Creamy Butternut Squash & Kale Cavatappi
with Toasted Panko & Parmesan
- Wheat
- Milk
Dreaming about a piping-hot, creamy, soul-warming pasta dish? Well, that dream is now a reality. This delicious dish stars curly cavatappi, tender kale, and caramelized cubes of roasted butternut squash tossed in a rich and savory cream sauce. It’s topped off with crisp, buttery panko topping for a dish that’s guaranteed to satisfy all your carby cravings. (We’re all about making dreams come true.)
Ingredients
8 ounce
Butternut Squash
1 unit
Shallot
1 clove
Garlic
4 ounce
Kale
6 ounce
Cavatappi Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Veggie Stock Concentrate
1.5 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
3 tablespoon
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
2 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
3 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. • Cut butternut squash into bite-size pieces if necessary. Halve, peel, and thinly slice shallot. Peel and mince or grate garlic. Remove and discard any large stems from kale; chop into bite-size pieces.
• Toss butternut squash on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack, tossing halfway through, until browned and tender, 20-25 minutes. • Meanwhile, melt 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) in a large pan over medium heat. Add panko, salt, and pepper. Toast, stirring, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Turn off heat; wipe out pan.
• Once water is boiling, add cavatappi and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (1½ cups for 4 servings), then drain.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in pan used for panko over medium-high heat. Add shallot and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes. • Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. • Reduce heat under pan to medium. Stir in kale and a splash of water; cook, stirring and adding more splashes of water as needed, until kale is tender and water has evaporated, 5-7 minutes.
• Add cream sauce, stock concentrate, and ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water (1⁄3 cup for 4 servings) to pan with kale. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 2-3 minutes. • Remove pan from heat; stir in sour cream, Parmesan, and 2 TBSP butter (3 TBSP for 4) until melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir drained cavatappi and squash into pan with sauce until thoroughly coated. TIP: If sauce is too thick, add more pasta cooking water and a drizzle of olive oil. • Divide pasta between plates and top with toasted panko. Serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Sep 2026- Flavor: The cream sauce, roasted butternut squash, and toasted panko create a rich, comforting dish that many compare to a grown-up mac and cheese 🍲. Some found the sauce a touch bland; adding extra garlic, a pinch of red chili flakes, or fresh herbs like sage boosted the flavor nicely.
- Ease of prep: The recipe uses multiple pans and requires some timing, but most found it manageable; cooking the pasta first, then the breadcrumbs, then the sauce helps streamline the process.
- Suggestions: Use spinach instead of kale if you prefer a more tender green, and cook kale longer with extra water to fully soften it. Add more butternut squash than provided — several reviewers felt the ratio was off and wanted more squash relative to pasta.
- Leftovers: This dish reheats well and makes great lunchbox leftovers, though a splash of water or extra sauce helps revive the creaminess.
Reviews from our home cooks
The Cavatappi I never would have chosen, since I'm not a fan of kale, but it turned out to be delicious, and the kale was just the right green for the mix. The toasted panko was an excellent condiment. The cream sauce was very rich and it coated the noodles luxuriously.
My favorite vegetarian meal. Creamy pasta with sweet bits of butternut squash. The kale brings a crunchy texture and the al dente pasta makes it hearty. Super easy to make and fast one pot meal. Easily feeds 3 people. Fresh ingredients that will make you forget to say "where's the beef".
I had a butternut squash craving and this pasta recipe hit the spot! I added diced onions and garlic to bulk it out and add more veggies, and I am always happy with how good this recipe consistently is. I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone and everyone!
Wow! This pasta is amazing. The sweetness of the butternut squash in the pasta is so wonderfully delicious. The kale adds a richness to the texture, too.
So tasty!!! And love that the rest of the cooking finished when the butternut squash did! Feeling like a pro again 😊
This is one of my favorite fall meals. So easy to make and good flavors. Bring more Butternut Squash recipes!
I would not have thought to combine kale and butternut squash but what a delightful pairing. Very delicious.
This was good, but it needed more butternut squash to balance out the bitterness of the kale and funk of the cheese and sauce - we thought this recipe used to be even better.
Tasty, loved the kale and butternut squash. Overall it was good but seemed to be lacking some flavor in the sauce. Maybe some spices or more garlic?
Like this recipe. Unfortunately the butternut squash was very old and the cavatappi was missing. I substituted some box tie pasta I had in my kitchen. Like the toasted panko on top.
