This decadent, creamy butternut squash pasta sauce has a hint of truffle oil to elevate it to luxurious perfection. It’s dairy free and vegan, using cashew cream, and has amazing depth of flavor thanks to a few special ingredients. This is a healthier alternative to a dairy cream sauce with zero compromise on taste. You will love it!

This decadent, creamy butternut squash pasta sauce has a hit of truffle oil to elevate it to luxurious perfection. It's dairy free and vegan, using cashew cream, and has amazing depth of flavor thanks to a few special ingredients. This is a healthier alternative to a dairy cream sauce with zero compromise on taste. You will love it!

I am basically addicted to creamy pasta sauces. Have you noticed?

This could be a problem for us, health-wise, if it weren’t for the various coping strategies I have picked up over the years which allow us to indulge without eating much actual cream.

For instance I have made several recipes using avocado for creaminess, and in this case I am using cashews and butternut squash to make a creamy pasta sauce that I promise will not leave you feeling short changed.

Cashew cream is pure genius. Unsalted, unroasted cashews are basically flavorless. When soaked and pureed, they closely resemble a thick dairy cream. In a sauce, they will bring that same body and richness. You may not even notice the difference.

In this sauce, adding butternut squash makes the texture really silky, and the sauce has a pretty intense flavor from caramelized onions, wine and garlic, with a drizzle of truffle oil to boot. The roasted butternut provides a subtle, savory backdrop for all those flavors.

Except for the wine, these are all amazing, nutritious ingredients. But it tastes kind of naughty. The Holy Grail, in my book.

This decadent, creamy butternut squash pasta sauce has a hit of truffle oil to elevate it to luxurious perfection. It's dairy free and vegan, using cashew cream, and has amazing depth of flavor thanks to a few special ingredients. This is a healthier alternative to a dairy cream sauce with zero compromise on taste. You will love it!

Why use cashew cream if you aren’t vegan?

Some people find that heavy cream dishes makes them a little sick, or bloated, and this dish totally avoids that.

So even if you aren’t vegan, making a dairy free cream sauce can be great way to mix things up from time to time.

And nuts are crazy good for you, so why not find new ways to eat them?

This decadent, creamy butternut squash pasta sauce has a hit of truffle oil to elevate it to luxurious perfection. It's dairy free and vegan, using cashew cream, and has amazing depth of flavor thanks to a few special ingredients. This is a healthier alternative to a dairy cream sauce with zero compromise on taste. You will love it!

What pasta works best?

I made this with white penne cooled al dente, but you could also try tagliatelle or shells.

You should also feel quite free to use wholewheat pasta or gluten free pasta or anything you like. Or even zoodles, if you want to be all virtuous about it.

This decadent, creamy butternut squash pasta sauce has a hit of truffle oil to elevate it to luxurious perfection. It's dairy free and vegan, using cashew cream, and has amazing depth of flavor thanks to a few special ingredients. This is a healthier alternative to a dairy cream sauce with zero compromise on taste. You will love it!

Can you make this into a paste bake?

Yes! You can bake it. We tried it once and it was beautiful! Just cook the pasta a little less time so it isn’t completely soft – then add an extra cup of water and then bake for 45 minutes.

Creamy Butternut Pasta with Truffle Oil

This decadent, creamy butternut squash pasta sauce has a hit of truffle oil to elevate it to luxurious perfection. It’s dairy free and vegan, using cashew cream, and has amazing depth of flavor thanks to a few special ingredients. This is a healthier alternative to a dairy cream sauce with zero compromise on taste. You will love it!
4.78 from 9 ratings

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 3 onions, sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • â…“ cup (40 g) cashews
  • 1 ½ cups (355 ml) of unsweetened almond milk
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) of white wine
  • 1 Tbsp or to taste white truffle oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Sage leaves, for garnish
  • 18 oz (500 g) dried penne pasta

Instructions 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
  • In a mug, pour boiling water over your cashews until they are just covered.
  • First, you’re going to get those onions caramelizing. Over the lowest possible heat, pour some olive oil into a pan and add the onions. Cook, covered, for 45 minutes to an hour. Open the lid regularly to give them a stir. If they start sticking to the pan, pour in just a little white wine or water to deglaze.
  • Once you’ve got the onions going, prepare the squash. Slice in half, lengthways, and scoop out the seeds. Place on a baking tray facing upwards. Brush a little olive oil on top. Place in the oven for about 45 minutes, until the squash is cooked through and a little browned on top. It should be ready around the same time as the onions.
  • Once the onions are caramelized, add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, until fragrant.
  • Now turn up the heat and add the wine until it starts to bubble. Stir it around, and it will also help to un-stick any bits of onion which stuck to the pan. It will pick up all the browned bits around the pan which will help your cleaning efforts later!
  • Once the wine is starting to bubble, add the almond milk and soaked cashews. Scoop the butternut squash out of its skin and add to the pan too. It’s going to look a little gross right now, but don’t lose the faith just yet.
  • Now is a good time to start your pasta going. Add to boiling water and simmer for 10-12 minutes, according to your package instructions.
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and puree with a hand blender, or transfer to a high speed blender, until completely smooth.
  • Re-heat the sauce in the pan and, finally, stir in the truffle oil after removing from the heat.
  • Once the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and add to the sauce.
  • Top with chopped sage leaves and serve.

Notes

This also makes a great pasta bake. Cook the pasta for a few minutes less, add 1 cup / 236ml of water to sauce, mix together and top with some flavored breadcrumbs. Bake in a dish for about 45 minutes.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 401kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Sodium: 159mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 6g

Sources: Inspired by the roasted butternut alfredo from The PPK.