On my morning walks, I pass by pumpkin patches sitting under the watchful eyes of scarecrows. The small local farms in our small town here in Southern Vermont attract families with young children, intent on picking out the perfect canvas for their seasonal Jack O’ Lantern.
With butternut squash currently in abundance, I wanted to see how it would turn out if I spiralized it and turned it into noodles. To my surprise, it turned out so good that I decided it should be on the blog.
I also thought that it would be a great vegetarian side dish with the holidays coming up, especially if you have vegetarian guests coming. Made with just a few ingredients, this Butternut Squash Noodles recipe is bursting with autumn flavors and ready in less than 20 minutes.
How To Make Squash Noodles
Before I get into the recipe, I want to cover how to turn butternut squash into “noodles”. There are basically two methods you can use: First, with a spiralizer, a kitchen tool that turns firm vegetables into ribbons or noodles. Second, using a julienne peeler.
How to Spiralize Butternut Squash
If you are new to spiralizing vegetables and in the market for a spiralizer, this is the one I own and recommend.
When choosing your butternut squash, look for one with a long and thick neck. The bottom part (where the seeds are), called the bulbous part, isn’t ideal for spiralizing. I reserve the bottom part for roasting later on.
To make spiralized squash noodles, peel the neck of the butternut squash and trim off the top.
Then, using the thickest noodle blade, process the butternut into noodles.
Since butternut squash is harder than other vegetables like zucchini and sweet potatoes, it is important to make sure that the squash is securely pressed onto the prongs before you start turning the wheel to turn it into noodles.
If preferred, trim the long squash noodles into shorter lengths so they are easier to cook and eat later on.
Watch how to spiralize butternut squash (a quick video)
How To Make Butternut Squash Noodles Without A Spiralizer
It is not as convenient as using a spiralizer, but you can still make this dish using two methods:
- Use a julienne peeler: A julienne peeler is a good tool, but to be honest, this will require a bit of an arm workout. Additionally, the “noodles” you get with a julienne peeler will be thinner than squash noodles made with a spiralizer. As a result, they will cook quicker.
- Buy it at the store: Lucky for us, nowadays most grocery stores spiralized vegetables. Available vegetables usually differ by season, but I can easily find butternut squash noodles in the fall. Most of the time, they are perfectly portioned for two servings.
How To Cook Butternut Squash Noodles
Below I break down how to cook butternut squash spirals using three different methods. No matter which method you choose, this butternut squash noodles recipe has two folds: cook the noodles and season them.
Sauteé on the Stove Top – How To Cook Spiralized Butternut Squash
The process of cooking this squash noodles on the stove top recipe has 2 folds.
First, you sauteé a small chopped onion and a few cloves of garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then add the squash noodles and sauté them gently for 7-10 minutes. I recommend using kitchen tongs, as they make it easier to turn them as they cook.
You will know that they are fully cooked when they are softer and smaller in volume.
Second, you add in the flavoring agents. I wanted to keep this recipe super simple, so I went with toasted walnuts, a touch of Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley to finish.
If you are making this for your holiday table, you can swap fresh parsley with fresh sage.
Boil Squash Noodles Like Pasta – How to Boil Squash Noodles
Alternatively, you can boil the butternut squash noodles (like spaghetti) in a pot of salted boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
Timing depends on the thickness of your noodles, but I recommend keeping a close eye on them, as they cook fairly quickly.
If you decide to go with the boiling method and want to use the flavoring agents I used in my squash noodles recipe here, I recommend cooking the onion in a little olive oil separately and adding the boiled squash noodles to the pot at the end.
This way, the noodles will be coated with the onions, which will provide a moist surface for parmesan cheese to stick to later when you sprinkle it on.
Roast Butternut Squash Noodles in The Oven
Another method to cook squash noodles is to roast them in the oven.
If you go this route, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, spread your spiralized butternut squash on the sheet pan, drizzle it with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. It should take no longer than 7 to 9 minutes for them to fully roast and soften.
How long to cook butternut squash noodles
The timing depends on the thickness of your noodles and the method you decide to use to cook them.
The thicker they are, the longer they take to cook. If you use a spiralizer like I did (or buy them already spiralized from the supermarket), they take 7-10 minutes to cook over medium-high heat on the stovetop. I recommend continually turning the noodles using tongs to make sure they cook evenly.
If you decide to cook them like spaghetti, they cook faster, 3-5 minutes for al dente. If you decide to boil them, keep a close eye on them as it can get mushy so quickly.
Other vegetable noodle recipes you might like
- Learn How to Cook Zucchini Noodles – A recipe with only 5 ingredients and ready in 15 minutes.
- Skinny Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles – Classic shrimp scampi recipe made with zoodles instead of pasta.
- Sweet Potato Noodle Pad Thai – Love Asian flavors? Well, this vegan and gluten-free pad thai recipe is out of this world. A reader favorite.
Other squash recipes you might like
- Butternut Squash Lentil Stew
- Stuffed Acorn Squash Vegan
- Acorn Squash Salad
- Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
- Butternut Squash and Bulgur Wheat Salad
- Ina Garten Butternut Squash Salad
- Delicata Squash Roasted
6-Ingredient Butternut Squash Noodles
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 6 cups spiralized Butternut Squash Noodles, from two 10-12 inch butternut squashes
- Salt*
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Add in the butternut squash noodles and cook for 7-10 minutes (timing depends on the thickness of your noodles). I recommend using kitchen tongs to gently turn them as they cook. You will know that they are cooked when they soften and get smaller in volume.
- Add in the walnuts and give it a large gentle stir.
- To Serve: Divide the cooked noodles into bowls and sprinkle each bowl with parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley, if preferred.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made once before and love it! Thank you. Making now and no onions, will red work?
Hello,
Yes, it would. Hope this helps.
This looks spectacular. Could you do this with sweet potatoes? If so would you cook the spiralized noodles for the same time.
Hi Lori,
You sure can. As a matter of fact, I have the perfect recipe for you: Sweet Potato Noodles 🙂
Hope this helps.