Indulge in a plate of my nourishing and cozy high protein sage & butternut squash pasta. This delicious meal is creamy, delicious, and packed in fiber! This dish uses a higher protein chickpea pasta, ground chicken and blended cottage cheese which is seamlessly integrated into the velvety butternut squash to provide an extra boost of protein without sacrificing taste and texture. Did I mention that it is meal prep friendly as well?
While you can enjoy this dish year-round, the fragrant sage in combination with the sweet notes of the roasted butternut squash make this the perfect dish to enjoy in the fall. It is so cozy and the perfect lunch or dinner on a cool, crisp day.
This dish was inspired by my sheet pan pecan crusted chicken with fall harvest vegetables.
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Ingredients
- Ground Chicken
- Butternut Squash, Peeled and Cubed
- Penne Pasta (I used Banza)
- Avocado Oil, Divided
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Fresh Sage Leaves, Finely Chopped
- Cottage Cheese
- Romano Cheese
- Fresh Garlic Cloves, Minced
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F and set your rack to the middle position.
- Add your peeled and cubed butternut squash to a baking sheet, drizzle with avocado oil and add in ¾ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of onion power. Toss until the seasonings are evenly distributed. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until your butternut squash is fork tender.
- While your butternut squash is baking, add your ground chicken and add ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and ½ teaspoon of onion power to a large non-stick pan on medium high heat. Cook your ground chicken for 7-8 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
- While your ground chicken is cooking, in a separate medium pot, cook your pasta according to instructions on the packaging. Once your pasta is cooked thorough, save about 1 cup of pasta water, drain the remaining water and set aside.
- Remove your ground chicken from the pan and set aside. Add avocado oil to the same pan you cooked your ground chicken in on low heat, add in your freshly chopped sage and freshly minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute minutes until the sage and garlic become fragrant. Add in about half of your roasted butternut squash, the container of cottage cheese and your pasta water.
- Using your immersion blender, blend until everything in the pot is completely smooth and creamy. Then add in your ground chicken, butternut squash and pasta. Toss until everything is well combined. Garnish with finely chopped fresh sage and romano cheese. Serve immediately or store for later.
Hint: lf you do not have an immersion blender, add your roasted butternut squash, cottage cheese and pasta water to a food processor for 30 seconds to a minute and then add into the pan with your fragrant sage and garlic.
Substitutions
If you are interested in making this high protein sage and butternut squash pasta but you have dietary restrictions, you can make the following substitutions:
- Vegetarian– Skip the chicken to make this recipe vegetarian.
- Romano Cheese- substitute romano cheese for parmesan or skip it all together.
Because I used Banza Pasta for this recipe, this recipe is already gluten-free.
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish
- Toddler Friendly - Use slightly less salt while cooking to make this recipe toddler friendly!
This recipe is already kid-friendly!
Equipment
All you need to make this high protein sage and butternut squash pasta is a 12x17 "Half" sheet pan.
I also used an immersion blender. The one I have is cheap and it works great for what I use it for! If you don't have an immersion blender, you can also use a food processor!
If you are meal prepping this dish, these are some of my favorite glass bento box containers.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through qualifying links.
Storage
You can store this high protein sage and butternut squash pasta in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Top tip
If your pasta is ready before the rest of the meal is, spray your drained pasta with avocado oil to prevent sticking!
FAQ
Yes, you can choose a gluten-free pasta such as Banza to make this recipe gluten-free.
This recipe is not vegetarian but if you can skip the chicken to make this recipe vegetarian.
Yes! This recipe is meal prep friendly and absolutely delicious!
Meal Prep Friendly
Looking for other meal prep friendly recipes like this? Try these:
Gluten-Free
Looking for other gluten-free recipes like this? Try these:
Jump to: Recipe
High Protein Sage and Butternut Squash Pasta
Equipment
- 1 12 x17 Half Baking Sheet pan
- 1 Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Chicken
- 1 Large Butternut Squash Peeled and Cubed
- 8 Ounces Penne Pasta Banza
- 2 tablespoons Avocado Oil Divided
- 1 & ¼ teaspoon Salt Divided
- 1 teaspoon Pepper Divided
- 1 & ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder Divided
- 1 & ½ teaspoon Onion Powder Divided
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Sage Leaves Finely Chopped
- 16 Ounces Low Fat Cottage Cheese
- 4 tablespoons Romano Cheese Garnish
- 3 Large Fresh Garlic Cloves Minced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F and set your rack to the middle position.
- Add your peeled and cubed butternut squash to a baking sheet, drizzle with avocado oil and add in ¾ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of onion power. Toss until the seasonings are evenly distributed. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until your butternut squash is fork tender.
- While your butternut squash is baking, add your ground chicken and add ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and ½ teaspoon of onion power to a large non-stick pan on medium high heat. Cook your ground chicken for 7-8 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
- While your ground chicken is cooking, in a separate medium pot, cook your pasta according to instructions on the packaging. Once your pasta is cooked thorough, save about 1 cup of pasta water, drain the remaining water and set aside.
- Remove your ground chicken from the pan and set aside. Add avocado oil to the same pan you cooked your ground chicken in on low heat, add in your freshly chopped sage and freshly minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute minutes until the sage and garlic become fragrant. Add in about half of your roasted butternut squash, the container of cottage cheese and your pasta water.
- Using your immersion blender, blend until everything in the pot is completely smooth and creamy. Then add in your ground chicken, butternut squash and pasta. Toss until everything is well combined. Garnish with finely chopped fresh sage and romano cheese. Serve immediately or store for later.
- Hint: lf you do not have an immersion blender, add your roasted butternut squash, cottage cheese and pasta water to a food processor for 30 seconds to a minute and then add into the pan with your fragrant sage and garlic.
Video
Notes
Substitutions
If you are interested in making this high protein sage and butternut squash pasta but you have dietary restrictions, you can make the following substitutions:
- Vegetarian– Skip the chicken to make this recipe vegetarian.
- Romano Cheese- substitute romano cheese for parmesan.
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish
- Toddler Friendly - Use slightly less salt while cooking to make this recipe toddler friendly!
Equipment
All you need to make this high protein sage and butternut squash pasta is a 12x17 "Half" sheet pan. I also used an immersion blender. The one I have is cheap and it works great for what I use it for! If you don't have an immersion blender, you can also use a food processor! If you are meal prepping this dish, these are some of my favorite glass bento box containers. Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through qualifying links.Storage
You can store this high protein sage and butternut squash pasta in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Top tip
If your pasta is ready before the rest of the meal is, spray your drained pasta with avocado oil to prevent sticking!
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Tony says
This reminds me of a snap kitchen meal I used to buy. I love the added cottage cheese for the extra protein! Such a good idea