Spicy Brown Butter Goat Cheese Pasta Butternut Squash
Beautiful spicy brown butter goat cheese pasta with sweet corn, tender honey roasted butternut squash, and pickled jalapeños. This delicious vegetarian butternut squash goat cheese pasta hits all of the flavor notes and is perfect as is or with the addition of sausage or chicken for extra protein! A comforting meal you'll truly crave.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 639cal
Ingredients
- Squash:
- 4 cups ½-inch cubed butternut squash (from a 2-pound squash)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey (or sub pure maple syrup)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Brown butter and pasta:
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 4 equal pieces
- 10 ounces pasta, such as penne, orecchiette or orzo (gluten free if desired)
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup fresh or frozen, thawed sweet corn
- Serving:
- 6 to 8 large basil leaves, julienned or torn
- ⅓ cup pickled jalapenos
- Extra goat cheese crumbles
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Roast the squash: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread squash cubes evenly across the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and honey or maple syrup. Sprinkle with garlic powder, chili powder, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper, and generously season with freshly ground salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss together so that the squash is well coated. Bake until squash is fork tender, 30 minutes, tossing the cubes halfway through.
- While the squash cooks, fill a large pot with salted water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside, then drain pasta and return to the pot.
- Brown the butter: Add butter to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Once melted, whisk constantly: the butter will begin to crackle, then foam. After a few minutes, the butter will begin to turn a golden amber color. As soon as the butter turns brown and gives off a nutty aroma, remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Stir the following into the pot of pasta: the brown butter, goat cheese, reserved pasta water, salt, and pepper until the goat cheese has melted and the mixture is creamy. Fold in the roasted butternut squash cubes and corn. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Add to bowls and garnish with pickled jalapenos, basil, goat cheese crumbles and red pepper flakes, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
To boost protein: Sliced sauteed spicy or Italian chicken sausage would be absolutely delicious in this. Ground Italian sausage would be great too, or even grilled or pan-fried chicken!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 4) | Calories: 639cal | Carbohydrates: 81.9g | Protein: 20.7g | Fat: 26.9g | Saturated Fat: 15.1g | Fiber: 6.5g | Sugar: 12.2g