This vegan butternut squash pasta is drenched in a silky sauce made from roasted butternut squash and coconut milk. A delicious, decadent vegan dinner that’s also super easy to make!
‘Tis the season for all the butternut squash recipes to rain down on the internet, and I for one couldn’t be happier!
Butternut squash is pretty much available year round, but it’s in season in fall, and that’s when you’ll see lots of squashes popping up in stores. It’s also perfect for fall, with it’s comforting sweet and nutty flavor.
This creamy vegan butternut squash pasta is a great dish for celebrating the start of fall. It’s versatile enough for both warm and cool days, both of which we get plenty of this time of year. It’s rich and comforting for when the weather is chilly, but comes together with little work, so you won’t mind making it on those days when it still feels summery out.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Butternut squash. You’ll need about one small squash, or about half of a large one.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Olive oil.
- Dried pasta. The recipe calls for dried fettuccine, but you can really use whatever pasta shape you’d like!
- Non-dairy milk. Use a variety that’s unsweetened and unflavored. Almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk and oat milk are all great options.
- Coconut milk. For best results use full-fat coconut milk in cans, rather than coconut milk beverage, which is typically sold in cartons. Having said that, you an substitute light coconut milk or another type of non-dairy milk if you’d like to reduce the fat content of the dish. Just be aware that your sauce won’t come out quite as rich and creamy.
- Salt & pepper.
- Nutmeg.
- Fresh sage.
Variation: To switch things up, try substituting vegan ravioli or gnocchi for dried pasta!
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
- Peel and dice your butternut squash, quarter your onions and separate the layers, and peel your garlic cloves.
- Arrange everything on a baking sheet and drizzle it with some oil. Use your hands to distribute the oil over the ingredients.
- Pop the baking sheet into the oven and roast everything until the squash is tender, flipping the ingredients about halfway through.
Tip: Keep an eye on your veggies as they roast. If the onions start to burn, remove them from the baking sheet and let everything else roast a few minutes longer.
- Cook your pasta while the vegetables roast. Reserve a bit of pasta water before draining it. It might come in handy later!
- Place your roasted veggies into a blender or food processor, along with the milks, salt and nutmeg.
- Blend the sauce until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Pour your butternut squash sauce over the cooked pasta. Add some chopped fresh sage and stir everything up with a fork. You may want to thin the sauce a bit — use that pasta water that you saved!
- Season the sauce with additional salt to taste, as well as some black pepper.
- Serve your vegan butternut squash pasta. Enjoy!
Tip: This dish goes great with vegan bacon! Try serving it with my tofu bacon or tempeh bacon.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegan butternut squash pasta will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. The sauce may thicken up during storage. Simply thin it with some water or non-dairy milk when reheating if this happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can! Just use gluten-free vegan pasta.
I couldn’t taste the coconut at all. If you’re particularly sensitive to the flavor of coconut, go ahead and substitute another type of non-dairy milk.
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Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta
This vegan butternut squash pasta is drenched in a silky sauce made from roasted butternut squash and coconut milk. A delicious, decadent vegan dinner that’s also super easy to make!
Ingredients
-
1
pound
butternut squash,
peeled and diced (½ inch) (Note 1) -
1
medium onion,
peeled, quartered and layers separated -
4
garlic cloves,
peeled -
1
tablespoon
olive oil -
12
ounces
dried fettuccine pasta -
1
cup
unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk -
½
cup
full-fat coconut milk
(Note 2) -
1
teaspoon
salt,
plus more to taste -
⅛
teaspoon
ground nutmeg -
Black pepper,
to taste -
1
tablespoon
fresh sage leaves,
finely chopped
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
-
Place the squash, onion, and garlic cloves on a baking sheet and drizzle them with the oil. Use your hands to rub the oil all over the veggies.
-
Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast the vegetables for about 20 minutes, until the squash is tender. Keep an eye on everything and remove any onion pieces if they begin to burn.
-
While the veggies roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions.
-
Drain the pasta into a colander, reserving about ½ cup of the water that you boiled it in. Return the drained pasta to the pot.
-
When the vegetables are finished roasting place them into a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Add the milk, coconut milk, salt, and nutmeg.
-
Blend everything until smooth.
-
Taste-test the sauce and add more salt if desired, as well as some black pepper to taste.
-
Pour the sauce over the pasta and add the sage. Stir everything up with a fork and thin the sauce with some of the reserved pasta water if needed.
-
Season the pasta with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired.
Recipe Notes
- You’ll need about 1 small squash or half of a large one to make this recipe.
- Light coconut milk or another non-dairy milk can be substituted if you’d like to reduce the fat content of the dish. The sauce won’t be quite as rich and creamy.
- This recipe makes 4 very generous servings. You could get up to 6 smaller servings out of it.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 490
Calories from Fat 115
% Daily Value*
Fat 12.8g20%
Saturated Fat 7.1g36%
Sodium 637mg27%
Potassium 734mg21%
Carbohydrates 82.5g28%
Fiber 6.8g27%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 13.7g27%
Calcium 210mg21%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
