Mac & cheese with veggies? Yes please! Who would have ever thought we could have our same childhood staples transformed into a healthier, lightened up dish?! With butternut squash pasta sauce, now you and your children can enjoy this delicious dish without even realizing you are eating vegetables. Take a look at this recipe for butternut squash pasta with greens below:
For the sauce:
1/4 cups raw cashews
1 (3.5-4 lb butternut squash, halved, seeds removed
1 T. fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup water or veggie broth
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional, but recommended)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
3 cloves garlic
1/8 tsp liquid smoke
pinch of cayenne pepper
hot sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Mac & Cheese:
16 ounces of pasta of choice (I like Banza chickpea pasta for a gluten free option)
Roasted greens: broccoli, kale, and/or any other veggies you like (feel free to go totally HAM on this… the more the merrier)
Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice your squash in half, remove seeds, and roast the two halves face up with olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes until squash is fork tender. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.
2) While your squashis roasting, make your “cheese” sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a high powered blender (Vitamix for example) and blend on high until smooth and creamy. No worries if you don’t have a high powered blender. You can use a food processor or blender to process the cashews first. Once they are processed, add them in with the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth. Set aside.
3) Chop and sauté your greens as well as begin the water for your pasta.
4) Once the water for your pasta is brought to a boil, add the noodles until they are fully cooked according to the directions on the box (~10 minutes or I’ll taste it to make sure they are al dente). When they are done, drain/rinse the pasta and return your pasta to the pot. Combine the pasta with your mixed greens.
5) When your squash is all done roasting, take it out of the oven. Take 2 cups of the cooked squash and pour it into the blender with the rest of the “cheese” sauce. Blend together until smooth.Feel free to dice the remainder of your squash to use with your pasta.
6) Combined sautéed veggies and pasta with the desired amount of “cheese” sauce. Cook over medium until heated throughout and serve immediately.
7) Enjoy!
Do you want help learning how to eat your veggies without feeling like you’re eating them? Comment below to see how we can work together!