This Gluten Free Pasta Bake is made with a rich and creamy cheese sauce, butternut squash, spinach and topped with the best cheesy gluten free breadcrumbs. It's the perfect comfort meal to cook up when the weather cools down and you're craving something cozy.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Made from scratch! You won't be sorry you learned how to make a cheese sauce and gluten free roux from scratch. Big bold flavors combined with a smooth and luscious cream sauce. You'll never want to use a store-bought shortcut again.
- A delicious way to enjoy your veggies. If you've been looking for ways to sneak some veggies into your kids diet, this pasta bake is a great place to start. They'll happily eat up this pasta and if you chop the spinach small enough, they won't even notice it.
- Easy leftovers! It can be exhausting enough planning dinners, let alone lunches! Make your life a little bit easier and make a batch of this pasta early in the week to enjoy for lunch all week long.
Tools You'll Need
- 2 Dutch oven or Stock pot
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Cheese grater
- 1 Set of liquid measuring cups
- 1 Set of dry measuring cups
- 1 Set of measuring spoons
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Cutting board
Ingredients
Butternut squash is one of my favorite ingredients to use in the fall. It adds a nutritional boost to any recipe, is kid friendly, and is versatile, meaning if I don't use it up in one recipe, I can add the leftovers to something sweet or savory later! Follow this tutorial to learn how to cut a butternut squash safely.
Gluten free pasta is luckily super easy to find in stores these days! I like to use penne, but ziti or another short pasta will also work beautifully.
Shallots and garlic give this cheesy pasta bake a mild, umami flavor without being overpowering.
I wanted to keep this homemade pasta bake as simple as possible, so all you need is paprika, kosher salt and black pepper. If you'd like a smokier flavor, try substituting the paprika with smoked paprika.
Cornstarch, whole milk and vegetable broth make a simple gluten free roux and the base of our homemade cheese sauce.
A blend of gruyere and sharp cheddar cheese make this homemade cheese sauce extra rich. Shred your own cheese in order to help it melt easily into your cheese sauce. Pre-shredded cheeses are typically coated with an anti-caking agent that prevents it from melting.
Similar to butternut squash, I love adding spinach and other greens into a cooked dish because they are so easy to throw in for a nutritional boost! Spinach, in particular, is so mild and easily blends into this pasta bake.
Substitutions
- Pasta substitutions: Since this pasta bake is made with cooked al dente pasta, not no boil pasta, you really can use any pasta you'd like. If you are gluten free, make sure to use a gluten free pasta made from brown rice, lentils, beans, etc. If you are not gluten free, you can definitely make this pasta bake with a wheat pasta. But take care to cook the pasta AL DENTE. It will finish cooking in the oven.
- Butternut squash substitutions: The butternut squash can be easily swapped with sweet potatoes, pumpkin, delicata squash. Or, simply omit completely from the pasta bake. If you have an acorn squash, try my Turkey and Brown Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash.
- Cornstarch substitute: In order to keep this pasta bake free of gluten, cornstarch is used as the thickening agent in the roux instead of flour. If you do not have cornstarch, you can substitute it with arrowroot flour or arrowroot starch.
How to Make a Gluten Free Pasta Bake
- Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, minus 1 to 2 minutes for an al dente pasta. The cook time will vary depending on the type of pasta you use, so follow the package for best results. Once cooked, drain the pasta and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
- Cook the butternut squash. Add the cubed butternut squash to boiling water and cook for 15-18 minutes, or until a fork can be easily inserted into the cubes. Strain and set aside.
- Sauté the shallots and garlic. While the pasta and butternut squash is cooking, melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the shallots and garlic are fragrant and slightly translucent.
- Prepare the cheese sauce. Turn the heat down to low, and slowly whisk the cornstarch into the butter and shallots mixture. Continue whisking until the mixture bubbles and thickens. VERY slowly whisk in 1 cup of milk. Once smooth, add another cup of milk, whisking again until smooth. Slowly add in the remaining milk and vegetable broth until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the cooked butternut squash. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, then remove from heat. Whisk in the cheddar cheese and Gruyere cheese. Once the cheese is melted, stir in the fresh spinach.
