Dairy Free Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Since I have been mostly gluten-free and dairy-free for many years, one thing I miss most is a super creamy, delicious pasta sauce that brings comfort to my meals. I know pumpkin pasta sauce is all the craze but that didn't feel like it had the nutty flavor I wanted. This Dairy-free Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce is a velvety and rich sauce made from roasted butternut squash, blended with aromatic spices and cashew butter, creating a creamy pasta sauce that everyone can enjoy.

Fall is butternut squash season, which is on my list of perfect fall comfort foods. This creamy butternut squash pasta recipe is next level and truly enjoy it so much every single time. It makes me think of the crisp air, cool weather, and the change of the seasons.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Dietary Restrictions: It is important to me that people who have food allergies, or sensitivities have options when they come to my house or are cooking for themselves. This recipe is delicious and is gluten-free and dairy-free. It can also be made plan-based by swapping veggie broth for the bone broth.

Minimal Ingredients: This butternut squash pasta dish has only 13 ingredients and most of them are ingredients you likely have on hand.

Easy to make: This is the perfect weeknight meal because it requires minimal effort and is made in less than 30 minutes. It also is a great recipe for an easy meal prep if you want lunches for the whole week.

Ingredients You Will Need

Gluten-free Pasta: I like Banza Pasta the best. This chickpea pasta is much higher in protein and fiber than regular pasta. I prefer using the spaghetti, but any pasta shape works just fine.

Butternut Squash: Has a very nutrient-rich profile and has lots of health benefits. It is high in vitamins C, E, A, potassium, and magnesium. Butternut squash is also high in fiber, antioxidants, and so much more. It aids in skin health, digestive health, and immune function. It is blended to make a deliciously creamy sauce in this recipe.

Olive Oil: It is really important to get a high-quality olive oil and one that is 100% olive oil, the food industry likes to cut corners when it comes to oils so be sure you check your labels.

Cashew Butter: This is where the creaminess of the pasta comes from, instead of heavy cream. If you haven't had cashew butter, it is similar to creamy peanut butter but has a caramel flavor to it. I really like Artisana Naturals because it is made with only a couple ingredients and is extra creamy.

Yellow Onion: Are full of antioxidants which help fight inflammation. They also have folate, manganese, and some vitamin C. They are antibacterial, help digestion (for some), and can help reduce your risk of cancer.

Chicken Bone Broth: Bone broth is a nutrient-rich liquid made by simmering high quality animal bones, connective tissues, and aromatic vegetables in water for an extended period. It is known for its properties that aid in gut health and healing inflammation.

Garlic: Is known for its anti inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It helps fight many diseases like the common cold, heart disease, and others.

Nutritional Yeast: A popular food product that is often used as a condiment or seasoning, particularly in a dairy-free diet.Nutritional yeast is known for its unique flavor, which is described as savory, cheesy, or nutty. Its most interesting nutritional benefit is that it is a complete protein.

Lemon Juice: This adds a nice tartness to the dressing to help balance out the sweetness of the blueberries.

Thyme: Is an herb from the mint family! It may also provide numerous health benefits, such as fighting acne, regulating mucus, fighting infections, helps boost your overall immune system.

Sage: an aromatic herb that has many health benefits such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It can help with digestive health, oral health, and skin health.

Rosemary: Is high in antioxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory compounds. With all of these benefits, rosemary can help improve memory, digestion, heart health and so much more. It is an herb that goes so well with many dishes!

Instructions

Boil a large pot of salted water and cook pasta according to the package instructions.

Saute the veggies. Heat a pan to medium heat and add the olive oil. Then add butternut squash, yellow onion, and garlic to the pan and saute until the butternut squash is fork tender.

Make the sauce. Add the butternut squash, onion, and garlic to a food processor (a high-speed blender or immersion blender works, too!). Then add chicken bone broth, nutritional yeast, cashew butter, sage, thyme, rosemary, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to the food processor. Blend until smooth.

Add the sauce to the cooked pasta in a large pot and combine until the pasta is coated evenly. If the sauce doesn't get warm with the heat of the noddles, cook on low heat until the sauce is warmed.

Serve and Enjoy!

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Butternut Squash: I prefer to use frozen butternut squash cubes because it cooks much faster, however, you can use whole or pre-cubed butternut squash, too. (just add about 20 minutes to the cooking time).

Blending: I use my food processor for this recipe, but you can use an immersion blender or a high-powered blender.

Protein: If you want to add extra protein to this meal ground chicken, ground turkey, or spicy sausage would work really well with this recipe.

A Hint of Spice: To spice this up a little bit, I also top my pasta with some red pepper flakes, too.

Recipe Variations

Pasta: I love using Banza Pasta because it is gluten-free, has good ingredients, and is high in protein. You can use any pasta you like, whether it is gluten-free or regular pasta. Just cook the pasta according to the package.

Cheese: If you are ok with some dairy, you can use parmesan cheese instead of nutritional yeast.

Broth: I use chicken bone broth, but you can use chicken broth or vegetable broth to make it plant-based.

Storage Tips

This Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce can easily be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I store it with the pasta, but can also be stored alone for an easy weeknight meal later in the week.

What To Serve With This Recipe

This perfect fall comfort food goes well with so many other recipes and the best part is, the simple ingredients can be used to make other recipes, too!

What to serve it with: Fall Kale Salad, Dairy-free Caesar Salad, Apple Pecan Salad

What recipes to make that can be similar: Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, Bruschetta Chicken Pasta, and Sundried Tomato Pasta