These Butternut Squash Noodles are not only delicious, they’re a great substitute for pasta in your meal.
Choosing a low-carb lifestyle means changing out ingredients you once ate for lower-carb options and that’s where these butternut squash noodles come in.
Unlike zucchini noodles, butternut squash noodles are firmer and hold up to cooking and combining with sauce better. They’re a great alternative to zucchini noodles when topping them with sauces because they don’t become soggy.
The only thing you need to think about when eating butternut squash is that they do still contain some carbs, so if you’re on a strict keto diet, they might not fit in.
Is Butternut Squash Low in Carbohydrates?
There are 10 grams of carbs and 2 grams to fiber in a 3 oz serving of butternut squash noodles (see the counts for a whole butternut squash). That brings your total to 8 net carbs. For a side dish sized serving, I typically serve 1-2 oz.
While that’s not low enough to gorge on butternut squash, it is low enough in carbs to fit into your meal plan for the day, as long as the other meals you eat are not equally high.
I eat butternut squash noodles with tomato sauce, like spaghetti, or just serve them with butter salt and pepper. If you like butternut squash, you can also make dishes like a butternut squash quiche (made without the crust if you’re keeping it really low-carb) or butternut squash soup, which are both quite low in carbs.
I like to work out a meal plan that allows me to eat an array of different vegetables, and that often means a little give and take. Fitting 3 oz of butternut squash noodles into the mix is easy when balanced with lower carb veggies in another meal.
How to Make Butternut Squash Noodles
There’s not a lot of skill needed to make butternut squash noodles. In fact, all you really need is a handheld julienne swivel peeler. It works like in the picture below.
You can also use a spiralizer. This is the one that I use on a more regular basis, because it’s simple. I’ve tried a few different one, including the full countertop version, which works better, but isn’t as quick to pull out and use. I’m lazy sometimes.
If you want to read more about the pros and cons of the top-rated spiralizers, check out this post. If you’re making vegetable noodles a lot, I’d definitely invest in a good sturdy one so you don’t go crazy while trying to make them.
Cooking Butternut Squash Noodles
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the butternut squash noodles and saute them for about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure they cook evenly. When the noodles are slightly softened, you can remove them from pan and set them aside. They will continue to cook a little bit while resting, so be sure not to overcook them in the pan.
- To make the quick butter sauce, add butter to the pan and heat it until melted. Stir in chopped fresh sage and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. You want the sage to crisp up a bit before you add back in the noodles.
- Return the butternut squash noodles to the pan and toss it all to coat the noodles in the sage butter mixture. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
You can also steam the noodles in a basket over a pot of boiling water, or microwave them, but sautéing them is best if you’re going to make a sage butter sauce to go with them.
How to Serve Butternut Squash Noodles
As mentioned, you can use these noodles in any sauce you wish, like spaghetti sauce, fettucine, or Bolognese. They’re also really tasty just as they are in this recipe, with brown butter and sage.
You can serve them as a main dish, or as a side dish. This version of the noodles makes a great side dish for chicken wings or pulled pork.
Here’s one of my favorites. Serve the sauteed butternut squash noodles on a plate with a ball of burrata. It’s amazing!
Questions About Butternut Squash Noodles?
How do I turn a whole butternut squash into “noodles”?
You can buy butternut squash noodles, already spiralized, in the store these days. That’s cool. But if you’re working with a whole butternut squash instead, you’re going to want to start by peeling it completely. Cut off the top and bottom and scoop out the seeds.
For ease of spiralizing, cut a large chunk from the butternut squash and spiralize that before moving on to another chunk. The straighter the piece, the better. If you cut a long chunk, around 4-5″ long, you will get longer noodles.
Can I bake the noodles instead?
You can. Just line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scatter them on the tray, or place them directly into a casserole dish with some seasoning and butter or olive oil. It takes only 10 minutes to roast the butternut squash noodles at 350 degrees F in the oven – a great hands-off approach that!
How many carbs are in a serving?
There are 8 net grams of carbs in a serving of this dish. To cut down on the number of carbs, serve a smaller serving. With some protein, maybe a ball of burrata on the side, it can be a very filling dish.
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Savory Butternut Squash Noodles
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 12 oz butternut squash “noodles”
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1½ tbsp fresh sage chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Spiralize the raw butternut squash into noodles.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add butternut squash noodles and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning frequently to ensure they cook evenly. When noodles are slightly softened, remove from pan and set aside. Keep warm.
- Add butter to pan and heat until melted. Stir in chopped sage and cook until fragrant, approximately 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Return butternut squash noodles to pan and toss to coat in sage butter mixture. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately with your favorite entrée or as a light main course.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Read More About a Low-Carb Lifestyle
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Laura is an avid home cook and recipe creator. She shares her favorite low-carb recipes here that are both easy to make and full of flavor, so you don’t even miss the carbs.