This Freezer-Friendly Squash Pasta Bake Is All Flavor! [Recipe]

This freezer-friendly squash pasta bake is a fan-favorite at home! Not only does it taste homey and delicious, but it is also super healthy, making it suitable for everyone. You can change some of the ingredients if you want to make this dish even healthier, and the recipe will not change much.

Freezer-Friendly Squash Pasta Bake That Is Healthy and Tasty

To bake this tasty squash pasta bake, you will need butternut squash chunks, pasta, butter, onions, garlic, sage, stock, crème Fraiche, spinach, mozzarella, and Parmesan.

If you need to substitute some of these, use sweet potato, chickpea pasta, olive oil, shallots, garlic powder, oregano, mushroom stock, coconut milk, arugula, and Italian cheese mix.

Before you start anything, make sure to roast your butternut squash. I like to do this for about 20-30, or minutes until it turns soft. Rotate the squash halfway through to avoid burning.

You can start cooking the pasta while your butternut squash is roasting. In the meantime, feel free to start cooking the rest of the ingredients, adding first the onions, then spices, then stock, crème Fraiche, cooked butternut squash, and finally, the spinach.

I suggest you don’t cook your pasta to al dente, because you are going to be baking it so it could turn too hard. Stir the pasta into the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Place everything into a baking dish and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake it for 15 minutes and serve.

Freezing and Unfreezing the Squash Pasta Bake

If you need to freeze your pasta, pour the ingredients into a tin-foil baking dish. Bake as indicated, cool down completely and put the whole dish in the freezer. Remove the frozen pasta bake and cover with tin foil. Label and date the dish, or transfer it to a freezer bag.

To prepare your frozen dish, unwrap it and place it in a baking dish, then bake for about one hour. Uncover it for the final minutes so it can turn golden. You can also defrost in the fridge overnight if you prefer.

Freezer-Friendly Squash Pasta Bake

Course: Main MealCuisine: Freezer-Friendly, Vegetarian

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Total time

55

minutes

A quick yet hearty meal, this Freezer-Friendly Pasta Bake is a dish that will surely satisfy your palate.

Prepare 4 for now and 4 for the freezer.

Ingredients

• 2 fresh butternut squash, peeled, sliced into 2.5cm chunks.

• 4 cups (500 g) pasta (suggestions: penne, shells or farfalle)

• 4 cups (approx. 1L) vegetable stock

• 4 cups (500 g) mozzarella, pulled into strips

• 1 3/4 cup (400 ml) pot creme fraiche

• 1 1/2 cup (200 g) spinach

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped finely

• 2 large knobs of butter

• 2 onions, chopped finely

• 2 handfuls of grated parmesan cheese

• a bunch of sage, leaves picked, chopped roughly

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 428 F (220 C).
• Place squash in a roasting pan and roast them until tender. About 20-30 minutes. Make sure to stir half-way through.
• Reduce heat to 392 F (200 C).
• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• While pasta is cooking, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
• Cook the onions while stirring regularly for about 10 minutes until they’re soft and golden.
• Add in the garlic and sage. Stir continuously for about 20 seconds until the aroma is released.
• Add in the vegetable stock, creme fraiche, butternut squash, spinach, and any juices left from roasting.
• Stir and let it thicken.
• Stir the cooked pasta into the saucepan.
• Add salt and pepper, then stir.
• Pour half into a baking dish. Top with parmesan and mozzarella.
• Bake in oven until golden, about 15 minutes.
• Serve and enjoy!

Looking to try another tasty freezer-friendly recipe? Check out these Freezer-Friendly Spicy Indian Beans!