Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Looking for something creamy, comforting and cozy? What fits the bill better than pasta. Specifically, this creamy, fall inspired vegan butternut squash pasta sauce. This has long been a favourite recipe of mine and also for so many of you too. The sauce is made from creamy butternut squash, soaked cashews for extra creaminess, some savory smoky spices, plus a whole head of roasted garlic. It coats that beautiful rigatoni which is then topped with crispy sage and toasted pumpkin seeds.

This post was originally shared in 2018 but has since been updated (2023) with newer photos and clearer directions. The recipe has not changed.

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this creamy vegan butternut squash sauce.

• raw cashews
• butternut squash
• garlic
• fresh sage
• raw pumpkin seeds
• large rigatoni‍
• lemon juice‍
• nutritional yeast‍
• smoked paprika ‍
• ancho chile powder or chili powder‍
• kosher salt‍
• extra virgin olive oil
• spinach (or arugula)

How to Make This Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

The first thing you’ll want to do is soak your cashews. Soak your cashews in hot water for at least two hours, or in a pinch, you can soak them in just boiled water for about 30 minutes. 

Cook your Squash

Cut the butternut squash in half, removing the seeds and place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes until cooked through. Add in some garlic too!

Fry the Sage Leaves

Wash and dry your sage leaves and heat up a small pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and fry the sage until crispy, about four to five minutes. Then remove and set aside. Toast the pumpkin seeds and add those alongside the sage leaves.

Prepare the Vegan Butternut Squash Sauce

Remove the butternut squash and let cool while you boil some water in a pot for your pasta and cook according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and add back into the pot. Reserve some pasta water for blending the sauce.

Add your greens to the pasta so that it has time to wilt a little with the heat of the pasta. 

Once the squash has cooled slightly, scoop out 2 cups and add to a blender along with the remaining pasta ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy. It’s important to use about 2 cups, if you add more, increase the other ingredients as well. You’ll have some leftover cooked squash, which you can add to your pasta, or save it for another use.

Essential Ingredients

‍‍This vegan butternut squash pasta sauce is amazing! A lot of times, I find that squash pasta sauces tend to be a little more on the sweet side and I wanted this to be super savoury.

So, I add in a few key ingredients such as:

• Smoked paprika
• Ancho Chili powder
• Fried sage 
• Cashews
• Roasted garlic

Usually I would say that you can get away without some ingredients if you don’t have them, but with this one, I would say don’t miss out on the sage.

When you fry it in a little bit of oil it gets all crispy and tastes so amazing in this dish. It really helps balance out the sweetness of this vegan butternut squash pasta sauce in my opinion.

Serving & Storage

• Store leftover cooked pasta with sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a nonstick skillet over low heat, or microwave until warmed through.
• Freeze leftover sauce in a sealed container (or freezer safe plastic bag) in the freezer for up to three months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and then reheat on low in a small pot and toss with cooked pasta when ready to eat.

Tips

• Don’t forget the pasta water: pasta water is essential for this creamy vegan butternut squash pasta as it helps the sauce stick to the pasta. Plus it’s necessary to thin out the vegan squash sauce. You can always add an extra splash of water to the pasta when stirring everything together if needed.
• Season the pasta water: be sure to add a good pinch of salt to the cooking water for the pasta. This helps to season the pasta as well.
• Use only the amount of squash recommended: you may have more squash leftover, but only use two cups of the cooked butternut squash for the recipe. Save the rest for another recipe like this butternut squash grilled cheese.

Ingredients & Products I Recommend:

Kosher salt:

I exclusively use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for all of my recipes. I prefer the texture, taste and consistency of this brand and highly recommend it for everyday cooking.

Substitutions For Making This Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

• ‍No Nuts: omit the cashews, it will be less creamy, but still delicious. ‍
• No Greens: omit. Any type of leafy green would be nice in here if you have. ‍
• Make it Gluten Free: use your favourite gluten free pasta.‍
• More Protein: add in some cooked protein such as chicken to the dish. Or, sprinkle some hemp seeds on top for a little boost. You can also use a higher protein/fiber pasta such as quinoa, chickpea or lentil.

More Pasta Recipes to Try:

I really, really love noodles and pasta, so be sure to check out these other fun recipes!

• Ravioli with Creamy Spinach Pesto Sauce
• Sungold & Saffron Tomato Pasta
• Air Fryer Gnocchi with Burst Tomato Sauce
• Harissa Pasta with Burrata
• Pan Fried Gnocchi with Sage & Brown Butter
• Easy Miso Carbonara
• Chili Crisp Noodles
• Pasta with Burrata and Sausage
• Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Crunchy Celery
• Healthy Pad Thai
• Chicken Noodle Salad with Thai Bang-Bang Sauce

Are you ready to make this? Let’s get to it!

As always, if you make this vegan butternut squash pasta sauce please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!

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