This is a comforting pasta dish that can be made in your Instant Pot! It’s a creamy Butternut Squash Pasta made with in-season veggies and coconut milk.
Pasta in the Instant Pot? I’m there! This is the same process as my Easy Instant Pot Pasta but with some really excellent new flavors added in to make an Instant Pot Butternut Squash Pasta. Maybe my favorite addition is coconut milk! It gives this pasta a really creamy, luxurious texture with a mild flavor, so you don’t even taste coconut in your pasta! Butternut squash adds a sweetness to this otherwise savory dish that just makes it feel complete. Are you hungry yet? I totally am!
Making Pasta in the Instant Pot
I find that a lot of people don’t know you can make pasta in your Instant Pot. You totally can! Game changer? For sure. The only trick to it is putting the tomato sauce on the top and center of the pasta and DO NOT STIR. If you stir it, the acidity in the tomatoes will set off the burn notification on the Instant Pot. Leave the sauce on the tippy top and you’re ready to go!
Kale & Butternut Squash Pasta
While the pasta cooks I like to prepare the kale for mixing in. So many people think they don’t like kale, but I really think the secret is in the prep! If you give your leaves a good, thorough massage it breaks down the bitterness that’s usually associated with kale. Squeeze fresh lemon juice and add a sprinkle of salt over clean, stemmed kale and massage it until it turns a bright green color and softens.
More Tasty Pasta Dishes
- Broccoli Pasta
- Classic Three Cheese Macaroni & Cheese
- Baked Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Fresh Tomato Basil Garlic Pasta
- Parmesan Chicken Baked Ziti
Food photography by Ashley Cuoco
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Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into ½ inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces dried short pasta (I used Jovial Gluten Free but any pasta will work)
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup water
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce (I used Rao’s)
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, de stemmed and roughly chopped
- ½ lemon
- ¼ – ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the Instant Pot on the sauté function. Add the oil, onion, squash, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Press cancel to turn off heat. Add the pasta and stir. Add the coconut milk and water and stir until well combined.
- Pour the marinara sauce on top of the pasta in the center but DO NOT STIR. Cover and lock lid, make sure the vent is on sealing and cook on high pressure for half the amount of time the pasta box says. (If the box says to cook for 12 minutes, then cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.) Once it’s done you can always add 1-2 more minutes if it’s not cooked to your liking.
- While the pasta cooks, prep the kale. Squeeze half a lemon over the kale and sprinkle a pinch of salt. Using clean hands, massage the kale for a minute until it turns bright green and begins to soften.
- Manually release the vent and open the lid. Stir in the kale. Add as much parmesan cheese as you like and serve!
Comments
Susan Reardon
This was so flavorful and delicious and EASY!! (Especially if you use pre-cubed butternut squash) This may be the best instant pot recipe I’ve tried.
★★★★★
Laney Schwartz
What a review!!! So glad you loved it
Allison
Can I use frozen butternut squash?
Laney Schwartz
I haven’t tested it but I think it would work
Amy
What could I substitute for coconut milk?
Laney Schwartz
You can use any dairy free milk!
Kelly Dietz
Vegan home cook here! This is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for creating this! This is definitely on weekly rotation at our house! Also a wonderful meal on vacation, to bring to a friend, or anytime…. Did I say this was AMAZING!!!
P.S. I leave out the cheese and it’s still AMAZING!!!
★★★★★
Kelly Dietz
Vegan home cook here! This is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for creating this! This is definitely on weekly rotation at our house! Also a wonderful meal on vacation, to bring to a friend, or anytime…. Did I say this was AMAZING!!!
★★★★★
Melissa
I don’t have an instant pot, but want to try this recipe. Wpuld I just sauté the veggies to soften, then add the coconut milk and Raos (my favorite tomato sauce too!!) and simmer everything together while the pasta cooks? And then once the pasta is done cooking mix it all together with the kale?? It looks delicious and hoping it turns out well without an instant pot!!
Life is but a Dish
Yes that should work!
Jen
I made this dish this evening. It was a big hit for my family. I loved that my kids actually ate the Kale and Butternut Squash. It was absolutely delish! Thank you Laney for this awesome recipe.
★★★★★
Cortney
Hoping to make this pasta for dinner this week. Can you tell me about how many cups of squash this would use. I only have a large one.
Life is but a Dish
You can use about half – 3/4 of it. I would say about 3-4 cups
Cortney
About how many cup of squash cubed would this be?
Life is but a Dish
About 3ish
Dustin
I LOVE trying out new recipes in my Instant Pot, and this looks so delicious, quick and easy! My family would love it
★★★★★
Life is but a Dish
I hope you love it!
Rachel
WOW WOW WOW this is a keeper. I don’t have an Instant Pot, but I used my Ninja Foodi Cooker and it worked perfectly! I also added some pancetta so I sautéed that first and then added the onions, squash, etc. YUM can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch today!
★★★★★
Life is but a Dish
Oh wow sounds amazing!! Thanks for the awesome review!