A couple of days ago, my mom noticed that she found way more recipes for sweets and baked goods on my blog than for savoury dishes. This is gonna change right now! With this extra-creamy vegan butternut squash pasta I give you a recipe for an easy weeknight dinner that’s both, super easy to prepare and utterly delicious. Also, it lends itself perfectly for meal-prep. You can roast the squash on the weekend, make the sauce and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. The same holds true for the pesto. So, when you come home from a long day of work all you need to do is cook your favourite kind of pasta, heat the sauce in a pan, stir it all together and, voilà, dinner is on the table!

I love dishes like these. And I’m gonna tell you why: they are nutritious, without tasting “healthy” – they give you a sense of home and comfort, without needing a ton of time to prepare – and they are suitable for all kinds of intolerances, without coming across as a “specialty” meal. You can even use alternative pasta made from rice or lentils, if you or one of your loved ones is gluten-intolerant. Everything’s possible, without any fuss.

As I mentioned before, this recipe is perfect for your weekend meal-prep. If you don’t have time for that, or you simply just read this recipe and want to make it tonight, make sure to plan in some time for roasting the butternut squash. For the pesto, if in a hurry, you may skip making your own and grab some high quality pesto at the store. Just make sure it’s a vegan brand, if you’re vegan or want to keep this a plant-based meal.

One more word to the recipe: as we slowly shift from Winter into Spring, fresh greens start to pop up. The perfect time to combine wintery vegetables, like butternut squash, with some fresh greens like basil and spinach. I’m aware that nowadays, we get almost all vegetables and greens all year round. Nevertheless, I think you can do your pallet and body, your budget and, last but not least, our planet a huge favour if you prioritise seasonal eats. If you’re looking for other dishes using squash, try my Hokkaido Millet Risotto – a slightly different take on the Italian classic.

And without further ado – here’s the recipe for this extra-creamy comforting weekend meal. Enjoy!

P.s.: As always, please leave a comment if you try this recipe or even share your creations with me on IG tagging #themellowkitchn and @themellowkitchn

Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta

Created by Anna on 3rd March 2019

Imagine an extra-creamy butternut squash sauce poured over your favourite pasta, drizzled with some garlicky pesto and topped with fresh spinach. With some meal-prep this makes the perfect comforting weeknight dinner, that comes together in a whim. Facebook0TwitterPinterest0email

Prep Time: 45m
Cook Time: 15m
Total Time: 1h

Serves: 4
Category: all recipes, dinner, lunch, Main dish, Plantbased, Vegan, Vegetarian

Ingredients

Butternut Squash Sauce

1 kilogram butternut squash
2 cloves garlic
125 millilitres vegetable broth (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil, extra-virgin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh black pepper

Vegan Basil Pesto

1 cup or big handful fresh basil (or a mixture of radish leaves, parsley & spinach)
30 grams walnuts (1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (or fresh parmesan if you're not vegan)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
juice & zest of 1/2 organic lemon
80 millilitres olive oil, extra-virgin (1/3 cup)

For Assembling

500 grams shell or conchiglie pasta (or any other kind that you like)
2 big hands fresh spinach, stems removed (or baby spinach) (2 cups tightly packed)
1 small hand chopped walnuts (optional)
kosher salt & fresh black pepper

Instructions

Prepare Butternut Squash Sauce

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking tray with (reusable) baking paper. Cut butternut squash in halves and place, cut-side down, onto the prepared baking tray. Bake for 30-40mins until soft and tender. Meanwhile prepare pesto and other ingredients. Poke with a sharp knife to make sure the squash is cooked through. Let cool until cold enough to handle.
Remove pumpkin seeds with a spoon. Scoop out flesh and place in the container of your blender or a high mixing container. Add veggie broth, oil, salt and pepper and blend on high (using a standing or hand blender) until smooth. Set aside or see notes if you are meal-prepping for later.

Prepare Pesto

Combine all ingredients in a kitchen machine or blender and blend for 1 minute or until a smooth paste has formed. Set aside or store in the fridge in a screw-on glass jar, for up to 2 weeks.

Assembling the pasta

Fill a big pot with water, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling add salt and pasta and cook according to package description.
Meanwhile add the pumpkin sauce to a skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Once the pasta is cooked al-dente, reserve 250ml (1 cup) cooking liquid and drain with a colander. Add half of the cooking water together with the pasta to the pumpkin sauce and stir to combine.
Add washed spinach (cut & stems removed, if you're using bigger leaves) and stir through. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with the prepared pesto and chopped walnuts. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can use store-bought basil pesto if you are in a hurry or cannot find fresh basil. Also, roast the butternut squash in advance (maybe on the weekend), make the sauce and store in the fridge for up to 5 days for an easy weeknight dinner.