This soothing Creamy Butternut Pasta with Cashew Crumble Topping will satisfy all ages with its smooth, comforting flavors. We added frozen peas for colorful fiber, but you can also use other favorites like broccoli florets, sugar snap peas, or spinach.
Tip: Get Ready
This dish can be made and assembled in a baking dish and refrigerated for up to a day or overnight before baking. When you’re ready to eat, bake it, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover it and bake for another 10 minutes.
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Creamy Butternut Pasta with Cashew Crumble Topping
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Ingredients
Cashew Crumble
- 1/3 cup raw cashews soaked
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Creamy butternut pasta
- 2 lbs butternut squash
- 4 large garlic cloves peeled and halved
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil divided
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 2 cups unsweetened dairy-free milk gluten free if desired
- 2 cups penne pasta regular, whole wheat, or gluten free
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- crushed chili flakes optional
- pea shoots optional
Instructions
- Soak cashews in cold water for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours. Rinse and drain.
- In food processor, combine soaked nuts, 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, parsley, and salt. Whirl until you have coarse crumbs. Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Cashew crumble can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Peel and dice squash. You should have about 3 cups. In large bowl, toss squash and garlic with 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil. Tumble onto baking sheet and spread out in single layer. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Transfer to high-speed blender or food processor with remaining ingredients except milk, pasta, peas, chili flakes, and pea shoots. Whirl mixture, adding milk until desired creamy sauce is formed. Add a little water if needed for sauce to be of pouring consistency.
- In large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain well and place in large bowl with remaining 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Toss to evenly coat. Drizzle with butternut squash cream sauce and gently fold together to evenly coat. Fold in peas. Add more seasonings to taste, if you wish.
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Generously oil 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish. Transfer mixture to dish and sprinkle with cashew crumble. Bake in oven until pasta is piping hot and topping is golden, about 20 minutes.
- Serve immediately with a generous pinch of crushed chilies and a scattering of pea shoots, if you wish.
Recipe Notes
Per serving: 526 calories; 23 g protein; 11 g total fat (5 g sat. fat); 64 g total carbohydrates (10 g sugars, 14 g fiber); 445 mg sodium
