Cream-less Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

An extra creamy Butternut Squash Pasta that’s actually cream-less! With sage, nutmeg and bit of crushed pepper, its got the all the fall flavor plus a hint of spice – the perfect Vegan comfort food.

This pasta was so good, but it also made me SO SAD!

Why? Because I was using the one butternut squash I had from last Fall as part of my “weights” when doing squats.

I’ve basically filled up my gym duffel bag with flours, potatoes and what not and use that for squats during my home workouts.

Part of my quarantine home gym, haha.

I still need to go find some alternatives, but that loss was totally worth it.

This pasta is beauty!

How to prep the Butternut Squash

I’m not sure how this compares to other fall squashes like pumpkin, but from my previous experiences cleaning up the butternut squash was kind of a cross between cleaning a spaghetti squash and a sweet potato.

Here’s a guide I found for cleaning it up using a vegetable peeler, but if you want, do what I did and just use a sharp (but slightly small) knife.

Just make sure you get that entire thick layer of the “skin” off.

Then just dice it up as usual, ½” cubes should be good,

Ingredients for the Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

• Butternut Squash
• A bit of Olive Oil for frying
• Minced Garlic and Chopped Onion – Don’t skip on this, it really adds that flavor.
• Almond Milk – If you’re not restricted to being Vegan or Dairy-free, any regular milk will do as well.
• Vegetable Broth or reserve some of the liquid from cooking the squash
• Some fall spices: Dried Sage and Ground Nutmeg
• A tiny bit of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – It’s just a bit, but adds a lot!
• Salt

Just a clean list of ingredients for this Vegan pasta sauce – no flour, no butter, no cheese, and clearly no cream!

How to cook this (Cheesy-flavored) Butternut Squash Pasta

Cheesy? Yes. The butternut squash – even though slightly sweet – somehow manages to give a tiny bit of cheesiness to this sauce even without adding any nutritional yeast. At least that’s what I thought.

So I guess if you use macaroni pasta this would be kind of like a mac and cheese!

• Boil the butternut squash in a pot with water
• Drain it, but keep some cooking liquid if you don’t have broth
• Fry the onions and garlic on a skillet in a bit of oil
• Let the squash and onion-garlic mix cool
• Blend the squash, veggies, milk, broth/cooking water, spices and salt in a blender
  Normal blender or even a powerful food processor should work

Cook your pasta on the side and and then just toss it all together with this beautiful creamy dairy free butternut squash cheese sauce!

Some Tips for the perfect Creamy Pasta:

• Try to get even sized pieces of the butternut squash so that they’re all cooked evenly. We don’t want a chunky sauce now do we?
• Let the cooked squash cool completely before you blend it, or you might ruin your blender. This also ensures that you have a smooth uniform creamy sauce that’s completely pureed with the milk.
• Don’t add too much liquid or the sauce will get too thin. Remember you’re going to add it to the hot pasta so it will also thin out a little there. If it feels thin, go for a teaspoon or 2 at a time.
• To make it nut free, use a coconut milk or even soy milk.

Keep it for later

Since this pasta and sauce have no quick-spoil ingredients, it would keep in the fridge for even 4-5 days.

Either store the sauce separately or toss it with the pasta and put it away. Don’t forget to use an airtight container though.

Some more Vegan or Thanksgiving Pasta recipes? 

• Creamy Dreamy Cauliflower Alfredo
• Unbelievably Creamy Avocado & Spinach Pasta
• Pumpkin Pasta with Mushrooms and Kale
• Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Cream-less Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Print recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Total Time17 minutes mins

Servings: 3 cups

Calories: 309kcal

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

An extra creamy Butternut Squash Pasta that’s actually cream-less! With sage, nutmeg and bit of crushed pepper, its got the all the fall flavor plus a hint of spice – the perfect Vegan comfort food.

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1 cup Butternut Squash, Diced into ½” cubes, 140g
• ½ tsp Olive Oil
• ¾ tsp Minced Garlic
• ⅓ small Onion, Chopped, 35g
• ¼ cup Almond Milk
• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Broth or Cooking Liquid
• ½ tsp Dried Sage
• ⅛ tsp Nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• ⅛ tsp Salt
• ⅛ tsp Black Pepper

Pasta:

• 5 oz Pasta of choice, 141g

Instructions

Make Sauce:

• Bring 2 cups water to a boil in pot, add butternut squash and boil until tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Reserve 3-4 tablespoons liquid, drain and let sit 5-7 minutes to cool.
• Heat oil in a saucepan on medium heat, add onion and garlic and fry until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer butternut squash, onion-garlic mix, almond milk, broth, sage, nutmeg and red pepper flakes to a blender (or food processor). Season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
• Add a tablespoon of broth if sauce is too thick.

Cook Pasta:

• Bring 4 cups water to a boil in pot, add pasta, and cook for about 10 minutes (according to package instructions). Drain.
• Add sauce, stir to coat well and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve hot!

Notes

Storage:

• In an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Nutrition:

• Servings: 3 cups | Serving size: 1½ cups
• Calories: 309kcal
• Fat: 2.8g | Saturated fat: 0.2g
• Carbohydrates: 63.9g | Fiber: 4.4g | Sugar: 4.9g
• Protein: 9.9g