Butternut Squash & Kale Browned Butter Pasta

Butternut squash & kale browned butter pasta is not just a feast for your eyes, it’s a hearty fall comfort food recipe for your next Meatless Monday!

Oh yeah, it’s starting to feel like fall! Leaves are on the ground, squash is on sale, and it’s high time to incorporate some of these beautiful autumn colors into our recipes as we eat the rainbow all year round. These hearty and colorful fall vegetables can also help punch up our Meatless Monday dinners, such as in today’s Butternut Squash & Kale Browned Butter Pasta.

Looking for more meatless meals? Browse through the Meatless Monday category to find additional vegetarian dinner ideas.

I was originally inspired to combine kale and butternut squash by The Pioneer Woman (who also has a handy guide in her post on how to cut butternut squash), but decided to change things up from her basic recipe idea — Mainly, with browned butter & sage for fall, and a little onion and garlic to punch up the flavor.

Butternut Squash & Kale Browned Butter Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 of a (3-4 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 tsp dried sage, divided
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
black pepper, to taste
One bunch kale (or about six oz pre-bagged)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
12 oz box bowtie (farfalle) pasta
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
Sea salt, to taste

Directions

Start salted water boiling for pasta. Once it comes to a boil, cook your pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, peel and cube your squash. If you’re not using pre-bagged kale, strip leaves off the tough stems and tear them into pieces. Chop your garlic and onion.

Heat 1 Tbsp of the butter along with the olive oil in a large skillet for one minute over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for one minute. Stir in garlic, add the cubed squash, and sprinkle it with seasoned salt, 1/2 tsp sage, and black pepper.

Cook squash over medium-high heat for 8-9 minutes, stirring and turning cubes over occasionally, until squash is browned and tender. Remove the cooked squash to a separate large bowl.

Add kale to the same skillet and season it with crushed red pepper. Cook over medium-high heat for about four minutes, or until dark green and tender. Place the cooked kale in the bowl with the squash.

Reduce heat to medium and add 2 Tbsp butter to the same skillet. Melt butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it turns a toasty brown. Stir in 1/2 tsp sage, then stir in the cooked squash and kale, tossing to coat.

Add the cooked pasta and the Parmesan cheese to the pan, then toss gently to combine the pasta & veggies and melt the Parmesan. (Thin out bit by bit with reserved pasta water, if necessary/desired.)

Taste pasta and season with a little sea salt, if desired. Serve topped with additional Parmesan.

Note: If you’re new to chopping up butternut squash, there are no seeds to scoop out in the “neck” end if you start with that side.

Butternut Squash & Kale Pasta: It’s not just a pretty face

This butternut squash pasta is not just pretty, it’s also pretty sweet — and savory good! The natural sweetness of the softer squash is nicely balanced out by the slight bitterness of the chewy kale, while the slight nuttiness of browned butter plays off the sage and garlic to create the quintessential fall comfort food. Try it on your next Meatless Monday, or next time you are wondering what to do with butternut squash on sale.

Butternut Squash & Kale Browned Butter Pasta, printable recipe

Print Pin

5 from 4 votes

Butternut Squash & Kale Browned Butter Pasta

This butternut squash pasta is not just pretty, it's also pretty sweet -- and savory good! The natural sweetness of the softer squash is nicely balanced out by the slight bitterness of the chewy kale, while the slight nuttiness of browned butter plays off the sage and garlic to create the quintessential fall comfort food.

Course dinner

Keyword butternut squash, kale, meatless monday, pasta, vegetarian

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6

Author Rachel Singer

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons butter divided
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic about 2 cloves
• 1/2 of a medium yellow onion chopped
• 1/2 of a (3-4 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 tsp dried sage divided
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• black pepper to taste
• One bunch kale or about six oz pre-bagged
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper optional
• 12 oz box bowtie (farfalle) pasta
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
• Sea salt to taste

Instructions

• Start salted water boiling for pasta. Once it comes to a boil, cook your pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• While the pasta is cooking, peel and cube your squash. If you're not using pre-bagged kale, strip leaves off the tough stems and tear them into pieces. Chop your garlic and onion.
• Heat 1 Tbsp of the butter along with the olive oil in a large skillet for one minute over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for one minute.
• Stir in garlic, add the cubed squash, and sprinkle it with seasoned salt, 1/2 tsp sage, and black pepper.
• Cook squash over medium-high heat for 8-9 minutes, stirring and turning cubes over occasionally, until squash is browned and tender. Remove the cooked squash to a separate large bowl.
• Add kale to the same skillet and season it with crushed red pepper. Cook over medium-high heat for about four minutes, or until dark green and tender. Place the cooked kale in the bowl with the squash.
• Reduce heat to medium and add 2 Tbsp butter to the same skillet. Melt butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it turns a toasty brown. Stir in 1/2 tsp sage, then stir in the cooked squash and kale, tossing to coat.
• Add the cooked pasta and the Parmesan cheese to the pan, then toss gently to combine the pasta & veggies and melt the Parmesan. (Thin out bit by bit with reserved pasta water, if necessary/desired.)
• Taste pasta and season with a little sea salt, if desired. Serve topped with additional Parmesan.

Notes

If you're new to chopping up butternut squash, there are no seeds to scoop out in the "neck" end if you start with that side.

More recipes?

*** Find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!

Recipes in the real world

And don’t miss the free weekly ALDI meal plans that show you how to use these recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family!