Looking for a show-stopping vegetarian main dish at a special occasion dinner? Or an easy-to-make dish to relish during cold nights or the weekends while cozying up on the couch? Guiltlessly enjoy this creamy and herby recipe from Love & Lemons.
You and your family might enjoy a bowl or two and even up until the third serving of this recipe!
Ingredients
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½ small butternut squash halved vertically and seeded
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Extra-virgin olive oil
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2 shallots, coarsely chopped (½ cup)
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3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
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¾ cup water
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½ cup raw cashews
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1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
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1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
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10 fresh sage leaves
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1 tablespoon fresh thyme, plus a few leaves for garnish
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12 ounces rotini pasta or any pasta shape you like, ones with lots of folds and creases is recommended to catch the delicious sauce
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Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Sauteed broccoli, for serving, optional
This butternut squash pasta sauce is really simple to prepare. However, the squash and shallots must be roasted first, which takes around 30 minutes. If you're short on time, you may roast the vegetables up to two days ahead of time. The remainder of the recipe is easy to put together:
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Drizzle the squash with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place cut-side down on the baking sheet. Wrap the shallot and garlic cloves in foil with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft.
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Scoop 1 cup of the squash flesh and transfer to a blender with the shallot, peeled garlic, water, cashews, 2 tablespoons olive oil, nutritional yeast, vinegar, sage, thyme, ¾ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Blend until creamy.
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Cook the pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted boiling water. Reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta water.
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Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Stir in the sauce, adding 1/2 to 1 cup of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce and coat the pasta. Season with ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt.
Scoop the creamy butternut squash pasta into a bowl when you're ready to eat. Add thyme leaves, red pepper flakes, and freshly ground black pepper. You may add shaved Parmesan cheese to finish and sautéed broccoli or any veggie dish you like on the side.
