Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta

Golden and gloriously silky, this Neapolitan-style pasta wraps every tube of ditalini in a velvety butternut squash sauce that is sweet, savoury, and deeply comforting. A scattering of optional plant-based parmesan adds a salty, umami finish. It comes together in half an hour and is exactly the kind of bowl you want on a cool weeknight.

Ingredients
[ ] 400 g dried egg-free short pasta (tubetti or ditalini)
[ ] 600 g butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
[ ] 1 medium onion, finely diced
[ ] 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
[ ] 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
[ ] 750 ml hot vegetable stock
[ ] 100 ml unsweetened oat cream (or other plant-based single cream)
[ ] 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
[ ] ½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more for the pasta water
[ ] Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
[ ] Plant-based parmesan, to serve (optional)
[ ] Fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to serve (optional)

Instructions
[ ] 1. Warm the olive oil in a large, wide saucepan over a medium-low heat.
[ ] 2. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until softened and translucent.
[ ] 3. When the onion is softened and translucent, add the garlic and the rosemary sprig and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
[ ] 4. When the garlic is fragrant, add the butternut squash cubes and stir to coat them in the oil.
[ ] 5. Pour in the hot vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
[ ] 6. When the stock comes to the boil, reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes until the squash is completely tender.
[ ] 7. When the squash is completely tender, remove the rosemary sprig and discard it.
[ ] 8. Use a stick blender or a potato masher to blitz or crush roughly half the squash into the broth, leaving some chunks for texture.
[ ] 9. Stir in the oat cream and season with ½ tsp fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
[ ] 10. Add the dried pasta directly to the squash broth in the pan, stirring well so it is submerged.
[ ] 11. Cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for the time stated on the pasta packet, adding a splash of boiling water if the sauce thickens too much before the pasta is cooked.
[ ] 12. When the pasta is al dente and the sauce coats it thickly, remove the pan from the heat and leave to rest for 2 minutes.
[ ] 13. When the 2 minutes are up, serve in warmed bowls with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a grind of black pepper, and plant-based parmesan and parsley if using.
[ ] 14. To store, transfer any leftovers to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
[ ] 15. To reheat, warm gently in a pan with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce.

https://www.cuisinesavvy.com/recipe/creamy-butternut-squash-pasta