- Toss the pasta in the cheese sauce. Slowly add the gluten free pasta to the cheese sauce, and gently fold in until well combined. Spread the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Prepare the breadcrumb mixture. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter by placing in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and gluten free panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the pasta.
- Bake. Bake for 15-18 minutes on the middle oven rack, or until the pasta bake is bubbly and the gluten free breadcrumb topping is nice and golden.
Prep Ahead Options
This pasta bake is most creamy and delicious served hot straight from the oven. If you'd like to prep it ahead of time, prepare the pasta bake by following steps 1 through 6 in the recipe card, tightly cover and refrigerate the unbaked pasta casserole for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, uncover and remove from the refrigerator, prepare the breadcrumb topping and bake as usual until bubbly and golden.
Serving Suggestions
FAQs
I have not attempted to freeze this pasta bake. It is difficult to say whether or not it would freeze well as a freezer meal because each gluten free pasta is made differently. Additionally, it would need a significantly longer bake time if cooked for frozen and I cannot advise. If you would like to freeze your pasta bake, my recommendation would be to freeze it before baking, but again, I cannot confirm good end results.
If your pasta is falling apart, it may have been cooked too long. Or, it may be a more delicate gluten free pasta. Not all gluten free pastas have the same consistency and texture and some just aren't great. If you did not overcook the pasta, I'd recommend trying another brand.
I have never made homemade gluten free pasta, but if you're comfortable doing so, absolutely!
In my opinion, gluten free pastas made with brown rice are the most similar in taste and texture to wheat based gluten pastas.
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Measure ingredients before beginning. In order to prep this pasta bake in 15 minutes, we will have a few components cooking at once. To make this simple and stress free, pre-measure all of your ingredients and read through the recipe before starting. It is an easy recipe to follow, but it will be beneficial to be prepared to watch a few pots at once!
- Use unsalted butter. I always recommend unsalted butter over salted butter for it's consistency. If you are looking to improve your culinary skills, start with stocking your fridge with unsalted butter!
More Dinner Recipes You'll Enjoy
Gluten Free Pasta Bake with Butternut Squash
Equipment
- 2 Dutch oven or Stock pot
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Cheese grater
- 1 Set of liquid measuring cups
- 1 Set of dry measuring cups
- 1 Set of measuring spoons
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Cutting board
Ingredients
- 12 ounces gluten free pasta such as penne
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup unsalted butter divided
- 1 small shallot minced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ⅓ cup cornstarch or arrowroot
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 cups cubed cooked butternut squash
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded (I used white cheddar)
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese shredded
- 6 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 cup gluten free panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 3-4 quart baking dish and set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions, leaving it slightly al dente. Strain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cubed butternut squash, and cook for 15-18 minutes, or until a fork can be easily inserted into the cubes. Strain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the shallots and garlic are fragrant and slightly translucent.
- Turn the heat down to low, and slowly whisk in the cornstarch or arrowroot. Continue whisking until the mixture bubbles and thickens. VERY slowly whisk in about 1 cup of milk. Whisk until the mixture is smooth, and then add another cup of milk, whisking again until the mixture is smooth. Slowly add in the remaining milk and vegetable broth until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the cooked butternut squash.
- Allow the milk mixture to come to a simmer, and remove from the heat. Whisk in the cheddar cheese and Gruyere cheese until melted. Stir in the spinach. Slowly add the pasta to the mixture, and fold in until well combined. Spread the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter by placing in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and gluten free panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the panko mixture evenly over the pasta mixture.
- Place the pasta mixture in the oven, and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and golden brown.
Notes
- Butternut squash may be omitted if desired.
- You can use frozen, cubed butternut squash, if desired. If you choose to use frozen butternut squash, omit the step of cooking the butternut squash.
