Butternut Squash Kale Pasta recipe with almonds
Creamy garlicky butternut squash kale spaghetti pasta with crunchy almonds – a vegan pasta loaded with lemon, garlic, kale, crunchy almonds, and a clingy Herby sauce.
Jump to RecipeThis butternut squash kale pasta with crunchy almonds recipe is a flavor-bursting, nutrient-rich bowl of deliciousness. Think fork-twirling pasta, oven-roasted butternut squash, a creamy herb speckled butternut sauce that clings to every bite of spaghetti, silky kale, and all of that deliciousness topped generously with crunchy roasted and salted almonds. Yum.
We’re working with simple easy to get ingredients for this easy squash pasta recipe
- olive oil
- spaghetti, linguine, or pasta of your choice
- butternut squash, seeds removed, diced
- kale, finely chopped
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- dried oregano
- dried basil
- salt
- black pepper
- garlic
- roasted salted almonds, chopped
- 1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
How to make the best creamy vegan butternut squash spaghetti
This simple and easy recipe lets the oven and blender do most of the work for you. It’s a cozy easy plant based weeknight dinner that’s a breeze to make.
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Place the diced butternut squash on the lined baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. Toss or mix to coat the butternut squash in oil and herbs. Place the garlic cloves with the skins still on in the middle of the pan, underneath the butternut squash.
- Cook the squash in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden, soft and just starting to get crispy browned at the edges.
- Remove from the oven.
- Cook the pasta as instructed on the packaging.
- Now, being careful not to burn yourself, gently peel off the garlic peel or squeeze out the tender garlic. Discard the garlic peel and add the soft roasted garlic to a blender. Add half of the butternut squash to the blender along with the rest of the olive oil, and the lemon juice. Blend until it forms a thick creamy sauce.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain away nearly all of the pasta water, leaving 1/2 inch or so still in the pot. Pour the creamy blended butternut squash sauce into the pot and use a spoon to mix until all the spaghetti is coated in sauce. Add the finely chopped kale and combine again.
- Plate up the pasta and top generously with the rest of the oven-roasted butternut squash, chopped salted almonds, and chopped basil.
- Serve and enjoy.
Troubleshooting
What to do if the sauce is too thick
If the sauce turns out too thick, just add a little water at a time until it has the creamy sauce consistency you prefer. Every sauce will turn out a little bit different because of the butternut squash. One butternut squash may be more juicy and creative with a creamy sauce that’s just right from the start. Another squash may be denser and fiber-rich and will require a few tablespoons of water to get the ideal sauce creaminess that will cling to the pasta.
The sauce is too thin. How can I thicken it?
Well, now, this is unlikely to happen because this sauce is naturally thick and creamy. But if your sauce is too runny, you can thicken it in several ways.
How to thicken sauce: option 1
Add more butternut squash to the sauce and blend it a little less. This should thicken the sauce right away.
How to thicken sauce: option 2
Pour the sauce into a pan or pot and heat it. Whisk 2 tablespoons of hot water with 1 tablespoon of corn flour and whisk this into the sauce a little at a time until your sauce has the desired consistency.
Frequently asked questions
You can use any type of pasta in this recipe. Here’s some great options
– Spaghetti
– Linguine
– Rigatoni
– Penne
Most pasta you buy at the grocery store is vegan. Traditionally, pasta is made with eggs, but during the process to increase pastas shelf life the recipe has become vegan. Still it is advisable to check the ingredients list to make sure the pasta you are using is plant based.
If you need a gluten-free pasta option there’s luckily lots of great options. You can use rice pasta or noodles, lentil pasta, spaghetti made with corn and even zucchini noodles or zoodles.
Are you looking for more easy vegan pasta recipes? You might like some of these:
Butternut squash Kale pasta with crunchy almonds
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 8 oz Spaghetti Noodles linguine or pasta of your choice
- 1 Butternut Squash seeds removed, diced
- 3-4 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 3-4 oz Kale or baby Kale finely chopped
- Juice from ½ Lemon
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Dried Basil
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Ground Pepper
- ½ cup Roasted Almonds or other nuts salted, chopped
- 1 handful Fresh Basil chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Place the diced butternut squash on the lined baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. Toss or mix to coat the butternut squash in oil and herbs. Place the garlic cloves with the skins still on in the middle of the pan, underneath the butternut squash.Cook the squash in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden, soft and just starting to get crispy browned at the edges.Remove from the oven.
- Cook the pasta as instructed on the packaging.
- Now, being careful not to burn yourself, gently peel off the garlic peel or squeeze out the tender garlic. Discard the garlic peel and add the soft roasted garlic to a blender. Add half of the butternut squash to the blender along with the rest of the olive oil, and the lemon juice. Blend until it forms a thick creamy sauce.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain away nearly all of the pasta water, leaving 1/2 inch or so still in the pot. Pour the creamy blended butternut squash sauce into the pot and use a spoon to mix until all the spaghetti is coated in sauce. Add the finely chopped kale and combine again.Plate up the pasta and top generously with the rest of the oven-roasted butternut squash, chopped salted almonds, and chopped basil.Serve and enjoy.
