This Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce is creamy, flavorful, and has a touch of natural sweetness. It makes for a cozy weeknight dinner that is perfect for fall!

Butternut squash has a flavorful, slightly sweet, and nutty flavor. When roasted, it caramelizes and becomes tender, creating a rich and creamy sauce.
Cashews serve as a substitute for heavy cream. When soaked and blended, they achieve a texture similar.
And with cozy herbs like sage and thyme, this pasta truly embodies the essence of fall!
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Ingredients
This creamy roasted butternut squash pasta is perfect for a simple, comforting meal, especially on a cozy weekend evening when you're in the mood for something rich and indulgent.
Butternut Squash: It's sweet, savory, and slightly nutty and when blended, it's super creamy!
Onion and Garlic: Give a rough chop to the onion and peel the garlic then toss with the butternut squash and roast until soft and starting to brown. These aromatic ingredients are a must add— they contribute so much flavor!
Sage and Thyme: These herbs compliment butternut squash perfectly!
Pasta: I used rigatoni pasta. But feel free to use your favorite pasta shape. If gluten-free, you can use gluten-free pasta.
Cashews: Instead of heavy cream, this sauce uses soaked cashews to add creaminess.
Lemon Juice: For brightness and flavor balance.
Dijon Mustard: Adds a slight tang.
Miso Paste: Umami and additional saltiness.
Seasoning: A lot of the flavor comes from the onion and garlic so this recipe doesn't require a lot of additional seasonings besides salt, pepper, and red chili flakes.
Pasta Water: The salted pasta water adds flavor to the sauce, making it more cohesive and balanced as well as thin out the sauce to the perfect texture.
See recipe card for quantities.
Helpful Equipment
You'll need a high-speed blender for this cashew sauce.
If you have a Vitamix or other high-speed blender, that is recommended over anything else.
To be transparent, I attempted this in my non-high speed blender just to see how it would turn out but I ended up switching to my nutribullet and continued to blend.
The sauce in the regular blender ended up being a bit gritty and not as creamy in texture. It tasted good but it definitely wasn't the greatest texture.
How to Make This Recipe
If you're in need of an easy and comforting dish that highlights the flavors of fall, try this recipe!
The creamy vegan butternut squash sauce pairs well with pasta, making it a simple yet satisfying meal to whip up.
The full written recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425℉. Cube the squash and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the diced onion, peeled garlic cloves, chopped sage, and thyme. Drizzle with olive oil and a large pinch of salt then toss to combine.
Step 2: Roast for 30-40 minutes until the squash is caramelized and tender.
Step 3: Boil a small pot of water. Turn off the heat and then add the cashews. Allow them to soak for at least 15-20 minutes to soften. Set aside.
Step 4: Add the squash and cashews to a blender along with the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, white miso paste, red pepper flakes, Kosher salt, black pepper, and ½ cup of reserved pasta water to help it blend.
Step 5: Blend until smooth— it will be thick at first, we will thin it out once we add it to the pan.
Step 6: Add the butternut squash sauce to a large pan over medium heat and whisk in reserved pasta water until desired thickness.
Step 7: Once the butternut squash is hot and thinned out, add the cooked pasta.
Step 8: Toss until combined and season with additional salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. Enjoy!
Note: Soaking cashews is an essential step to achieve the best texture.
Substitutions & Variations
Butternut Squash: You can use peeled sweet potatoes but the flavor will be changed.
Cashews: If you're allergic to nuts, try silken tofu or canned coconut milk. Both of these things can slightly change the flavor— keep that in mind.
Fresh herbs: Use dried instead.
Forgot to reserve pasta water? You can add regular water but you'll probably have to add addition salt. Or try low-sodium vegetable broth.
Serving Ideas
This vegan squash pasta is delicious on its own, but if you're looking for a side dish, consider one of the following options:
Salad: A simple mixed greens salad with a balsamic vinaigrette balances the richness of the pasta.
Garlic Bread: Crispy garlic bread or a toasted baguette is perfect for soaking up any leftover sauce.
Roasted Vegetables: Seasonal roasted veggies, such as Brussels sprouts or broccoli would be great.
Vegan Sausage: For added protein, serve with vegan sausage. Field roast makes a delicious apple and sage flavor.
Sautéed Greens: Sautéed spinach, Swiss chard, or kale.
Tips & Tricks
Avoid overcooking the pasta, as it will become too soft.
If the sauce is too thick, continue to add pasta water or low-sodium vegetable stock until you've reached your desired thickness.
Choose a squash with medium-beige skin that looks matte rather than shiny. If it’s too pale, shiny, or has green streaks, it might have been harvested too early and could taste bland.
Soaking cashews help achieve the best texture when blended. You can soak them in hot water for about 15-20 minutes, or for even better results, soak them overnight.
Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, keeping in mind that not all salts are interchangeable; if you're substituting table salt for kosher salt, use about half the amount specified in the recipe.
Storage
Store: You can store leftover roasted squash pasta in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheat: To reheat leftover pasta, warm it on the stovetop until hot. If the sauce has thickened too much, add a splash of water.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the recipe once the pasta and sauce are combined. Instead, you can freeze the sauce separately and thaw it in the fridge before adding it to the pasta when you’re ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this is a great way to skip prepping the squash. Cook from frozen for best results!
You can tell when butternut squash is fully cooked when it's tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Add more red chili flakes for a spicer flavor.
More Pasta Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Recipe
Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 medium Butternut Squash 4 cups cubed
- 1 large Yellow Onion diced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves peeled
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Sage chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme
- 2-3 tablespoons Olive Oil for roasting
- ½ cup Cashews soaked in hot water
- 1 pound Rigatoni Pasta or other pasta of choice
- 2 cups Reserved Pasta Water add as needed
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 teaspoons White Miso Paste
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt see note
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- Peel, seed, and cube the butternut squash.
- Place the cubes on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the diced onion, peeled garlic cloves, chopped sage, and thyme. Drizzle with olive oil and a large pinch of salt then toss to combine.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes until the squash is caramelized and tender.
- While the squash is roasting, boil a small pot of water. Turn off the heat and then add the cashews. Allow them to soak for at least 15-20 minutes to soften. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 2 cups of pasta water to thin out the sauce. Place the pasta back in the pot and set aside.
- Once the squash and onions are done roasting, add it to a blender along with the soaked and drained cashews.
- Add in the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, white miso paste, red pepper flakes, Kosher salt, black pepper, and ½ cup of reserved pasta water to help it blend. Blend until smooth— it will be thick at first, we will thin it out once we add it to the pan.
- Add the butternut squash sauce to a large pan over medium heat and whisk in reserved pasta water until desired thickness. Once the butternut squash is hot and thinned out, add the cooked pasta. Toss until combined.
- Divide into serving bowls and top with red pepper flakes, chopped sage, and black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
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