Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta
Since it’s squash season, why not make the most of it—even in a pasta dish? That’s exactly what I did, and the result turned out to be quite delicious.
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📝 Ingredients for this butternut squash pasta
For this recipe, you’ll need a handful of simple, wholesome ingredients that come together beautifully. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Fusilli Pasta: 200 grams, cooked al dente, ready to soak up the creamy sauce.
- Butternut Squash: 300 grams, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces for easy roasting.
- Garlic: 4 cloves, peeled and roasted with the squash.
- Spices: ½ teaspoon of thyme, ¼ teaspoon each of rosemary, paprika, and ground black pepper for plenty of flavor.
- Salt: ¾ teaspoon to season the squash perfectly, with more to taste if needed.
- Walnuts: 30 grams of walnuts are added to the roasting tray during the final 5 minutes for a light toast.
- Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons to coat the squash and bring out its natural sweetness while roasting.
- Pasta Water: 1 cup of reserved pasta cooking water to help create a silky sauce.
- Cornstarch: ½ tablespoon for a perfectly creamy texture.
- Nutritional Yeast: 2 tablespoons for a rich, cheesy flavor.
- Lemon Juice: 1 ½ tablespoons to add brightness and balance to the sauce.
- Baby Spinach: 50 grams, stirred into the sauce until wilted and tender.
- Pan-roasted chickpeas: crisped with olive oil, paprika, and a pinch of salt for a savory crunch.
👨🏻🍳 How to make this butternut squash pasta
I began by preheating the oven to 200ºC (392ºF).
Peeled and chopped the butternut squash and garlic, then tossed them in olive oil, spices, and salt to coat evenly. Once prepped, I spread them out on a baking tray and placed them in the oven to roast for 25 to 30 minutes.
During the last 5 minutes of roasting, I added 30 grams of walnuts to the tray, allowing them to toast lightly and develop a rich, nutty taste.
While the squash and garlic were in the oven, I pan-roasted the chickpeas. I heated a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet, added the chickpeas, and seasoned them with ½ teaspoon of paprika and a pinch of salt. I cooked them until they turned golden and crispy.
Next, I prepared the pasta. I brought a pot of water to a boil, added the fusilli, and cooked it until perfectly al dente — tender but with a slight bite.
Once the squash, garlic, and walnuts were done roasting, I transferred them to a tall cup along with the other sauce ingredients — pasta water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Then I used an immersion blender to blend everything until it was smooth and creamy.
Finally, I poured the sauce into a pan, stirred in the baby spinach, and let it simmer gently until the spinach wilted and became tender, which took about 7 minutes. Once done, I turned off the heat and added the al dente pasta. After giving it a good stir, the pasta soaked up the creamy sauce beautifully.
To serve, I plated the pasta and topped it with the crispy pan-roasted chickpeas and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds for an extra crunchy bite.
And that’s it — a simple yet delicious pasta recipe that makes the most of a seasonal veggie that deserves a little more love!
💬 Questions people ask
Can I use a different type of pasta for this recipe?
Yes! Although fusilli pasta is a great option, you can use any other type of pasta you prefer, even a gluten-free version.
I’m allergic to nuts, can I substitute it for something else?
I would just take out the walnuts in this case— as I think the sauce will still taste great anyway.
What can I use instead of chickpeas?
Some topping options that I think would pair well with this pasta are toasted tofu, tempeh, and edamame.
How should I store leftovers?
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just note that saucy pasta like this tends to lose some of its creaminess as it cools, which can make it less appetizing.
Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 300 g butternut squash peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp thyme
- ¼ tsp rosemary
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¾ tsp salt adjust to taste
- ¼ + ½ tsp paprika
- 30 g walnuts
- 200 g chickpeas cooked
- 200 g fusilli pasta
- 1 cup pasta water
- ½ tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 50 g baby spinach
- pumpkin seeds to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200ºC (392ºF). Toss the butternut squash and garlic with 1 tbsp olive oil, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, salt and ¼ tsp paprica. Spread on a baking tray and roast for 25–30 minutes. Add the walnuts during the last 5 minutes.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add chickpeas, ½ tsp paprika, and a pinch of salt. Cook until golden and crispy.
- Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Blend the roasted squash, garlic and walnuts with the pasta water, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice until smooth.
- Pour the sauce into a pan over medium heat. Add the baby spinach and cook for 7 minutes or until wilted.
- Turn off the heat, stir in the cooked pasta and mix until well coated.
- Serve topped with crispy chickpeas and pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- For extra crispy chickpeas, pat them dry before pan-roasting, and don’t overcrowd the pan.
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