Butternut Squash & Spinach Pasta Pie
This butternut squash pasta bake has the most delicious mix of pasta, butternut squash, spinach, and cheese – all baked into basically a sliceable, savory crustless “pie.” You’ll be blown away by how easy this is to make, and the leftovers are *chefskiss* good.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Pasta Pie
How to Make Butternut Squash & Spinach Pasta Pie
Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
The Story Behind the Recipe
Like most everyone else, I’m a huge fan of the food blog Smitten Kitchen. Deb has been blogging since the beginning, and she’s done it SO well.
A few years ago, she shared the recipe for a winter squash and spinach pasta bake that was inspired by a similar pasta “cake” by British chef Yotam Ottolenghi. I’ve made this pasta bake more times than I can count, revising and refining it into my own version of the recipe that I absolutely love.
The concept is similar to my laziest lazy lasagna – simply toss everything together, raw pasta and all, in a big bowl, then spread it in a baking dish and bake until perfect. It’s light on the hands-on time, and even though the baking (and resting) times are quite long, clocking in at two hours, with a little planning ahead this butternut squash pasta pie makes for a super easy dinner.
The best part, other than it being super easy to make, is that this pasta pie holds up flawlessly for easy leftovers. We don’t have a microwave, so we add a couple of slices to our steamer basket and steam it for about 5 minutes until warmed through. Perfection.
One of these Butternut Squash & Spinach Pasta Pies feeds us for multiple dinners and lunches for several days! It’s just so awesome.
Ottolenghi calls this a cake, and Deb calls it a bake. I deviate and instead call it a pasta pie. Growing up, we used to eat this delicious spaghetti pie that would cook up in a similar shape and style and you’d serve it in wedges, so in my mind, it’s a pie.
Why You’ll Love This Pasta Pie
It’s super easy. Mix it up in a big bowl, dump it into your springform pan, and let the oven do all the work.
It’s comfort food with a twist. We’ve got comforting cheesy pasta, but we also have protein thanks to the cheeses and nutrients courtesy of the butternut squash and spinach.
The leftovers! I know I keep droning on about the leftovers, but seriously. The best.
Ingredients
Butternut squash – You’ll need about 1/4 of a medium-size squash.
Spinach – I like to use packaged pre-washed baby spinach. It’s just so easy! I do give it a few extra chops just so the pieces aren’t super big.
Pasta – I like penne pasta best in this butternut squash pasta bake, but another medium pasta will work just fine, or even broken-up lasagna pasta.
Ricotta cheese – I like full-fat for the most creamy result.
Parmesan – For loads of umami flavor. Both mixed into the pasta and melted on top.
Mozzarella cheese – Low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella is my preference.
Water – I know it feels weird to mix water in! Just trust me. It helps cook the pasta and ultimately evaporates.
Olive oil
Garlic powder – Fresh garlic is delicious and works too, but I’ve noticed that garlic powder tastes great as well, and it’s so much easier. Easy is good.
Crushed red pepper flakes – For a touch of heat. You can leave these out if you are feeding kiddos or anyone sensitive to spiciness.
Thyme – Love the flavor dried thyme adds! You can use fresh thyme if you have it and would rather; I suggest doubling the quantity if so.
Salt & pepper – Mixed in, and a little more for serving, if you like.
Adaptations/Variations
Swap out the squash: Most any winter squash or pumpkin will work well. Not sure which squash you want to try? Check out my Ultimate Squash Guide on my other blog.
Try kale instead of spinach – Just make sure to de-stem it first and chop into bite-size pieces.
Try another cheese. Smitten Kitchen’s version uses fontina; over the years, I’ve switched to mozzarella because I’m such more likely to have it on hand (and I love it!) Swiss, Gruyere, or even cheddar would all be great.
How to Make Butternut Squash & Spinach Pasta Pie
I’ve found that it can be hard to make sure all of the cheeses and seasonings are distributed, so I like to mix the cheese, water, and seasonings first, then add the big bulky items (the spinach, squash, and pasta).
So first up, you’ll want to grab a big bowl – the bigger the better! Add the egg, ricotta, half of the parmesan, the mozzarella, water, the seasonings, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Whisk everything together until well-blended, then add the pasta, spinach, and butternut squash and, using a sturdy spatula, mix until combined.
Now it’s time to pile everything into your springform pan! Line it with parchment paper – I like to do a “plus sign” of paper, with plenty hanging over the edges.
Pour the entire bowl of pasta mixture into the parchment-lined springform, press it in gently to make sure it’s even, then fold the parchment paper that’s over the sides back over the top of the pie.
And then cover the whole thing with foil, place it on a sturdy baking sheet to catch any spillage, and bake for an hour.
After an hour, you’ll want to remove the foil, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top, and continue baking it uncovered for the remaining 30 minutes.
The last 30 minutes are the hardest! Because this is your resting time. In order for the pasta pie to hold together well, it’s highly recommended that you rest it for 30 minutes after baking it.
Rested? Good! Now unclip your springform and relish in your perfect butternut squash and spinach pasta pie! Slice into wedges, serve, and devour.
Tips for Success
If possible, definitely use a springform pan. You’ll want a standard size 9-inch” springform pan with 3″ tall sides. That said, this will probably work in an 8×8″ casserole dish. I haven’t tried it, and you’ll want to scoop it out more like a lasagna vs. in wedges.
Use a baking sheet to catch drips. It’s worth the extra insurance!
Don’t skip the resting step. It helps the pie hold together.
Cut the butternut squash into small-size cubes. My cubes often end up bigger than I meant to, so I intentionally try to cut them smaller (about 1/2-inch). I like the smaller bites and feel that size goes better with the overall dish.
I hope this Butternut Squash & Spinach Pasta Pie is as much a revelation for you as it has been for us! It’s just so easy and so tasty, the perfect vegetarian pasta bake.
More Pasta Bake Recipes
Butternut Squash & Spinach Pasta Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s winter squash and spinach pasta bake which was adapted from pasta “cake” by British chef Yotam Ottolenghi.
Nutrition
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