Baked Butternut Squash, Kale, and Mushroom Pasta

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If you’ve been looking for another veggie packed pasta dish to add to your recipe box, then let me suggest my Baked Butternut Squash, Kale, and Mushroom Pasta. This pasta dish is super versatile in that like most of my dishes, you can substitute or omit veggies based on what’s in season or your what your preferences are. I personally love the pairing of Butternut Squash, Kale, and Mushrooms. It’s truly the perfect fall or winter dish.

This dish reminds me of a creamy Vegetable Lasagna that I use to love as a child. For the pasta I used malfalda pasta, but feel free to use any other type of hearty pasta, if that’s not easily available to you.

For this dish I’ve made a garlicky béchamel sauce that I’ve added in some gruyere cheese and parmesan cheese. And let me tell you, it’s dreamy. After I combine all of that together, I throw it into my baking dish and bake it for a bit. It’s not a must. You could easily just stop once it’s mixed all together and serve that dreaminess into your bowl. Just thought I’d put that out there, because I’ve done that as well. Hahaha! But honestly I think baking it adds a slightly crispy and cheesy top, which I like. Additionally, you could sprinkle some breadcrumbs on the top with a drizzle of olive oil for an extra crispy top. It’s totally up to you. 🙂

As for the baking dish, I recommend using a 3.25 quart or 12 x 9 baking dish or something comparable. I used my Staub Cast Iron 12 x 8 oven dish. Whether you’re roasting some vegetables to baking a pasta dish, it’s truly wonderful. Staub builds on their tradition of their enameled cast iron cookware. The black matte enamel inside and cooking surface creates an advantage for better browning, braising, and roasting. It’s also safe for use on all types of heat sources, including gas, electric, and induction, and oven safe up to 500F. It’s chip resistant, requires not seasoning and is dishwasher safe!

Now for the pasta!

Here’s a few ways to freestyle this recipe:

• use spinach or sautéed swiss chard instead of kale
• use other types of sharp cheese instead of gruyere
• use a combination of fresh peas, asparagus or broccolini, and lemon zest in the spring
• use a combination of corn, spinach, and shredded carrots in the summer
• use a combination of corn, zucchini, and tomatoes in the summer
• use another hearty pasta noodle instead of malfalda pasta

Here are some other additions and ideas to consider:

• add in fresh herbs such as sage, oregano, thyme, or parsley
• add in some cooked veggie sausage
• add in some caramelized onions
• stir in some sun-dried tomatoes
• sprinkle some breadcrumbs on the top with a drizzle of olive oil for an extra crispy top

Are there ways to veganize this recipe???

Yes! To make vegan, use vegan butter, non-dairy milk, and vegan parmesan cheese or even consider stirring in a tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast.

Looking for other great entree ideas? Give these delicious recipes a try! 

• Baked Ravioli with Spinach and Mushrooms
• Vegetarian Zuppa Toscana
• Creamy Tomato Campanelle Pasta
• Creamy Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Ravioli

Join me on my social channels and please don’t forget to take pictures and tag me #supperwithmichelle and @supperwithmichelle, if you make any of my recipes! I absolutely love to see all of your creations. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, YouTube, or Pinterest! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you have any fun substitutions or additions, let me know how it worked out below too!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope that you love my Baked Butternut Squash, Kale, and Mushroom Pasta. The full printable recipe is below. Enjoy!

Get the Recipe: Baked Butternut Squash, Kale, and Mushroom Pasta

Yield: 5 servings

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

If you've been looking for another veggie packed pasta dish to add to your recipe box, then let me suggest my Baked Butternut Squash, Kale, and Mushroom Pasta.

5 from 6 reviews

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Ingredients

• 3 cups butternut squash, diced into small bite size pieces (about ¾ inch size)
• 8 ounces cremini mushroom, quartered
• a good drizzle olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 9 ounces pasta, I used Malfalda, (other substitutes would be campanelle, ziti, rigatoni, penne)
• 4 cups kale, thinly sliced (I used curly kale)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• a pinch red chili flakes
• 3 tablespoons unbleached flour
• 2 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 3 to 4 ounces gruyere cheese, grated (reserve 1 ounce to put on top)
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated (plus a little more to add to the top)

Equipment

• 3.25 quart or 12 x 9 baking dish or something comparable.
• Large Skillet with high sides for combining the ingredients together
• colander
• Chef's Knife
• Cutting Board

Instructions

Prepare the Butternut Squash and Mushrooms:

• Arrange a rack on the top-third of the oven and pre-heat to 400 degrees.
• Gather you baking dish. Add in the butternut squash and mushrooms and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with the dried Italian herbs and season with a little salt and pepper and mix well together. Transfer the baking dish to the top-third rack in the oven and roast just until slightly fork tender, about 20 minutes (halfway through, giving it a stir). These veggies will cook more once combined with the other ingredients. Remove the baking dish from the oven and set to the side, but leave the oven on.

Prepare the pasta and kale:

• Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook the pasta according to package, but just until almost done or al dente, because it will be cook more in the oven as well and we don't want to over cook it. Take a measuring cup and pull out 1 cup of pasta water and set it to the side. Place a colander in the sink and transfer the kale to the colander. Now drain the pasta directly over the kale. This will help to wilt the kale. Give it a stir and set it to the side.

Make the sauce:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat, add in the butter. Stir in the garlic and red chili flakes and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and stir until slightly golden, about 2 minutes.
• Now, stir in the milk, dijon mustard, garlic powder and continue to stir until the sauce begins to slowly thicken. This may take several minutes.
• Stir in the gruyere cheese and parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the cheese if fully melted.

Assemble the dish:

• Pour the pasta, kale, mushrooms, butternut squash, and pasta water into the sauce and stir until your mixture is fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer that mixture into the baking dish that you were using. Don't worry about cleaning it out before hand.
• Sprinkle the top with a little bit more of gruyere cheese and parmesan cheese. Transfer the baking dish to the top-third rack in the oven and bake until the squash is fork tender and the top is melted and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Serve in bowls or a plate and top with a little more parmesan cheese on top, if desired and enjoy!

Serving: 8ounces, Calories: 521kcal, Carbohydrates: 63g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 58mg, Sodium: 843mg, Potassium: 1030mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 14939IU, Vitamin C: 68mg, Calcium: 650mg, Iron: 3mg