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Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

Incredibly flavorful roasted butternut squash pasta with garlicky alfredo sauce and optional shiitake bacon. Savory-sweet, comforting, 10 simple ingredients required! Naturally plant-based and gluten-free.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 4 (Servings)
Calories: 403 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

SQUASH
  • 1/2 medium to large butternut squash
  • 1 tsp avocado oil
  • 1 healthy pinch each sea salt and black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
SAUCE
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews (if nut-free, try subbing sunflower or hemp seeds)
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled (plus more to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other neutral flavored dairy-free milk, such as oat or rice)
PASTA
  • Water to cook
  • 1 healthy pinch sea salt
  • 10 ounces gluten-free pasta (ensure vegan-friendly as needed // we prefer Trader Joe’s brown rice quinoa fusilli)
ONION / SHALLOT
  • 1 tsp oil (or sub water, adding more as needed as it evaporates)
  • 1/3 cup very thinly sliced onion or shallot
  • 1 pinch red pepper flake
FOR SERVING optional
  • Shiitake Bacon
  • Vegan Parmesan Cheese
  • red pepper flake

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. If serving with shiitake bacon, prepare first and set aside (optional).
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Slice your squash in half lengthwise, leaving skin on (reserve the other half for another use, such as Butternut Squash Soup!). NOTE: Your squash should be bright orange in color. If pale, it’d be best to try another squash. Scoop out seeds and discard or compost.
  4. Rub squash in a bit of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place garlic cloves on the prepared baking sheet and top with squash cut-side down (the squash should cover the garlic so it doesn’t burn). Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the skin is blistered, golden brown, and a knife inserted into the squash comes out very easily.
  5. In the meantime, prepare sauce by soaking raw cashews in very hot water for 30 minutes.
  6. Once the cashews are almost done soaking, bring a pot of water to a boil and season with a healthy pinch of salt. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside until serving (ideally the pasta is ready within a few minutes of serving — try to time accordingly). OPTIONAL: Toss cooked pasta in a little oil and cover to keep warm and prevent it from sticking until serving.
  7. Once cashews are done soaking, drain and add to a small blender with remaining sauce ingredients (garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, and almond milk), as well as the garlic cloves that were roasted under the squash (roasted garlic is much milder and sweeter and adds dimension to the sauce). Blend until creamy and smooth. The sauce should be somewhat thin and pourable.
  8. Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesiness, salt to taste, or raw garlic for zing. Set aside.
  9. Once your sauce is ready and pasta is almost ready, heat a large rimmed skillet (non-stick if you have it — such as Always Pan) over medium heat. Once hot, add a small amount of oil (if oil-free, use water) and add sliced onion or shallot. Season with a pinch of red pepper flake and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until tender and slightly brown. Then turn heat to low.
  10. Add cooked drained pasta to the skillet along with the roasted squash in bite-sized spoonfuls (it should be very tender), and pour over the sauce. Toss to combine over low heat until everything is warmed through and just combined (be careful not to overstir so there are still chunks of squash intact).
  11. Serve as is, or garnish with shiitake bacon, vegan parmesan cheese, or red pepper flake (optional). Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days (reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot, adding a little dairy-free milk if it appears dry). Not freezer friendly.

Notes

  • *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients. *Squash roasting method adapted from Carolina Gelen. *Pasta recipe modified from our Creamy White Vegan Pasta with Summer Vegetables.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 403 (20%) Carbohydrates 76.4g (25%) Protein 10.8g (22%) Fat 8.4g (13%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1.12g Monounsaturated Fat 3.81g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg (0%) Sodium 352mg (15%) Potassium 585mg (17%) Fiber 8.5g (34%) Sugar 4.5g (9%) Vitamin A 16733IU (335%) Vitamin C 18.45mg (21%) Calcium 158.58mg (16%) Iron 2.66mg (15%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4(Servings)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 403

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 403 20%
Carbohydrates 76.4g 25%
Protein 10.8g 22%
Fat 8.4g 13%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.12g 7%
Monounsaturated Fat 3.81g 19%
Trans Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 352mg 15%
Potassium 585mg 12%
Fiber 8.5g 34%
Sugar 4.5g 9%
Vitamin A 16733IU 335%
Vitamin C 18.45mg 21%
Calcium 158.58mg 16%
Iron 2.66mg 15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.