Description
This Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta features roasted butternut squash blended with sage, thyme, and cashews to create a rich, velvety sauce. Paired with rotini pasta and optional sautéed broccoli, it's a comforting dish packed with cozy autumn flavors perfect for a hearty meal.
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash and Aromatics
- ½ small butternut squash, halved vertically and seeded
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 shallots, coarsely chopped (⅔ cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Sauce Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
- ¾ teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pasta and Serving
- 12 ounces rotini pasta
- Sautéed broccoli, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Squash: Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle the cut sides of the butternut squash with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet.
- Prepare Shallots and Garlic for Roasting: Wrap the coarsely chopped shallots and unpeeled garlic cloves in aluminum foil along with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place this foil packet on the baking sheet alongside the squash.
- Roast Vegetables: Roast the squash, shallots, and garlic in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Blend Sauce: Once roasted, measure out 1 cup of the butternut squash flesh. Peel the garlic cloves. Transfer the squash flesh, shallots, peeled garlic, water, raw cashews, olive oil, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar, sage leaves, thyme leaves, ¾ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper to a blender. Blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Cook Pasta: Cook the rotini pasta according to the package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta cooking water.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Pour in the creamy butternut squash sauce and stir to coat the pasta evenly. Add between ½ and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water a little at a time to loosen the sauce and achieve desired consistency.
- Season and Serve: Adjust seasoning by adding ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with additional fresh thyme leaves. Serve hot, optionally topped with sautéed broccoli or your favorite vegetable side dish.
Notes
- You can soak the raw cashews in hot water for 20 minutes beforehand for even creamier texture if your blender isn’t very powerful.
- Use gluten-free pasta to make this dish gluten-free if needed.
- If you prefer a nut-free version, substitute cashews with cooked white beans, though texture and flavor will vary.
- Sautéed broccoli or another green vegetable makes a nutritious and colorful accompaniment.
- Leftover sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
