This Healthy Kale Squash Mushroom Pasta recipe is the perfect pasta dish! A quick and simple pasta recipe packed with flavor, colors and healthy veggies like kale, squash, and mushrooms – all tossed in a light cream sauce that gives this quick pasta that luxurious feel of a creamy Alfredo sauce minus the guilt!
Pasta, pasta, pasta is the one thing everyone relates to. I feel every person has a special connection with at least one type or flavor of pasta, kids included. And I think it’s because pasta has a lot to offer: It’s comfort food, it can be made differently every day and feel like a brand new dish. It’s fast and easy to prepare and can be as light or as creamy as you like.
Why this recipe works:
This gorgeous Healthy Kale Squash Mushroom Pasta is the perfect quick and easy vegetarian meal. Butternut squash ribbons roasted till perfection, sautéed mushrooms and kale seasoned with garlic and oregano, all tossed with a little cream, parmesan cheese and al dente fettuccine pasta. Vegetarian Pasta does not get better than this!
I made this easy recipe with my cooking class and everyone devoured this healthy yet satisfying and comforting pasta dish, and not a fork full remained!
How to make this Healthy Kale Squash Mushroom Pasta:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the butternut squash and keep peeling the flesh to make the ribbons. Don’t worry if they’re not all the same size.
Spread the butternut squash ribbons on a parchment lined baking sheet and season them with a pinch of salt and drizzle the olive. Roast them for about 10 minutes, they shouldn’t be too soft as they will cook a bit more in the sauce.
In the meantime, start cooking your pasta according to the box directions.
Preheat a cast iron or a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the butter. Add the mushroom, kale and garlic when the butter melts and season with a pinch of salt and oregano. Sauté the mixture for 2 minutes until the veggies soften up a little.
At this point, add in the cream and lower the heat to medium-low. Season the cream mixture with salt and pepper
Once the pasta is done, drain and reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water on the side to thin out the sauce to your desired consistency. Check on the squash and when it’s ready, add it to the cream mixture.
Toss the pasta into the creamy veggie mixture and thin out the sauce with some of the reserved pasta water to the thickness you like.
Add the parmesan cheese and the red pepper flakes. Give the Healthy Kale Squash Mushroom Pasta a final toss and serve. Enjoy!
It is really that good—every pasta lover should make Healthy Kale Squash Mushroom Pasta!
Tips for success:
- Adding a bit of pasta water to the skillet when tossing helps to thicken the sauce.
- Feel free to use Hokkaido or Kabocha squash instead of butternut.
- Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package but start checking it for doneness 2 minutes earlier for that al dente bite!
Healthy Kale Squash Mushroom Pasta
This Healthy Kale Squash Mushroom Pasta recipe is the perfect pasta dish! A quick and simple pasta recipe packed with flavor, colours and healthy veggies like kale, squash and mushrooms - all tossed in a light cream sauce that gives this quick pasta that luxurious feel of a creamy Alfredo sauce minus the guilt!
Ingredients
- 1 box fettucine pasta
- 1/2 large butternut squash , peeled
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter , unsalted
- 1 cup washed fresh kale
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 teaspoon salt , divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper , divided
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the squash and keep peeling the flesh to make the ribbons. Don’t worry if they’re not all the same size.
-
Spread the squash ribbons on a parchment lined baking sheet and season them with a pinch of salt and drizzle the olive. Roast them for about 10 minutes, they shouldn’t be too soft as they will cook a bit more in the sauce.
-
In the meantime, start cooking your pasta according to the box directions.
-
Preheat a cast iron or a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the butter.
-
Add the mushroom, kale and garlic when the butter melts and season with a pinch of salt and oregano. Sauté the mixture for 2 minutes until the veggies soften up a little.
-
At that point add in the cream and lower the heat to medium-low. Season the cream mixture with salt and pepper.
-
Once the pasta is done, drain and reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water on the side to thin out the sauce to your desired consistency.
-
Check on the squash and when it’s ready, add it to the cream mixture.
-
Toss the pasta into the creamy veggie mixture and thin out the sauce with some of the reserved pasta water to the thickness you like.
-
Add the parmesan cheese and the red pepper flakes pinch (if you’re using it). Give the pasta a final toss and serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Adding a bit of pasta water to the skillet when tossing helps to thicken the sauce.
- Feel free to use Hokkaido or Kabocha squash instead of butternut.
- Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package but start checking it for doneness 2 minutes earlier for that al dente bite
This sounds so healthy, hearty and wholesome. The perfect way to start the new year. My kids would enjoy this too. They love mushroom and pasta. Saving this for later.
Totally!!
I love mushroom pasta, i mean who doesn’t! Adding kale and squash is simply brilliant! I love the way you cut the squash to match the pasta texture. Brilliant!
Thank Jyothi! Hope you make it
I love the sound of this vegetarian meal. Where I live we do not have kale (Island in the South Pacific). I wonder if we can use the greens we have here and it come out well. Hmmmmm.
Jeannette you can totally use ay greens here!
Ohh I love pasta and my husband loves mushrooms so this is perfect for us! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Liz, enjoy!
This looks like delicious pasta, I love those butternut squash ribbons great balance with kale. Yum. I can eat everyday.
thanks
Everything I LOVE about Fall all in one dish, YES PLEASE!!! I love that you did the squash in ribbons too, rather than the usual chunky dice, I am going to try that next time I make it.
Hop you enjoy this Melissa!!
Sounds like a really wonderful fall meal…I love the kale and butternut squash together. This is my kind of pasta dish 😀
Mine too Tammy!!
Oh my word. I love kale, squash, and mushrooms and this sounds so incredible. Perfect weekend brunch for us. Saving this for later. Can’t wait to try it.
It’s pasta perfection for us too!!
Oh how I love all the colors in this pasta. My kids would gobble up easily this pasta. YUMMM
hahaha thanks Jo!! Mine too!!
Yum! I’m ready for all of the delicious fall dishes like this. I love the squash in this because it’s sweetness pairs perfectly with the slightly bitter greens. Awesome dinner idea!
Absolutely Jenni! thank you
this is a very healthy dish I bet even my kids will love to try . I love how its bursting with colors!
Thanks Claudia, I love the colors too!
Thanks Meghan–hopefully you’ll make it again with the right proportions and love it even more!! 🙂
We made it and *loved* it! So simple and was ready before the kids were done with bath time.
Can’t wait to try the cauliflower pear soup recipe you just posted … 🙂
Great that you made this Amna! I am so happy you enjoyed it:) Hope the kids ate some!
Delicious to the bones! Loved it
Thanks Momo!! So happy you liked it:)
Bookmarking for Sunday night’s dinner – what a fun way to get more veggies in!
Thanks Amna, enjoy!!:)