VEGAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA

Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta is a creamy, delicious and flavorful pasta recipe where the pasta is tossed in freshly made roasted butternut squash sauce. This is one of my favorite fall and winter pasta recipe! Skip the regular marinara and try out this homemade sauce that is not only tastier but also healthier and loaded with full of nutrients.

I love the beauty of this pasta sauce. Even without using any cream or butter it still is creamy and buttery!!!!

Is roasted butternut squash healthy?

Definitely yes. It is a good source of fiber, Vitamin C, magnesium and potassium.

Is butternut squash good for weight loss?

One cup of butternut squash has only 85 calories. Squash is fat-free and sodium-free. So this fruit (also a vegetable) would be one of the best choice if you want to loose body weight and fat.

How do you peel and cut a butternut squash?

Using a sharp serrated knife, first slice off 1/4 inch from the top (attached to the stem) and bottom portion of the squash. Then, using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off. Cut them into halves lengthwise, and finally scrape off the seeds using a spoon.

Lay the squash halves cut side down on a cutting board and cut them into slices of desired thickness. Furthermore, if you want to cut them into cubes, stack the slices and chop them.

Do I need to peel butternut squash before roasting?

Peeling is totally optional and also depends on the recipe that you are going to use the butternut squash in. To make roasted butternut squash sauce, I have peeled off the skin, scraped out and discarded the seeds and cut them into 1 inch thick slices.

How do you roast butternut squash or How to make roasted butternut squash?

Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.  Cut the onion lengthwise and garlic bulb width wise to halves. Toss this along with butternut squash slices in olive oil. Arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or till the squash is cooked and develops nice color on top. You can flip it half way through the baking time.

How long will the sauce last?

If you have not used-up all the sauce in the recipe, the leftover sauce can be stored in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

Which pasta goes well with roasted butternut squash sauce?

Actually, any or all pastas go well with this sauce. Some of my favorites are linguine, spaghetti or angel hair. But my lil one loves to have this with macaroni,  shell pasta, farfalle or penne pasta. You can use it even with ravioli.

What goes good with butternut squash?

With its sweet taste and creamy texture, this goes well with ravioli, pastas, soups, rice, risotto and pies. You can actually use it in all recipes where you use pumpkin.

When using it for sweet recipes, try to add cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg or pumpkin-spice-powder.

And for savory recipes, try to combine with herbs like thyme, sage or combination of dried herbs like Italian seasoning.

Tips to make Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

• Roast the butternut squash till it is tender. It’s always better to have caramelized and overcooked squash than having it under cooked.
• While blending make sure you stop and scrape down the sides till it becomes smooth.
• If you have retained any water in which pasta was cooked, use it while blending the squash.

How to make creamy butternut squash pasta?

Once you have roasted and blended the squash into a sauce, making pasta is super easy. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and keep it aside.

In a pan, add olive oil. Saute mushrooms till it is cooked. Add spinach and pasta sauce and cook till it starts bubbling. Add dried Italian herbs seasoning or fresh herbs like sage, thyme or rosemary. Basil or pasrsley can also be used.

Finally toss the cooked pasta, serve immediately and enjoy. Garnish it with cheese if desired.

Non vegans can also add chicken or bacon or butter to the pasta and enjoy!!!

While you are here also check out my popular award winning Cranberry Pesto Pasta recipe!

Also follow me on Instagram and tag me with #cookwithkushi so that I get a chance to see all the recipes you make and give it a  ♥.

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If you liked this post on Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta, I encourage you to check out the following two popular pasta recipes from my blog. The first one is Cranberry Pesto Pasta. This is an award winning recipe and a total crowd favorite specially during holidays. There is no better time to try out this recipe as fresh cranberries are in season for the holidays. The recipe can be easily made vegan by using vegan pesto and vegan cheese for garnish. The second one – Pasta In Homemade White Sauce – is my lil ones favorite. I simply skip the ingredients that add heat, substitute Penne with small shell pasta and every single time he licks the pasta bowl clean. He is my superstar and he knows how to make his mommy happy! Do check out these recipes and let me know how they turned out.

Cranberry Pesto Pasta		Pasta In Homemade White Sauce
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Detailed recipe for Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta

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Ingredients for Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta

• 1 Butternut squash, small sized
• 1 Garlic bulb
• 1 Onion
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 6 Mushrooms, chopped lengthwise
• 1 cup Spinach leaves
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 10 oz Pasta, use any of your choice
• Salt, to taste
• Cheese, for garnish (Optional)

Instructions

Step I

1. Peel the skin, scrape out the seeds and cut the squash into 1 inch thick slices. Cut garlic bulb width-wise and onion length-wise into halves.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degree F. Toss the squash, garlic and onion with 2 tbsp of olive oil.
3. Arrange these in a single layer in the baking pan and bake for 25 minutes or till the squash has cooked and developed some color on top. Flip it halfway through the cooking time.

Step II

1. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions and keep it aside.
2. You can retain the water while draining the pasta to blend the roasted squash. (This is optional)

Step III

1. Blend the roasted squash, garlic and onion to a smooth paste adding pasta water or regular water little by little.

Step IV

1. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute till it is cooked. Add spinach leaves, sauce and cook for 2 to 3 minutes till it starts bubbling.
2. Add salt to taste and Italian seasoning and mix.
3. Finally, add the pasta and toss till combined.
4. Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta is ready. Garnish with cheese (vegan or non-vegan) if desired. Serve and enjoy.