Squash linguine

Name: Squash linguine
Prep time: 11 min
Cook time: 21 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 350g Butternut Squash; 3 parts Garlic; 3 tbs Olive Oil; 350g Linguine Pasta; Small bunch Sage

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Vegetarian recipe with Italian flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 61 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Step-by-step instructions

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Put the squash and garlic on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil.
Roast for 35-40 mins until soft.
Season.
Cook the pasta according to pack instructions.
Drain, reserving the water.
Use a stick blender to whizz the squash with 400ml cooking water.
Heat some oil in a frying pan, fry the sage until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper.
Tip the pasta and sauce into the pan and warm through.
Scatter with sage.

Why this works on a weeknight

Squash linguine lands at about 32 minutes total — a little longer than our 30-minute target, but most of that time is hands-off simmering, which is why it earned a spot in our One-Pan Pasta collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Squash linguine actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🍝 One-Pan Pasta Vegetarian Italian Pasta Light