pasta, Gruyère and fresh herbs for a simple, comforting meal that's packed with flavour.
Ingredients
- 300g (10.5oz) of butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon of rosemary
- ½ teaspoon of thyme
- ½ teaspoon of oregano
- pinch of red chili flakes
- 2 teaspoons of honey
- salt and black pepper to season.
- 140g (4.9oz) of farfalle pasta, uncooked
- 60g (2oz) of gruyere cheese, grated
- handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan, 200°C, 400°F or gas mark 6.
- Add the butternut squash, red pepper and onion to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle over the olive oil, add the paprika, rosemary, thyme, oregano, chilli flakes and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Toss everything together until evenly coated, then spread out in a single layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, drizzle over the honey and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pan of salted boiling water according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving about ⅓ cup (80ml) of the pasta cooking water.
- Return the pasta to the pan and add the roasted vegetables, reserved pasta water, Gruyère and fresh parsley. Toss everything together until the cheese has melted and coats the pasta and vegetables with a light, silky coating.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Vegetarian Friendly - use a vegetarian cheese
- Gluten Free Friendly - use a gluten free pasta
- Storing and Reheating - see storing and reheating section
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Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 540Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 5gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 34mgSodium 339mgCarbohydrates 81gFiber 7gSugar 17gProtein 21g
Nutritional information and values etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.
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