This baked ricotta and butternut squash pasta is an easy comfort food dinner, and a fun tomato-free version of the trending TikTok pasta. Vegetarian and gluten-free if using suitable pasta, and a low histamine recipe.
Love ricotta recipes? Check out my ricotta pesto pasta for a quick weeknight meal!
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🍝 TikTok pasta without tomatoes or feta
Now I'm not on TikTok,* but I couldn't help but see all the photos and videos of the famous TikTok pasta that went viral this year all over social media. As I can't eat tomatoes, you will find lots of tomato-free options here such as my brown butter zucchini pasta and ricotta pasta with a pistachio crumb topping.
But I wanted to try *the* pasta, so I did a few ingredient swaps and it turned out so good! Definitely will be on repeat in my house for a busy weeknight dinner.
*I am now on TikTok at @lowhistaminekitchen if you would like to follow along!
⭐ Why you'll love this recipe
- Comfort food. The combination of pasta with creamy ricotta and squash feels so cosy and indulgent.
- Super easy to make. It really is the easiest pasta, and lets the oven do the work.
- Enjoy during the fall and winter months. This recipe feels very 'fall' with the squash and herbs.
🥘 Ingredients
This easy to make pasta is a few ingredients dish, and the oven does most of the work. Perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. You will need:
- Ricotta cheese - swapped out for feta in the original TikTok recipe. A creamy, delicious fresh cheese.
- Butternut squash - swapped out to replace the tomatoes. Once baked for a while they can easily be 'squidged' with a fork or spoon as my six year old niece would say!
- Herbs - ideally I would have used fresh basil and added at the end of the cooking time, but I didn't have any. Dried herbs are great, and you can adjust quantities to the 'herby' flavour you prefer. I use thyme as it reputedly has antihistamine qualities.
- Olive oil - be slightly generous as it gives the dish flavour and also helps the cheese and squash form into a 'sauce' for the pasta. I use the Bertolli extra virgin olive oil.
- Salt - again, I would be slightly generous as it helps bring out the flavour of the cheese. I always use the Sherpa pink Himalayan salt or the Silk Route brand.
Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
🔪 Step by step instructions
The beauty of this baked ricotta recipe is that it is a one pan meal. Almost. You will need to cook the pasta separately, but that's as easy as can be. So this TikTok pasta without tomatoes recipe has three stages:
Step 1
Bake the ricotta and butternut squash in an ovenproof dish, along with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of herbs for flavour.
Step 2
Cook the pasta (of your choice) while the ricotta is baking.
Step 3
Combine the ricotta and pasta and give it a good stir. Then enjoy!
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Dice the butternut squash into approximately 2cm pieces, so they cook thoroughly.
- Use a fork to 'squash' all the ingredients together to form your sauce. Easier than a spoon!
- Add the pasta water slowly, until you get the consistency you prefer for the sauce.
- If you have fresh herbs, these would work well. Add slightly later in the cooking time.
🍝 More tasty pasta recipes
Find so many ideas on my pasta recipes page, including my popular vegan cauliflower alfredo and pesto ricotta pasta. Some recent recipes to try out:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram and Facebook to be the first to hear or new recipes! Please do leave a star rating ⭐ if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Baked Ricotta and Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 ricotta ball
- 1 small butternut squash cubed
- 4 oz pasta of choice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil (or if fresh, add after cooking)
- pinch black pepper optional
- pinch salt
For garnish
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- fresh herbs optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 390F.
- Add the butternut squash to an ovenproof pan, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with the thyme and basil. Nestle the ricotta in the middle of the pan, and drizzle with a little more oil and a grind of black pepper (if using). Bake for 35-40 minutes until the squash is thoroughly softened.
- While the ricotta is baking, prepare the pasta according to packet instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
- Remove the ricotta from the oven, and use a fork to stir the cheese and squash to combine into a thick sauce. Sprinkle with salt. Add the reserved pasta water a teaspoon at a time until you get the consistency of sauce you prefer. Tip in the pasta and stir to combine.
- Transfer to your bowls and sprinkle with fresh herbs, and some sesame seeds (if using). Enjoy!
Notes
- Dice the butternut squash into approximately 2cm pieces, so they cook thoroughly.
- Use a fork to 'squash' all the ingredients together to form your sauce. Easier than a spoon!
- Add the pasta water slowly, until you get the consistency you prefer for the sauce.
- If you have fresh herbs, these would work well. Add slightly later in the cooking time.
- Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- sesame seeds and pasta (wheat), which score 1.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
Sofia says
I am so excited to make this dish but need to make it dairy free, any recommendations for a ricotta substitute?
Claire says
Hi Sofia, I know there are some vegan cheeses that people find work well, but I haven't tried any myself for this dish. Perhaps some of the vegan pasta dishes would be more suitable for you?
Sara says
Is a ricotta ball just ricotta cheese or is it a mix of things?
Claire says
It is usually just whey (milk) and perhaps salt, but you would want to check the ingredients list. I suggest using a plain one for this recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Laura says
Excited to try this! I will be substituting black pepper for white pepper and sesame seeds for camelina seeds. These are lower histamine and I don't react to them!
Claire says
Hope you enjoy Laura! And good idea on the swaps if they work better for you.
Lydia says
How much butternut squash do you use? I didn’t see it listed in the ingredient list. Thanks!
throughthefibrofog says
Hi Lydia, so sorry I missed the squash out of the ingredient list. I use one small butternut squash or half a larger one to serve two people.
Amanda M says
Can you advise me on the ricotta ball? I have a 425g container of Galbani whole milk ricotta cheese in my refrigerator. Will this do or is a ricotta ball something entirely special?
throughthefibrofog says
Hi Amanda, I think it sounds fine if it's in a fairly solid block or ball. You want it to be that way so that it will bake, rather than looser curd-like cheese.