Roasted Kale and Butternut Squash Pasta

This hearty, wintery pasta tossed with sweet chunks of roasted butternut squash and crunchy, salty roasted kale came about as a happy accident. It’s a dish I’ve made for many years, one that my family turns to when the cold weather rolls in.

Roasted Kale and Butternut Squash Pasta is a simple dish to make, with no sauce per se, just olive oil, lemon zest, and crumbled goat cheese. It’s easy, magical, and everything you want in a comforting bowl of pasta: sweet creamy butternut, pleasantly bitter roasted kale, and al dente pasta. Yum!

I remember making Roasted Kale and Butternut Squash Pasta in my old ground-floor kitchen in Brooklyn. That’s at least 12 years ago, perhaps longer. My husband and I were in our late twenties and early thirties, both working long hours. We relied on a handful of pantry staples to stock our kitchen.

In the winter, we always had butternut squash and lacinato kale. Both are sturdy vegetables that hold well for days, or even weeks, so we kept them around. We loved their rich, hearty flavors, perfect for New York’s cold, slush-filled nights.

Over the years, I’ve learned that short pastas, like penne, rigatoni, or chiocciole are best. You can stab a couple with your fork and have room for kale and butternut in the same go. Lemon zest adds a bright note. So does a sprinkling of mild goat cheese as a finishing touch.

Beyond that, you don’t need anything else—there isn’t a single side dish I can think of that would make it better. It’s perfect and complete just as it is.

Tips for Dinner in Under One Hour

The genius of this recipe is that it’s relatively hands-off: The vegetables roast while the pasta water boils. While that’s happening, read a book, help the kids with homework, or just kick back and enjoy a glass of wine.

Before you go, two tips to get Roasted Kale and Butternut Squash Pasta ready for dinner in under one hour:

• Destemming the kale can take a while. But there is a trick to make it easier! I used to cut the ribs (the tough stem that runs down the middle of the leaf) out with the tip of a knife. My husband, the family prep cook, showed me a much quicker way: Hold onto the thick end of the rib with one hand and run your other hand along the rib to remove tender leaves, in a zipper-like motion. Thin leaves are easy to remove. Thicker ones may require two or three tries.
• Purchase pre-cut butternut, often available in plastic tubs in the produce aisle. The squash is usually cut into large pieces, so you may need to cut them in half or quarters.
• If peeling and chopping the squash yourself, check out this handy guide for step-by-step instructions on how to prep butternut squash. 

Try These Swaps and Variations

While the combination of butternut squash and kale is wonderful, there are a variety of equally delicious options:

• Roasted sweet potato would work well here, as would slices of delicata squash. Even a mix of squash and roast apples would work—you’ll just want to offset the apples’ sweetness with extra cheese.
• For an extra layer of flavor, add roast diced red onions.
• Scatter roasted pine nuts on the pasta.
• I’ve always used lacinato kale, the kind with smooth, bumpy leaves sometimes called dino kale, but curly kale would also work.
• I often make this dish with a generous dusting of freshly grated parmesan, instead of the goat cheese. It’s flavor fades into the dish a bit more subtly, but it still adds a nice savory nuttiness.

Have Extra Vegetables?

Roasted Kale and Butternut Squash Pasta calls for a small squash (under 2 pounds). If you have a larger squash, cut and roast the whole thing. Leftovers are fantastic as a simple side dish, turned into a hash and served with eggs, or simply thrown into a salad.

Buy extra kale too! Make a raw kale salad dotted with roasted squash the next day. Goat cheese or parmesan would be great too.

Storage Instructions

Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to five days. If you reheat the pasta in the microwave, the kale (if your bowl is large enough and the kale has breathing room) will re-crisp. Don’t be surprised if you hear it spitting and sizzling a little bit.

If you heat the goat cheese, it will melt and its flavor will change. So, if you know you’re going to be storing the pasta, it’s best to store the goat cheese separately.

Cold Weather Pastas We Love

• Pasta de Fagioli
• Easy Pasta with Winter Greens
• Pasta with Spinach, Artichokes and Ricotta
• Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Kale
• Pasta with Butternut Squash Parmesan Sauce