Spicy Butternut Squash Pasta
Spicy Butternut Squash Pasta
This is a great way to welcome in the flavors of Fall. This pasta is creamy, sweet, savory with just the right amount of spice. It uses Calabrian chili peppers for the heat (which are hot) you can use a pinch or two of red chili flakes instead. All of the flavors pair so well together. For a bit of crunch try topping it with some fried sage.
I stumbled upon some pumpkin shaped pasta that I thought would be great with this sauce but it goes perfectly with any shape you like. Peeling, cutting and roasting an entire butternut squash may seem daunting and if that’s you there are options! You can buy prepared butternut squash or even use canned!
Serves 4
Ingredients
14oz (397g) short Pasta
430g (about 3 cups) Butternut Squash cubed
4 cloves Garlic peeled
3-4 Shallots peeled
2 Tbsp (30ml) Avocado or other Oil
1 tsp (5g) ground Sage
1 tsp (5g) Onion Salt
Salt & Pepper to taste
1-2 tsp (5-10g) Calabrian Peppers chopped
1/4 cup (60g) Cashew Cream
1/2 cup (45g) Vegan Parmesan Cheese grated
2 cups (40g) Baby Kale or other greens
1 cup (237ml) reserved Pasta Water
6 Crispy Sage leaves for garnish
Cashew Cream
1/3 cup (44g) raw cashews soaked
1/3 cup (79ml) water
2 tsp (10g) Miso Paste
Pepper to taste
1.Soak the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. Rinse, drain then add them to a blender.
2. Add the miso paste, pepper and water to the cashews and blend until perfectly smooth and creamy. Set aside
Fried Sage
Heat 1/3 cup (79ml) Oil in a shallow pan on medium high heat. Once it reaches 350 degrees, drop in the sage leaves. Fry for about 30 seconds, flipping over until crispy.
Set fried sage onto a paper towel lined plate to drain.
You can alternately heat 1 Tbsp (15g) of vegan butter in a frying on medium high heat and cook the sage until lightly browned and crispy.
Directions
1. Prepare the butternut squash by first peeling it with a vegetable peeler. Cut it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out all of the seeds. Cut the squash into 1” -2” cubes.
2. Place the butternut squash cubes onto a lined baking sheet. Add the peeled whole garlic cloves and peeled whole shallots. Generously drizzle with oil. Season with salt, pepper, onion salt and ground sage. Give the vegetables a good mix and bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Flip the vegetables halfway through.
3. Make the sauce by adding the cooled vegetables to a food processor or high speed blender. Pulse until completely smooth and creamy.
4. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
5. In a large pot or skillet add the puréed butternut squash mixture. Add the pasta water to thin and allow everything to heat up by cooking it for 3-5 minutes on medium low heat.
6. Add in the cashew cream and mix well. Once the cream is incorporated into the butternut squash add in the Calabrian chili peppers and then the parmesan. Mix well and allow it to heat through. Add in the cooked pasta and mix to coat.
7. Lastly add in the baby kale and mix. Cover the skillet/pot to allow the greens to wilt. Serve hot with crispy sage and enjoy!
