Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake

This Cheesy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake is a holiday must make! It is loaded with a dairy-free cheese sauce that is scrumptious! The butternut squash adds a touch of fall. And the bread crumb topping adds the perfect crunch. This is the perfect vegan casserole to take to a holiday get-together!

Step One: Cook the Squash & Pasta

For this recipe, I bought my butternut squash pre-cut. But, if you can’t find it pre-cut, you can peel and de-seed a whole squash. Just be sure to cut the pieces into uniform squares.

To cook the squash, melt some vegan butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, garlic and a pinch of salt & pepper. Cook down for 2-3 minutes. Add some broth and bring it to a boil. Pour in the squash, cover and lower the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes – it should be super tender.

While the squash is cooking, you can also boil the pasta. When it comes to the pasta you can use whatever you have on hand as long as it’s short – rigatoni, macaroni or small shells.

Step Two: Make the Sauce & Assemble

Once the squash is tender, we’re going to add our other ingredients to it to make the “cheese” sauce. For that you will need dairy-free Boursin (or vegan cream cheese), vegan mayo, vegan yogurt & vegan mozzarella. Add it all to the broth/squash and mix until creamy.

I decided to make this sauce even more exciting by adding a can of green chiles and some additional spices. This step isn’t necessary, but so good. And don’t worry, as long as the chiles are mild, they won’t add any spice.

Pour the pasta into the sauce and mix until combined. Transfer the whole thing to a greased baking dish and top it off with bread crumbs – a mix of bread crumbs, vegan parmesan & dry seasonings. Cover and place in the oven.

Step Three: Serve

By the time this casserole comes out of the oven your house is going to smell heavenly! Cheesy, garlicky, deliciousness!

I like to let the casserole sit for 5-10 minutes so that everything has a chance to set. And then grab a serving spoon and dig in.

This pasta bake is everything you could want in a vegan holiday side dish – and your non-vegan family & friends won’t even know there’s no cheese in it!

Tips & Tricks

If you can’t find the dairy-free Boursin my next choice would be Kite Hill chive cream cheese.

The chiles are optional but add a great flavor. If you get a mild version they won’t add any spice.

Be sure not to overcook the pasta since it will finish cooking in the oven.

I bought my squash pre-cut, but you can also peel and de-seed a whole one. Be sure to cut the pieces in uniform squares so they cook evenly.

To freeze: Prepare the casserole up until the baking step. Allow it to cool completely before covering and placing in the freezer. To reheat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 60-ish minutes. Remove the cover and turn the oven to broil for a few minutes to get the top nice and crusty.