Butternut Squash Baked Ziti
You can’t control who becomes the next president, but you can decide what you’re having for dinner (make this!).
I knew that a butternut squash recipe would be debuting on The Foodletter because there's nothing that conveys all the fall feels more than brown butter, sage, and butternut squash. I just wasn’t quite sure what the recipe would be.
Soup? No, I already did that.
Salad? Nah, not in the mood (although this is my favorite fall salad).
Pasta? That feels more like it.
I dreamed of butternut squash lasagna, jumbo shells filled with some kind of cheese & squash concoction, and the classic ravioli option that we all know & love.
And then baked ziti entered the chat.
A classic baked ziti made with tomato sauce, a creamy element or two, and lots of cheese is so my jam. I’d never seen it done with butternut squash, but I have seen butternut squash mac and cheese done time and time again, so how hard could it be?
Turns out, it wasn’t that hard at all.
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How To Knock This Recipe Out Of The Park
This butternut squash baked ziti is pretty straightforward. But there are a few key benchmarks that will ensure you’re on track for success.
1- Buy an unprepped, real, not chunked/cubed butternut squash. Okay, fine, if you’re doing your grocery shopping at Costco, you can grab the pre-cubed 2 lb. package, but it molds FAST, and I swear the less prepped, the better ingredients taste (pre-washed greens neverrrr taste as good as the greens you cut and wash yourself—there I said it!). Plus, I’ll show you how to cook it in such a foolproof way that you’ll never want to cook it any other way.
2- Do all of your prep while the butternut squash roasts. That includes making the bechamel, cooking the pasta, and gathering the rest of your ingredients. Once the butternut squash comes out of the oven, all it needs is a few seconds in the food processor before getting incorporated with the bechamel and finally tossed with the ziti.
3- Don’t be afraid to really broil the cheese/top surface per the final instructions. No, we don’t want burnt butternut squash baked ziti, but really let your mozzarella bubble and develop a little color before pulling it out of the oven. Your taste buds will thank you.
1 medium butternut squash
1 medium yellow onion
2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
2 cloves garlic skin on
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup loosely packed sage leaves, minced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk, warmed
2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus more for garnish
1 lb. ziti pasta
16 oz. fresh mozzarella, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 450°F. Cut off the ends of the butternut squash, then cut entire squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Cut the medium yellow onion in half lengthwise, leaving a layer of skin on the outside. Drizzle inside surfaces of the squash and onions with roughly 1-2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place the oiled surfaces face down on a rimmed baking sheet, along with the two cloves of garlic, and roast for 40-45 minutes, until the squash is fork tender.
While the squash is roasting, make the bechamel. Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter begins to brown, add ¾ of the sage (saving some for garnish) and continue cooking until the melted butter develops a deep brown color (use a spatula to gently scrape the bottom of the pan during this process—do not allow the butter to burn!).
Whisk in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the browned butter/sage mixture, and cook for about 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium-low and gradually whisk in warmed milk. Simmer for 6-8 minutes, until the mixture is the consistency of gravy. Remove from heat and whisk in the Parmigiano Reggiano. Taste and add more salt if needed. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt with kosher salt and cook pasta on high for roughly 8-9 minutes or until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and strain the pasta. Drizzle pasta with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil to keep ziti from sticking together and set aside.
Once the squash is done roasting, remove from oven and lower oven temperature to 350°F. Allow vegetables to cool slightly, then peel away the skin of the squash, onion, and garlic cloves. Place vegetables in a food processor and puree until completely smooth. Add ½ cup of reserved pasta water and puree again.
In a large bowl, gently combine the pureed butternut squash and the bechamel. Taste and add more salt if needed, and add remaining pasta water if the mixture isn’t pourable. Add pasta and gently toss to combine. Add ¾ of the fresh mozzarella (reserving some for garnish) to the pasta mixture and toss again to combine.
Pour the pasta into a 9x13-inch (or similar) baking dish, sprinkle remaining mozzarella and sage on top, garnish generously with finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melted. Turn the oven onto “broil” and broil for 4-5 minutes on the middle rack (or 1-2 minutes on the top rack), watching carefully. Serve immediately.
Make it ahead! Several components of this dish can be made ahead. The entire butternut squash, onion, and garlic mixture can be made ahead, just bake your final product for closer to 30-35 minutes rather than 20-25. The pasta can be cooked ahead of time, just be sure to save that cup of starchy pasta water and drizzle the pasta in a touch of extra virgin olive oil so the pasta doesn’t stick together! The bechamel should be made on the same day for best results.
If you have pre-cubed butternut squash on hand instead of the entire squash, simply drizzle the cubes in olive oil and salt and roast for approximately 20-30 minutes at 425° (the onions and garlic will turn out great for this temperature/time too).
Have any questions? Please leave them in the comments below!
I have an insanely delicious Thai coconut curry recipe (with meatballs!) headed your way soon. Help me decide on which recipe I should test out for later this month: