One of the reasons I remain plant-based and have not fully transitioned into full on vegan is because I just cannot seem to give up cheese entirely. I have found some great vegan cheese replacement product substitutes, such as almond milk shredded mozzarella on pizza, but this wonderful recipe takes it one step further…no cheese, dairy or vegan, at all! And not only will your family not know, they will definitely be coming back for more!
Vegan “Cheesy” Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 package butternut squash, cubed (3 cups)
- 1 package chickpea, quinoa or brown rice spaghetti pasta
- 1 head broccoli , chopped
- 1 bunch kale, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tbsp avocado oil
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 3 tbsp vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt, Himalayan
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and spray with non-stick spray for easy clean up.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add the cubed butternut squash to first lined baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp salt & pepper. Toss to coat.
- Wash & chop the head of broccoli into floret pieces. Add to second lined baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp salt & pepper. Toss to coat.
- Wash & chop the kale into 1 inch pieces. Set aside.
- Add broccoli and butternut squash baking sheets to preheated oven. Cook for 12-14 minutes or until squash is tender enough to squish with a fork.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook as instructed by package. Typically with chickpea, quinoa and brown rice pastas 7-9 minutes is the cook time.
- When pasta is finished cooking, drain out the water. Toss pasta with avocado oil to avoid sticking together. Add to a bowl and cover with a dish towel to keep warm.
- When butternut squash is finished cooking, add directly to the food processor or blender. In the same pot you boiled pasta, heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil and 4 cloves of minced garlic over medium low heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir as it heats. Add directly to food processor or blender with butternut squash.
- Add the almond milk, vegetable stock, nutritional yeast and red pepper flakes to food processor or blender. Add another pinch of salt & pepper. Blend until smooth, adding more almond milk if desired.
- Add the sauce back to the same pot. Cook on medium heat until it comes to a low boil, then turn heat down to low. Stir in the chopped kale and let sauce cook down for 5 minutes. This will heat the sauce through and allow it to slightly thicken.
- Add in the broccoli florets and cooked pasta to the pot and stir to coat evenly. Let it all heat through for about 1-2 minutes, stirring consistently.
- Serve and enjoy! You can top each bowl with additional red pepper flakes if a little extra heat is desired.