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A birds-eye view of the butternut squash pasta sauce with rotini noodles and crispy pancetta in a white bowl on a cutting board.
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Butternut Squash Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce

Add this luxurious, nutritious pasta sauce to your favorite noodles or spaghetti squash for the ultimate comfort dish. A delicious combination of sweet and salty. Pair it with high protein pasta noodles with a well-balanced dish or add some chicken and veggies on the side.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword hidden veggie pasta sauce, protein pasta sauce
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 servings
Calories 158kcal
Author Alex Evink, MS, RD

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash, or 2-3 cups of butternut squash cubes
  • 1 cup 2% milkfat cottage cheese or higher %
  • 1/2 cup pancetta, cubed
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 onion, diced small
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon ground or minced sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 14 ounces Barilla Protein Plus noodles (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush each half with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place both halves on baking sheet (face up), and bake for 45 minutes.
  • Prepare pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside in pan.
  • Heat a pan on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pancetta and diced onions. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes - then add the 3 cloves of minced garlic. Cook 3-5 more minutes - stirring occasionally, until the onions become translucent and the pancetta is nice and crispy.
  • Take the butternut squash out of the oven - it should be tender and easy to scoop out with a spoon. Scoop out about 2½ cups (you can just eyeball it) of butternut squash and add it to a blender with cottage cheese and chicken broth to a blender until smooth.
  • Pour the cottage cheese butternut squash puree into the pan with the pancetta and onions and turn the heat down to simmer. Add parmesan cheese, sage, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Fold the sauce into pasta or freeze for a later time! Add chicken broth or pasta water to thin it out, if needed. Top with more parmesan cheese. Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge for 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Pasta Sauce Per 6 servings: 158 calories, 8 grams of protein, 7.5 grams carbohydrates.
With the pasta, this recipe is about 450 calories, 27 grams of protein, and over 10 grams of fiber!

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal