Spiced butternut squash blended with nutritional yeast and a little plant milk makes a delightfully rich and “cheesy” sauce for pasta and broccoli. Pumpkin, acorn squash, or delicata squash will also work in this recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium butternut squash (1¾ lb.)
1 onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
2 cups unsweetened, unflavored plant milk, such as almond, soy, cashew, or rice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
¼ tsp. sea salt
⅛ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 cups dried whole grain penne pasta (8 oz.)
3 cups small broccoli florets
Fresh basil leaves
INSTRUCTIONS:
Peel squash; halve squash and remove seeds. Cut squash into large pieces. Place squash pieces in a steamer basket in a large pan. Add water to saucepan to just below the basket. Bring to boiling. Steam, covered, about 12 minutes or until tender.
Heat a large saucepan over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, and ¼ cup water to the pan. Cook about 10 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 Tbsp. at a time, as needed to prevent sticking.
Transfer onion mixture to a blender. Add squash and the next five ingredients (through pepper). Cover and blend until smooth. Pour squash mixture into a large saucepan.
Cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli the last 5 minutes of cooking; drain. Add drained pasta and broccoli to squash mixture; toss to coat. Serve warm topped with fresh basil.