Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta

Are you looking for a comforting, creamy, plant-based, and cozy meal that is also nutritious? The solution is this Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta recipe. Your favorite pasta clings to a velvety, dairy-free sauce made with the natural sweetness of roasted butternut squash. It produces a savory richness without the use of cream or cheese, which is well-balanced with garlic, onion, and a hint of nutritional yeast. Cashews or plant-based milk provide a smooth finish, while fresh spinach and herbs add color. Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta is completely vegan, nourishing, and filling.

STATS

• Diet: Vegan, free from dairy
• Course: Main
• Cuisine: Italian-inspired
• Cooking time: Thirty minutes
• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Working time(total): Forty-five minutes
• Yield: 4 servings
• Single portion size: One and a half cups
• Cooking method: Oven roasting + Stovetop
• Calories: ~320 kcal
• Difficulty level: Easy

TOOLS

• A big pot
• Baking sheet
• Measuring cups
• Vegetable peeler
• Spatula or wooden spoon
• Measuring spoons
• A large pot for boiling pasta
• Food processor or blender

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• One butternut squash, approximately two pounds
• 3 garlic cloves
• To taste of black pepper and salt
• 1 onion
• Fresh basil or parsley for garnishing
• 1/2 cup of cashews
• Fresh spinach, two cups
• 1 cup of almond or oat milk
• Smoked paprika, half a tsp.
• 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
• Fresh or dried thyme
• 12 ounces of pasta

INGREDIENT NOTES

CASHEWS

• You will need the raw cashews to add creaminess without using dairy. The cashews need to be soaked in hot water for 15 mints. If nuts are a problem or you then, go for sunflower seeds or oat milk + cornstarch.

PASTA

• Choose any pasta shape from penne, rigatoni, spaghetti, etc. that you like the most. You go for gluten-free, whole wheat, or chickpea pasta as per your dietary needs.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH

• We peel and slice the squash into cubes. It is the key item of this recipe. Replace it with sweet potato or pumpkin for the same texture.

NUTRITIONAL YEAST

• Adding the nutritional yeast will help you experience the taste of cheese without its addition. You may replace it with vegan parmesan for a flavor twist.

VEGAN MILK

• You will need the unsweetened version of any plant-based milk, like almond, soy, oat, cashew, etc. It will keep your sauce smooth and light.

OIL

• We will use the oil to roast the squash and add the richness. You may use any vegan oil, like olive oil, avocado oil, etc. To have the lower-calorie version, roast the butternut squash with vegetable broth.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Warm up the oven to 200 °C
2. Put the Squash slices in one line on the tray.
3. Cover with a light olive oil layer.
4. Sprinkle the black pepper and salt evenly over these cubes of butter nut squash.
5. Bake them for around thirty minutes till you get them soft and caramelized.
6. We boil the pasta as mentioned on the box..
7. Then drain the pasta when it gets tender and store half a cup of pasta water.
8. Add the leftover oil to a skillet over a normal flame.
9. Cook the onion when the oil gets heated.
10. Include garlic when the onion becomes translucent, and saute till we get an aroma.
11. Now, add the soaked cashews, sautéed onion and garlic, thyme, roasted squash, smoked paprika, nutritional
12. yeast, and vegan milk in the blender jug.
13. Fix the blender jug in the machine and blend to make a paste (smooth).
14. Add pasta water to fix the consistency as per your requirement.
15. Then, include the sauce in pan and mix the fresh spinach into it.
16. Add the boiled pasta when the spinach gets wilted and mix everything well.
17. Serve this Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta after garnishing with basil or parsley.

TIPS

• Roast the squash to get a deeper flavor.
• Blend everything to get a smooth pasta sauce.
• Use the chickpeas or pasta to make it protein-rich.

STORAGE INFORMATION:

FRIDGE:

• Add the leftover dish to the closed dish and stock it for four days.

FREEZER:

• Freeze this dish in the container (freezer-safe) for 2 months.

FAQs:

How to prepare a nut-free dish?

• Replace cashews with sunflower seeds. Utilize oat milk thickened with cornstarch in place of cashews.

Can I roast frozen squash?

• We can roast frozen squash directly. We increase the roasting time by five minutes.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

Size/serve: 1 ½ cups
Calories: 320 kcal
Carbs in total: 48g
Fiber: 8g
Net carbohydrates: 40g
Fats: 10g
Sugar: 5g
Proteins: 11g
Sodium: 310mg