Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Creamy, healthy vegan Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce made with roasted vegetables, cashews, and aromatic herbs. Ready in 30 minutes for perfect fall comfort food.
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- High-speed blender
- Large pot
- Large skillet
- Colander
Ingredients
- 3 cups butternut squash cubes fresh or frozen, about 1 pound
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
- 1 medium yellow onion roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth low sodium
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried sage or 1 tablespoon fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- 12 ounces pasta penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine
- 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss butternut squash cubes and chopped onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil on the baking sheet. Spread in a single layer.
- Roast for 25 minutes until squash is fork-tender and slightly caramelized at edges.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
- Drain soaked cashews and add to high-speed blender with roasted squash, onions, garlic, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Blend on high for 60-90 seconds until completely smooth with no graininess.
- Transfer sauce to large skillet over medium heat. Warm through for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Thin with reserved pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency. Toss with cooked pasta and serve immediately.
Notes
- For nut-free version, substitute cashews with 3/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk or 1/2 cup cooked white beans
- Sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated; reheat gently with broth or water
- Freezes well for up to 3 months in airtight containers
- Add crispy chickpeas, sautéed tempeh, or grilled chicken for extra protein
- Fresh sage fried in butter makes an excellent crispy garnish