I don't know about you, but after the holidays at our house...it's all about eating out of the fridge/pantry. We avoid the grocery store at all cost. It's a great chance to work through ingredients and get ready for a fresh start in the New Year.
That is precisely how we happened onto this Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake. An open box of pasta, a butternut squash & fresh mushrooms waiting for their time to shine, a handful of fresh spinach and the end of two types of cheese....became a yummy meal that the whole family loved.
The beauty of this dish is you can substitute ingredients you have on hand. Cubed sweet potato, leftover cooked broccoli, sautéed onion....they would all be fabulous additions. Have fun and never underestimate the potential hidden in plain site in your fridge and pantry.
Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 3 ounces dry pasta I used bow tie
- 1 small butternut squash
- 1 tbsp butter
- 8-10 button mushrooms sliced
- 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp. dried thyme
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup shredded cheese I used cheddar and 2 Tbl. goat cheese
- 1 handful of fresh spinach or kale
- Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 2 slices bacon cooked and crumbled (omit for vegetarian version)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain and reserve.
- Peel and cubed butternut squash. Place in a microwave safe bowl covered with water. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Use fork to test for doneness. If necessary, microwave an additional 3-5 minutes until just fork tender. Drain and reserve.
- If topping with crumbled bacon, cook bacon until browned and crispy. Reserve. (omit for vegetarian version).
- Melt butter in the skillet and add sliced mushrooms and thyme. Cook over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook an additional 3-4 minutes. Dust mushrooms with flour, stir until well coated. Whisk in milk and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and add in cheeses, stirring until melted. Season to taste.
- Stir in fresh spinach, butternut squash, and pasta. Pour into a buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with crumbled crispy bacon (optional). Bake for 20 minutes.
Becca
I love how creamy and cheesy this looks! Perfect for this time of year when I'm all for indulging haha 😉
Libby with Lemony Thyme
Thanks Becca. Definitely the time to eat up all the cheesy love dishes.
Jocelyn
Now that is one amazing looking pasta bake! I love all the cheese and the butternut squash in this dish!
KC
Oh my...this looks so good! I can't wait to give it a try. Fingers crossed the kids will eat it as well.
Thanks,
KC
Jessica McCoy
Hope you enjoy it KC. Well... I'm sure you will, but I hope it goes over well with the kids. 😉
Tshanina
I've been trying to eat from my pantry/freezer too!
This looks so colorful and yummy! Definitely pinning this for later!
Emily
I am the same way after Thanksgiving and Christmas, this looks delicious! Thanks for linking up at Showcase Your Talent Thursday.
Renee - Kudos Kitchen
This looks amazing! I'm pinning, printing and adding it to my ZipList recipe box. Thanks for sharing!
Shannon {Cozy Country Living}
Yum! This is my kind of dinner! Perfect for busy week nights and it's warm and comforting but still has a good serving of veggies:) I can't wait to try this. Pinned!
Miz Helen
We will just love this awesome Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake, it looks delicious. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
Miz Helen
Ginnie
This looks so amazingly good! I love everything in this recipe, so I'm going to give it a try:)
Krista
I still have butternut squash from last summer's garden, this looks like a delicious way to use it!! Thanks for sharing!
Cindy ~Hun... What's for Dinner?
This is a fabulous pasta! Butternut squash and bacon?!? Thanks so much for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
Jessica McCoy
Thanks so much!
Britni
I love using butternut squash and pasta together and this looks delicious! Thanks for sharing on the weekend re-Treat Link Party!
Britni @ Play. Party. Pin.
Diana Rambles
Looks fantastic! I'd love to try it!
Chandra
I love how tasty this meal looks! It's a great way to squeeze in some veggies! Thanks for linking on Show Me Your Plaid Monday's!
Karly
Great recipe! Thanks for linking up with What's Cookin' Wednesday!
Joy @ Joy Love Food
I love looking in my fridge and cobbling together what's there and turning it into a delicious meal, this pasta bake sounds wonderful, perfect for fall! Thanks for sharing at What'd You Do This Weekend? This is one of my favorites from the party and will be one of my features on Monday 🙂
Megan @ C'mon Get Crafty
Holidays or not, I definitely need help working through my pantry instead of going to the store for every little thing. I'm glad you shared your recipe with us at Merry Monday! Party is live, I hope you link up again!
swathi
My kids love pasta a lot when it is baked it is double like, thanks for sharing this wonderful recipes to Hearth and soul blog hop, pinning .
downtown charlotte nc restaurants
wow yummy food i love food.
Ginger Wroot
I'm a huge fan of butternut squash, and have posted several buttnernut recipes myself. Love how lovely and lish this dish looks! Thanks!
--G
Joanne
Thank you for sharing at SYC! 🙂 Jo
Shirley Wood
This dish has a lot going for it, one dish meal full of flavor! So glad you shared with us at Merry Monday. I'm sharing this on my FB page today Pinned it to the MM party board.
Sherry
Yum! I love butternut squash. I so want to try this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing at Merry Monday.
April J Harris
It's true, it's amazing what you can put together when you raid your fridge and pantry! Love your Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake - it looks so delicious and so wholesome too. Butternut squash is such a natural partner to pasta. Thank you for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Hop.
Kyla
Wow! Looks yummy! Thank for linking up to TOO Cute Tuesday!
Jann Olson
You are such an amazing cook! I love butternut squash and this looks delicious! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Leslie
Mmmm...I love butternut squash. Though my kids have declared it uneatable. They really don't know what they're missing. Some of our best meals have been the 'clean out the fridge' kind. Thanks for sharing!