In our opinion, butternut is the king of winter squash, so we just had to create a vegan pasta sauce recipe for it. When the weather is cold you need a hearty recipe – but wouldn’t it be great if it was also a healthy one? With our butternut squash pasta sauce, you can have both!
Squash Those Winter Blues!
People have enjoyed winter squash in the Americas for thousands of years, and we can see why! Winter squash are dense and nutritious, starchy, and can be roasted, stuffed, boiled and made into pies! Wow ?! It’s amazing that a fruit (yep, it’s technically a fruit!) that gives so much comfort is also ready in time for fall and winter – right when you need it most!
Cream of the (Winter) Crop
Butternut squash gives your recipe a lovely creamy consistency due to its starch content. Yes, we know a lot of starchy foods are also loaded with calories. However, despite the starchy feel butternut squash gives to a pasta sauce, it’s both low calorie and low GI ?.
Of course, sometimes creaminess needs a little help – that’s why we added oat milk. This is an especially creamy plant-milk, due to a special type of fiber that it contains. We won’t bore you with the details but trust us – oat milk is a great way to make a pasta recipe creamy while keeping it vegan ?.
Let Us Break It Down for You
Butternut squash has hard flesh and a tough rind, so it can be tricky to cut. Luckily, there’s plenty of great advice out there on how to break one of these babies down. Once you know what you’re doing, you’ll find your butternut squash recipe prep really easy. You also need to get that butternut squash soft (fast!) so it will make a good sauce. Cutting the squash into half-inch cubes will help it cook quickly. You don’t want to wait all night for dinner!
The Match Game
Italian cooking pays a lot of attention to matching the right pasta and sauce together. We’ve had a little fun with a fall-themed pumpkin shaped pasta. However, any pasta shaped like a shell (conchiglie) or tube (penne, rigatoni, macaroni) will work well! Just make sure you choose pasta with lots of lumps, bumps, ridges or hollows that will pick up your butternut squash sauce.
A Wise Sage Once Said …
… always add herbs to your pasta sauce recipe! Sage, thyme, and parsley are all great with butternut squash. If you choose sage, for extra points try lightly frying it in oil – which really brings out the flavor. Our butternut squash pasta also pairs well with earthy greens like kale, spinach, and collards – so why not add a side salad to your recipe plan?
… well, your sauce is ready and your pasta is waiting! That means its time to toss your butternut squash through the pasta and serve it up! We hope you enjoy this recipe – please use the comments section to let us know how it turned out!
Did you try this recipe? Let us know what you think with a comment and rating! Every bit of feedback helps make the blog even better!
If this recipe buttered you up, why not try some of our other pasta dishes? Like our Spring Greens and Spicy Lentils with Pasta, or some Mac and Cheese with Roast Beets?
Print
Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
- Total Time: 55 to 60 minutes
- Yield: 6 bowls 1x
Description
Savory and hearty, this creamy butternut squash pasta garnished with fresh thyme is the perfect comfort food for chilly fall days.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 butternut squash, skin removed and chopped into small cubes (about 5 cups)
- 1 medium brown onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cups clear vegetable broth*
- 1 cup oat milk
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme (sage and parsley is also be delicious)
- 14 oz / 397 grams pasta
Instructions
- In a large pot, over medium heat, add olive oil, onions, and squash. Cook for 10 minutes until the onions become caramelized and the squash starts to soften and brown, stir regularly.
- Add vegetable broth and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the squash is tender and the broth has reduced.
- While the butternut squash mixture is simmering, start preparing the pasta. Fill a large pot with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Back to the butternut squash mixture; add oat milk and nutritional yeast. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove butternut squash mixture from heat and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before blending. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), blend butternut squash mixture until smooth and creamy. If using a counter top blender, return creamy butternut squash pasta sauce to the pot.
- Add cooked pasta to the blended butternut squash pasta sauce, stir carefully to combine. If necessary, reheat the butternut squash pasta sauce to your desired temperature. Divide pasta between six servings and sprinkle with fresh thyme (for herbs of choice).
Notes
- *Use vegetable broth that is clear, not tomato-based, as you want to retain the beautiful color and taste of the butternut squash.
- Nutritional information is to be used as a guide only as calories and nutrition vary between products and brands worldwide.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 384
- Sugar: 5.5 g
- Sodium: 261.6 mg
- Fat: 8.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 66.6 g
- Fiber: 5.2 g
- Protein: 11.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: butternut squash pasta sauce, butternut squash pasta sauce, vegan pasta sauce
This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll make a small commission if you purchase using these links. The price you pay as a consumer does not change.
