High-Protein Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe

Creamy butternut squash pasta sauce with pasta in a bowl.

5 from 5 votes

High-Protein Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe

30G Protein Creamy plant-protein and fiber-rich Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta supports gut health, immunity, sustained energy, and weight management.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vegan

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 480kcal

Author: Nisha Melvani

Equipment

Blender
Baking dish

Ingredients

For roasting:

⅓ cup vegetable broth or a drizzle of olive oil (see notes)
1 medium butternut squash halved and seeded (about 2.5 pounds)
1 medium bulb garlic ¼ inch trimmed off the top
2 cups cherry tomatoes (about 300g)
½ large onion quartered, or 2 shallots (halved)
5 sprigs fresh thyme optional
5 leaves sage optional

For blending:

1 ½ cups cooked white beans or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and rinsed
2 ½ tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons white miso or mellow miso, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (240ml) plus more as needed
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, plus more as needed

Optional for serving:

8 ounces pasta
1 cup cooked green lentils or brown lentils, roasted or plain (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Prep and Roast:
Pour the vegetable broth into a ceramic or glass baking dish. Halve the butternut squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and place it cut side down in the dish.
Trim the top off the garlic bulb to expose the cloves, but keep the papery skin on. Nestle the garlic bulb, cut side down, in the dish along with the cherry tomatoes and onion pieces.
Tuck in the thyme sprigs and sage leaves around the vegetables. Season everything lightly with salt and pepper.
Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, until the squash is tender and the garlic is soft and buttery. Add more broth as needed.
Once roasted:
Let everything cool slightly. Scoop the squash flesh out of the skin and add it to a blender.
Squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skins and add it to the blender along with the roasted tomatoes and onion.
Remove and discard the thyme stems, but include any loose thyme leaves and the roasted sage.
Pour a splash of hot broth into the roasting dish, scrape up the browned bits, for extra flavor.
Blend:
Transfer the ingredients from the baking dish to a high-speed blender.
Add the white beans, nutritional yeast, miso, smoked paprika, chili flakes if using, broth, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more broth as needed to reach your desired consistency.
For serving:
Cook the high-protein pasta according to package directions.
Warm the sauce in a large skillet.
Stir in the cooked lentils and the pasta until everything is well-coated and heated through. Or top the pasta with crispy roasted lentils instead. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Notes

Note: The amount of broth for steaming the vegetables depends on the size of your baking dish—it should come up to about ¼ inch high. Check after 15 minutes of roasting and add more broth if it has evaporated.
Tuck the fresh herbs under the vegetables so they infuse flavor without burning.
Optional for roasting: Add a few sun-dried tomatoes for deeper richness, use dried herbs in place of fresh if preferred, or stir a splash of balsamic vinegar with the broth for a subtle tang.
Optional olive oil: Toss the squash, garlic, onion, and tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil before roasting. The oil helps the vegetables caramelize more deeply, enhances flavor, and improves absorption of fat-soluble nutrients like beta-carotene from the squash and lycopene from the tomatoes. Or serve with a drizzle of chili oil or pumpkin seeds to absorb antioxidants more fully.
Garlic: You can wrap the garlic in parchment or foil if you prefer.
Add nondairy milk: Heat the sauce with an unsweetened nondairy milk for a touch of richness and to balance the roasted flavors without extra oil or cream.
Lentils: Add the lentils plain, or roast for a crunchy topping. See here: How to Roast Lentils

Nutrition