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Butternut Squash Paccheri Pasta Bake
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Butternut Squash Paccheri Pasta Bake

This elegant Butternut Squash Paccheri Pasta Bake will take center stage at your next family gathering celebrations. Its creamy, cheesy and so easy to make.
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Baked pasta, Butternut Squash Pasta
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting time 30 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 535kcal
Author Marisa

Equipment

  • 9 inch springform pan for easy release or any other deep dish baking pan.

Ingredients

FOR ROASTING THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH

  • 4 cups diced butternut squash
  • olive oil for drizzling over butternut squash

FOR THE CREAMY CHEESE SAUCE

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter plus more for greasing the pan
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese divided
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 litre milk I used 3.5 % full fat milk
  • 1 cup grated Asiago cheese
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • fine sea salt or kosher salt to your taste
  • freshly ground pepper to your taste

TO ASSEMBLE THE PASTA

  • 500 grams paccheri pasta or rigatoni
  • 4 cups baby arugula roughly chopped
  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Instructions

ROASTING THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Place the chopped butternut squash on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Drizzle with olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender.
  • Set the cooked butternut squash aside while continuing with the rest of the recipe.

CREAMY CHEESE SAUCE

  • In a large saucepan, melt 1/4 cup of the butter over medium heat.
  • Add the all purpose flour to the melted butter and cook while whisking for 2 minutes.
  • Slowly whisk in the milk.
  • Reduce the heat slightly and let he sauce simmer while whisking often, until the sauce has thickened, for about 20 minutes.
  • Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the Asiago cheese and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
  • Whisk in the lightly beaten egg and season with salt and pepper.
  • Cover the saucepan to keep warm and set aside while you cook the pasta and prep the springform pan.

PREPPING THE PAN

  • Butter a 9 inch springform pan with softened butter.
  • Sprinkle the pan all over with 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and set aside.

COOK THE PASTA

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta just until al dente or firm to the bite.
  • Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl.

ASSEMBLING THE DEEP DISH PASTA

  • Add the cooked butternut squash, arugula, parsley and rosemary to the pasta bowl.
  • Stir in the cheese sauce until well combined.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Transfer half of the pasta mixture to the prepared springform pan.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese and lemon zest then spoon half of this mixture over the pasta.
  • Transfer the remaining pasta into the pan and spoon the remaining ricotta mixture over the pasta.
  • Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese and bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crispy.
  • Let the baked pasta rest for about 1/2 hour then run a knife alongside the inside of the pan before releasing the pasta from the pan.
  • Cut into wedges and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 677mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 8982IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 477mg | Iron: 2mg