Lemony Winter Squash Pasta with Halloumi

Up your pasta by making this lemony winter squash pasta with halloumi, baby spinach, and a crispy pecan-breadcrumb. Topped with halloumi croutons, it makes a delicious and satisfying vegetarian pasta dish everyone loves!

When it comes to pasta, there is one recipe that really hits the spot and that we’re making on repeat in our family: the lemon butter pasta with burrata. This pasta recipe is way more than just pasta and makes you feel like you just ordered a fancy dish in a restaurant. Given my obsession about it, it’s no surprise I created a slightly different version – winter edition.

These lemony winter squash pasta still have the wonderful and refreshing lemon flavors (a revelation in pasta, so good!), and they’re also combined with some roasted butternut squash, baby spinach, and generously topped with a crispy pecan-breadcrumb mixture. Don’t forget the touch of cheese – here some halloumi croutons – that complete the dish and makes it extra delicious!

What goes into lemony winter squash pasta

Instead of an exhaustive list of ingredients that you can find in the recipe card below, I’m listing here the main components of this pasta recipe:

• Pasta (obviously). I recommend either spaghetti or other similar long pasta, such as linguine or tagliatelle. Whole wheat pasta can work too.
• Lemons. It’s what brings all the flavors to these pasta, so make sure you’ve checked it off on your grocery list. Also, all the flavors come from the zest, not the juice, so you want to make sure you use it.
• Winter squash. We used a butternut squash in this recipe, but other winter squash that are good for roasting would do too.
• Baby spinach. For a touch of greens. You could replace with kale if desired.
• Pecans. They’re crunchy and add a subtle nutty flavor to the recipe. We’re obsessed.
• Breadcrumbs + herbs (oregano, thyme). Toasted, and combined with herbs, breadcrumbs bring a slightly crispy touch that make your pasta look fancy.
• Halloumi. No pasta without cheese, right? There is no parmesan involved in this recipe (although there’s no harm in adding some) but instead some salty halloumi croutons for a somehow chewy bite.

How to make winter squash pasta

Because the recipe involves several steps and the pasta need to be served when still hot, it’s important to time the recipe and respect the recipe instructions carefully. To ensure you don’t get lost in the process, here are the main steps to keep in mind:

• Start with roasting the winter squash in the oven until tender and slightly crispy.
• While the squash is in the oven, prepare the crispy herb pecan breadcrumbs. Gently stir-fry all the ingredients together with oil and butter, and add the lemon zest at the very end. It’s totally ok if the breadcrumbs come to room temperature before using.
• Now, cook the pasta, drain, and cook in a large skillet with butter, using some cooking pasta water, lemon juice and zest.
• Prepare the halloumi croutons by quickly stir-frying them on all sides in a small skillet with a drizzle of olive oil (this should take a couple of minutes at most).
• Now assemble your pasta! Distribute pasta with winter squash onto serving plates. Add a few spoonfuls of pecan breadcrumbs, and top with halloumi croutons. Garnish with additional lemon zest, sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

How to warm up the leftovers?

If you know there will be some leftover pasta , I recommend storing separately the winter squash pasta with halloumi and the breadcrumbs. The pasta can easily be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop with some butter or oil. You can keep the pecan breadcrumbs covered at room temperature in a small container, and add them on the leftover pasta at the last minute. You can also re-heat in a small skillet if you want to eat them warm.

Recipe variations

There are a few ways to tweak this winter squash pasta recipe. I recommend keeping the same lemon-butter pasta base, and then play with the other ingredients. Kale can be used instead of spinach, burrata or ricotta instead of halloumi, and pine nuts instead of pecans. Like cheesy pasta? Grate some additional parmesan when serving and/or add some to the breadcrumb mixture. Pasta recipes are always very forgiving, so let your imagination guide you and please let me know if you tried a variation you love, I’d love to hear about it!

More pasta recipes you’ll like:

• Garlic Mushroom Pasta with Walnut Pesto
• Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Chickpeas
• Fresh Pappardelle with Grilled Vegetables
• Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Burrata Cheese
• Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Pasta

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