Butternut Squash Pasta

This vegan butternut squash pasta recipe is quick and easy, with few ingredients. This creamy, decadent butternut squash pasta sauce is versatile for various recipes. It is ready in 30 minutes or less.

Fall is butternut squash season, and nothing tastes better than vegan butternut squash pasta. I love the farmer's market for locally grown vegetables, and in Arizona, farmer's market season has just begun. The house fills with a sweet-savory aroma, so whenever I cook vegan butternut squash pasta sauce.

Even though I use this butternut squash sauce for various recipes, I made a butternut squash pasta with roasted vegetables today. But I'll share other ways to use this decadent sauce for other recipes. 

Jump to:

• Butternut Squash Sauce Ingredients
• Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make the Sauce
• Other Ways to Use Butternut Squash Sauce
• Preparing the Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe
• Recipe FAQs
• TIPS
• Other Great Vegan Pasta Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Butternut squash makes the perfect vegetable as a base for a creamy sauce. Roasted butternut squash, and a few simple ingredients, create a savory, cheesy textured sauce similar to macaroni and cheese sauce.

More often than not, I struggle to find quick and easy dinners on busy nights. But, like many people, I'm constantly running and sometimes need a simple dinner idea. So, if this describes your life, this vegan butternut squash recipe is right up your alley. 

Because the sauce is made primarily of butternut squash and a few other ingredients, the broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, and microgreens add vegetables to my meal. But vegan butternut squash pasta served without added roasted vegetables tastes fabulous.  

Butternut Squash Sauce Ingredients

Of course, it's all about the vegan butternut squash sauce, which is simple to make. 

• Butternut Squash: Sweet, moist, and nutty tasting, the flavor of butternut squash is a bit like sweet potatoes—or, some say, butterscotch.
• White Onion: White onions have a strong, sharp, and not very sweet flavor; however, when cooked, white onion becomes sweeter.
• Shallot: Shallots might look like mini onions, but they have a distinct voice and a delicate, sweet flavor that deepens when cooked.
• Garlic: When garlic is cooked with shallots and onions, a savory richness is developed in the sauce.
• Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is vegan cheese goodness. Not only does it make recipes taste cheesy, but it is also very nutritious and high in Vitamin B.
• White Wine Vinegar: White vinegar is by far the most popular vinegar in the hot sauce because it's both inexpensive and has a neutral yet strongly acidic flavor profile
• Salt/Pepper: Salt and pepper enhance the flavors in the sauce.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder also gives the sauce an additional level of richness.
• Unsweetened, Unflavored Plant Milk: I used oat milk because I like its creamy texture.

Sauce Ingredient Substitutions

• Try acorn squash as a substitute for butternut squash, or many people use sweet potatoes.
• Use yellow onion in place of white onion.
• Red onions or leeks are often substituted for shallots in recipes.
• Unseasoned rice vinegar is a substitute for white wine vinegar.
• One clove of fresh garlic equals ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic powder. The exact conversion applies to dehydrated or freeze-dried garlic or even minced refrigerated garlic.
• Choose any unsweetened, unflavored plant milk.

How to Make the Sauce

I chose to roast the butternut squash, onion, garlic, and shallot to bring out all the flavors in the sauce.

Although the squash also steams well, I think the richness of the squash shows through with roasting it first.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
3. Peel and cut butternut squash into one-inch sized cubes.
4. Cut onion and shallot similar to butternut squash, and place whole cloves of garlic together with the squash on the baking sheet.
5. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder and pepper.
6. Bake for 30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven; let cool, to the touch.
8. Using the same pan, prepare the broccoli and Brussel sprouts in a single layer on the baking sheet.
9. Sprinkle with garlic powder.
10. Roast for 25 minutes while preparing the sauce and pasta.

Once the vegetables are roasted, allow them to cool slightly, and then make the sauce.

1. Add cooked squash, onion, shallot, garlic, plant milk, nutritional yeast, white wine vinegar, and garlic in a high-speed blender.
2. Blend on high until smooth.
3. You may store the sauce in refrigerator if not ready to use ir, or you may pour it into a sauce pan to heat it.
4. Turn the stove on low heat and warm the sauce while the pasta is cooking; stir occasionally.

Use the sauce immediately, or place it in a container to reheat and use at another time.

Or, make the sauce ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator, and reheat it before adding it to the noodles. 

Other Ways to Use Butternut Squash Sauce

Even though I chose pasta tonight, this vegan butternut squash sauce tastes terrific on various other dishes.

• Drizzle over a baked potato.
• Blend into mashed potatoes instead of plant milk.
• Pour over steamed vegetables.
• Add an additional cup of vegetable broth for a butternut squash creamy soup.
• Use as a lasagna sauce in between noodle and vegetable layers.
• Add to risotto cakes with roasted vegetables

Preparing the Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe

1. Add the broccoli florets and Brussels sprouts and cut them in half using the same pan to roast the butternut squash, onions, garlic, and shallots.
2. Roast for 25 minutes in a 400-degree oven.
3. Although any pasta shape or type works well, I always choose whole-grain pasta for the best nutritional value.
4. Also, rice noodles provide a gluten-free option for this vegan butternut squash pasta recipe. 
5. Prepare the noodles according to the package instructions, and rinse and drain.
6. Return the noodles to the pot, and pour the butternut squash sauce over the top.
7. Then, add the roasted broccoli and Brussel sprouts.
8. Garnish with microgreens, red pepper flakes, and vegan parmesan cheese (optional).

Recipe FAQs

TIPS

• Instead of roasting the broccoli and Brussel sprouts, boil them with the noodles for the last 5 minutes. This is a great way to cook expedite cooking and use fewer pans, which means less mess.
• Serve the butternut squash pasta without the vegetables.
• Add vegan parmesan cheese for an additional cheesy crunch. 
• Sprinkle with red hot pepper flakes when serving for a bit of spice. 
• Make the sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days before using. 
• To reheat the sauce, pour it into a saucepan and heat on medium-low until heated through.

You will love this vegan butternut squash pasta recipe for a quick, easy weeknight meal. And it's done in less than 30 minutes.

Other Great Vegan Pasta Recipes

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