Description
This Baked Feta and Butternut Squash Pasta with Sage and Garlic is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring roasted butternut squash and creamy baked feta cheese combined with al dente pasta. Enhanced with fresh sage, garlic, and a touch of hot honey, this recipe offers a perfect balance of savory, sweet, and spicy notes, ideal for a cozy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Vegetables & Herbs
- 5 cups Butternut Squash (about 1 large butternut squash)
- 10 leaves Fresh Sage, minced
- 3 cloves Garlic, finely minced
Dairy
- 1 (8 oz) block Feta Cheese
Pantry Items
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil plus more for drizzling
- 2 hefty pinches Kosher Salt (just shy of 1/2 tsp total)
- 1 hefty pinch Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Hot Honey (regular honey is fine too)
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
- 1 lb Pasta such as rotini, orzo, or ditalini
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for roasting the butternut squash and baking the feta.
- Prepare butternut squash and feta: Toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil, 2 hefty pinches of kosher salt, and a few cranks of fresh black pepper. Transfer the squash to a baking dish. Place the block of feta cheese in the center of the dish. Drizzle the feta with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle red pepper flakes (if using), and add fresh cracked black pepper on top.
- Bake initial stage: Bake the mixture at 400°F for 30 minutes until the butternut squash begins to soften and the feta starts melting.
- Adjust squash and increase heat: Remove the baking dish carefully and gently shift the butternut squash around to prevent burning on the bottom—avoid touching the feta. Increase oven temperature to 450°F (230°C) and continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes until the feta is golden brown and slightly crisp on top.
- Cook pasta: While the feta and squash finish baking, boil 1 lb of pasta in salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
- Combine ingredients: After the feta is browned, remove the dish from the oven. Immediately add the minced garlic, minced sage leaves, and honey to the hot feta and squash mixture, stirring to combine.
- Add pasta and sauce: Add the cooked pasta and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water to the baking dish. Stir everything well to evenly coat the pasta in the creamy sauce formed by the feta, squash, and seasonings.
- Adjust sauce consistency and seasoning: If the pasta appears dry, slowly add more reserved pasta water until the sauce reaches a smooth and creamy consistency. Taste and season with additional salt, cracked black pepper, and more hot honey if desired.
Notes
- Use regular honey if hot honey is not available, but adding red pepper flakes helps maintain some spiciness.
- Be careful when stirring the squash during baking to avoid breaking apart the feta block prematurely.
- Reserve enough pasta water, as it helps bind the sauce and create a creamy texture.
- This recipe can be made with gluten-free pasta to accommodate gluten intolerance.
- For a nuttier flavor, you can toast the sage lightly before adding it to the dish, though fresh minced sage is preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
