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 and my ricotta gnocchi sauce recipe for more quick weeknight meals!
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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.
Alice Landoch says
Love this recipe. Just finished making it and it is delicious.
Claire says
So glad you enjoyed it Alice! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
Whitney Nesbitt says
Hi! Making this as we speak and wondering if it's okay to freeze any leftovers?? Looks so amazing and I'm cooking for 2 so I'd hate to waste any:)
Claire says
Hi Whitney, you can freeze the sauce, but pasta doesn't tend to freeze too well unfortunately. It's not that you can't freeze it, but it just tends to be better fresh. So perhaps make the sauce before combining with the pasta if you think you have too much? Hope you enjoy the recipe!
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.