Fettuccine and Meatballs with Butternut Squash Sauce

Okay, pause what you’re doing. Did you know that you can make a super creamy, luxurious, smooth, velvety sauce that consists 95 percent of pureed butternut squash? This sauce is smoother and creamier than any cheese sauce I’ve seen, and it’s literally butternut squash with just half a cup of mascarpone cheese and half a cup of parmesan stirred in for some extra flavor/creaminess.

The combo of the slightly sweet sauce + the bold, flavorful meatballs + the tender, delicious pasta = dreamsssssss.

I’m loving the fally-ness of this right now, people. Butternut squash is about as fall as a vegetable can get, and when you roast it and bring out some of that sweetness, caramelizing the flesh a little bit? Oh yeah. I can get down with that FOR SURE.

Let’s talk process here.

The first thing you want to do is get your butternut squash roasting since that takes a bit. You’ll slice it in half, scoop out the seeds, rub the cut side with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast it in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until the flesh is very tender when pierced with a fork or knife.

Meanwhile, you’re going to throw together the stuff for your meatballs, which are pretty dang easy. Just a combo of sausage, ground pork, panko, eggs, and salt. Mix that together, form your meatballs, and brown them in a large skillet (a cast iron is great for this). You’re going to finish those babies off in the oven when your squash comes out.

To make the sauce, all you do is puree the butternut squash super well in a food processor until it’s nice and smooth, and you’ll add that to the same pan that your meatballs browned in + your mascarpone and parmesan. Stir in some pasta water to thin things out a bit, and you’re just about ready!

To serve, throw your pasta in with that creamy, dreamy sauce, add more pasta water until the sauce coats the noodles perfectly, and top with your meatballs! There ya go – #falldinnergoals.

👋 Hey there, meatball. Speaking of meatballs, this recipe makes a TON. Enough for each 1 cup serving of pasta to have about 5 meatballs. Why? Because I love meatballs. They are just yummy. BUT, if you want to make less meatballs, half that portion of the recipe.

You can also make the full batch and then save some in the freezer for another meal. Or you can eat them all like I did because meatballs are LYFE.

Totes up to you.

Slight change of subject: you know what I’m ready for? This week to be over. Seth has been working a detail at work that makes him leave the house at 6:45 am and not get home until like 9:45 pm. Whyyyyyy. I’m 33 weeks pregnant, pretty sure my son is teething (or maybe he’s just getting sick of me and wants dad), and I am REALLY needing a two parent household right now.

And Seth is hard on the job search right now, so when he gets home, he usually does some stuff for that for about half an hour. Y’all. I’M TOO PREGNANT FOR THIS RIGHT NOW. Send haaalllp.

The detail ends on Sunday…pray for my thinning sanity to hold out until then.

^^^ This helps.

Fettuccine and Meatballs with Butternut Squash Sauce

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Annie Chesson
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the butternut squash sauce

• 1 butternut squash, sliced in half, seeds scooped out
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

For the meatballs:

• 1 pound ground sausage (pork or Italian will both work)
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Extras

• 1 pound fettuccine pasta
• Basil and extra cheese (optional garnishes)

Instructions

For the pasta

1. Get a pot of salted water (it should taste like the ocean) boiling
2. When boiling, add your fettuccine noodles and cook according to box instructions. ***Reserve at least 1 1/2 cups of your pasta water before draining the noodles!!!***
3. Drain pasta in a colander and set aside until ready to add to your sauce

For the butternut squash sauce

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. Prep your squash, drizzle it with olive oil, and season it with salt and pepper. Lay it cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until the cut side is very tender when pierced with a fork
3. After cooling for a little bit, scoop the flesh out of your butternut squash halves and puree in a food processor until very smooth
4. Add the puree to the same pan you browned your meatballs in (meatball instructions below) and stir in your mascarpone and parmesan cheese. Stir and cook until everything is melted together and smooth. Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of your reserved pasta water to the sauce

For the meatballs

1. Mix all your meatball ingredients together in a bowl and roll into approximately 2 tablespoon sized balls
2. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet next to your stove in preparation to brown in batches
3. In a large skillet (a cast iron works great), heat some olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Brown your meatballs in batches (mine were done in 2 batches, but it’ll depend on the size of your pan), and place them back onto the baking sheet as they finish
4. When your butternut squash comes out of the oven, place your meatballs in the oven to finish cooking for about 13-15 minutes, or until the centers are cooked through

To assemble

1. Add the pasta to your sauce + another 1/2 cup of pasta water and stir until all the noodles are coated. Add more pasta water if you need to thin it out even more
2. Serve and top with meatballs!

Notes

This recipe makes a lot of meatballs – enough for each 1 cup serving of pasta to have about 5! If that’s more than you want, feel free to half the meatball portion of this recipe.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup pasta + 5 meatballs
• Calories: 684
• Sugar: 4 g
• Sodium: 1416 mg
• Fat: 36 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 52 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 41 g
• Cholesterol: 195 mg

If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!

In the mood for more yummy butternut squash recipes? Check these out:

The Easiest Roasted Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Butternut Squash Soup with Curry Roasted Chickpeas