Fall is here and I couldn’t be happier. This butternut squash and roasted tomato pasta is the PERFECT fall pasta dish. It’s creamy and super flavorful. Best of all it’s totally dairy-free and vegan, so it’s healthy as can be. The secret lies in softening the cashews overnight in a bowl of water. The soft cashews give this pasta a creaminess that is out of this world amazing.
How to make a creamy sauce with cashews:
Like I said above, the secret creaminess to this recipe comes from soaking cashews overnight in a bowl of water to soften them up before you toss them in the food processor with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Letting them soak for many hours makes their usual firm exterior get much softer. The result is a super creamy sauce that is a great workaround for when you want a creaminess of a dairy-based sauce but without the dairy.
What is the best type of pasta to use in this butternut squash with roasted tomatoes recipe?
I love the penne shape of pasta for this recipe. You could also use spaghetti if you wish. In my house, we mostly eat gluten-free so that limits the options quite a bit. Our favorite gluten-free dry pasta is Tinkyada but we also love Manini’s fresh gluten-free pasta- it’s amazing. If you want to live it up and don’t mind some gluten I suggest De Cecco, which is the pasta I grew up on.
What are some great toppings for this pasta?
If you are ok with eating dairy then I would suggest parmesan cheese as a fantastic topping. For a dairy-free option, I have seen vegan parmesan. Go Veggie makes a great one. I like to also cut up thin strips of basil to use as a topping as well.
If you love pasta, check out these other recipes on my blog:
Recipe Video:
Butternut Squash and Roasted Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash
- 1/4 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 white onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1` cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup cashews soaked overnight
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 basil leaves fresh
- 15 oz penne pasta gluten-free optional
- salt & olive oil to drizzle on butternut squash & cherry tomatoes
- grapeseed oil to sauté vegetables
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place squash on baking pan with cut side up and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, coriander and cinnamon. Roast in oven for 50 minutes.
- On another baking pan, add cherry tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Place in the oven with the squash and roast for 20 minutes. The skin of the tomatoes should be blistered when done.
- While the squash and tomatoes are roasting, heat a small pan over medium heat on the stove to prep remaining vegetables.
- Add in a drizzle of grapeseed oil in to the pan and add in carrots. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until tender. Then add in garlic cloves and onion and continue cooking until soft. Add in salt to taste. Set aside.
- Once butternut squash is done roasting, scoop out the flesh of the squash with a spoon and add into a blender. Add in all other ingredients (minus the pasta) into the blender and blend until it's creamy and thick then set aside.
- Cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer back into pot or a large mixing bowl. Add in sauce mixture and toss until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.
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