Cheesy Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta

Not that long ago- your girl was hooked on boxed, standard Mac and Cheese. I don’t know if it was the affordability, the childhood nostalgia, the convenience or the cheesy and creamy pasta bits that lured me right in. Maybe, it was ALL of the above working in perfect conjunction. AKA the perfect food storm of sorts.

Despite the fact you’re making dinner out of a box; it still feels cozy, filling, perfectly satisfying and it tastes even better with a glass of wine. Yes, no shame. Friday nights went down like this many times; especially when I started my first job fresh out of university. I would often come home exhausted after a long work week and I just wanted to eat something warm, sink into my trusty, Ikea couch and drink a glass of red wine, very very slowly.

I vividly remember coming home to my Tabby rescue cat, Tiger, and cozying up on that couch while watching hours of mindless TV followed by a good read. He didn’t judge and was the best sidekick.

Flash forward to a couple of years down the road, and Mac and Cheese was my “mom win” whenever the kiddos were acting extra picky, when I had a meal fail, or when I was in a rush after a long day in the office and not about to cook a meal from scratch. I always served it with a side of roasted broccoli with lots of lemon and grated parm, which they would gladly devour. The greenery absolved me from some of the mom guilt that comes with making dinner out of a box.

But- what if I could make this CHEESE-like, velvety, luscious, roasted butternut squash sauce ahead of time and have it on hand to add to freshly-boiled pasta on a whim, allowing me the same convenience of the boxed favorite? And instead of serving up 30+ ingredients in a processed sauce; you’re actually giving them 6, it’s packed with veg, tastes amazing and you can feel even better about it, too?

This recipe works best with:

Rigatoni
Penne
Bow Tie Pasta
Macaroni Shells

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce!

Servings: 4
Time: 35 mins
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Ingredients

a whole butternut squash- peeled, seeded and cubed
1 large yellow onion, peeled and rough chopped into quarters
4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1/2 Tbsp dried or fresh thyme
sea salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups of veggie OR bone broth
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons of Tabasco (omit if serving to kids)
1 cup of raw cashews (soaked in water overnight & drained) *

IF not dairy free, the following cheeses pair so well with this:

1/3 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup grated pecorino romano
1/3 cup of grated Manchego cheese

If vegan, don’t worry. The cashews are the CHEESE. No cashews? You could also take a shortcut and add 1/2 cup of cashew cream cheese or standard cream cheese if not vegan or dairy-free.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425F and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Add your butternut squash, onions, garlic, sage, thyme, sea salt, pepper and drizzle of olive oil. Bake for ~30-35 mins.
While the squash is roasting; I like to prep my pasta. Use any pasta of your choice and follow the instructions on said box.
When the squash is done roasting, add the liquid (bone or veggie broth) first to your blender, the drained cashews, and the roasted veggies. As a final step; add your red pepper flakes & Tabasco and blend until smooth.
Bring the velvety sauce out of the blender and pour it into a large saucepan and warm it over medium/low heat.
IF adding cheese, you can add it to the sauce once it’s in the pan and starting to bubble, it will thicken nicely.
As a final step, bring the drained pasta of your choice and add it to the pan with the sauce. Toss to coat. Add some more red pepper flakes and coarse black pepper. I topped mine with a bit of grated Manchego (a sheep-based cheese that’s easier to digest and delicious)
ENJOY!