Creamy Kabocha Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta (Gluten-Free)

A creamy kabocha squash and red pepper pasta sauce that is made by blending together a mix of vegetables, cashews, spices and broth. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and savory and is easy to prepare. It’s also a great way to sneak veggies in for picky eaters. Definitely a must try this fall!

Hi everyone, Happy Monday!

Today I am sharing a recipe with you that kind of came together on accident. If you follow us on Instagram, you’ll know that we sometimes share random recipe experiments on our stories, usually when we are trying to use up random ingredients in our pantry and fridge. Last week, I somehow came up with a creamy roasted red pepper pasta and we were surprised by how good it ended up turning out. Chris and I immediately knew that we had to refine the recipe for the blog and well, here we are!

We wanted to simplify the recipe a bit and instead of having to sauté some of the vegetables in a pan and also roast the squash in the oven, we thought that it might make more sense to just put all of the veggies on one pan and roast them in the oven. That way there is less clean up and more down time in the recipe. Little effort but a tasty outcome — the most ideal cooking situation!

When I was putting this recipe together for the blog, I decided to take it to the next level and make it more fall appropriate by adding in kabocha squash. If you don’t have kabocha, you can also opt to use butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet potato or even just some canned pumpkin puree. The flavor will of course vary and we have not tested these variations in this specific recipe, but based on my experience with those it should work!

If you’re looking for more fall recipes, we’ve got you covered! Check these out:

• Fall Vegetable Rice Pilaf (Easy + Gluten & Oil-Free)
• Grilled Fall Vegetable Bread Boat w/ Pumpkin Seed Pesto
• Fall Pasta Salad w/ Avocado Dijon Dressing (Oil-Free)
• Vegetable Wellington w/ Lentils & Mushrooms
• The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes (Oil-Free + Just 5-Ingredients)
• Vegan Portobello Mushroom Steaks (Easy + Gluten-Free)
• Savory Pumpkin Hand Pies (Easy + Vegan)

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!

Creamy Kabocha Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Author: Jasmine @ Sweet Simple Vegan
• Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

A creamy kabocha squash and red pepper pasta sauce that is made by blending together a mix of vegetables, cashews, spices and broth. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and savory and is easy to prepare. It’s also a great way to sneak veggies in for picky eaters. Definitely a must try this fall!

---

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 small kabocha squash
• 1 head of garlic
• 1/3 cauliflower, cut into large florets
• 1/2 medium onion* (roughly chopped)
• 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
• 1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup tablespoons roasted red peppers, drained
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• Optional: A pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 to 3 cups vegetable broth (or as needed)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh basil (unpacked), sliced
• 2 lb. gluten-free spaghetti noodles (or pasta of your choice)

Serve with

• Vegan parmesan cheese (optional)
• Fresh basil, sliced
• Black pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Soak the cashews in water overnight. If you do not have time to, you can also bring a small pot of water to a boil, remove it from heat and add in the cashews. Allow them to soak until you blend the sauce together (which will be about 1 hour).
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F and position the rack to the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Wash and dry the kabocha squash, place it (whole) on the baking sheet and into the oven on for 18-20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool until the squash is easy to handle. If the stem of it is protruding, use a knife to carefully remove it. Slice the squash in half vertically, then scoop out the seeds and fiber using a spoon. Slice the squash into 1-inch wedges, trying to keep the slices uniform for even cooking. Place 6 or 7 the slices of the cooked squash (roughly 1 1/2 cups) onto your lined baking sheet. The remaining kabocha squash can be cooked on an additional baking sheet with the same baking time and directions below. it can be stored it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
3. Using your hands, remove loose skin from the outside of the head of garlic. With a sharp knife, cut 1/4“-inch off the top of the garlic, or enough to expose the tops of the cloves. Place the garlic head (cut side down) onto the baking sheet along with the cauliflower florets, onions, celery, and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place back into the oven for 40 minutes, flipping/mixing halfway through.
4. 10 minutes before the vegetables are done, prepare the pasta.
5. Once you have removed the baking sheet from the oven, allow the veggies to cool until easily handled and then use a knife to carefully remove the skin from the kabocha and add it into a high speed blender. You can discard this or snack on it as you continue cooking. Using you hands, squeeze the soften garlic cloves out of the head an into the blender, along with the soaked cashews (drained), the remaining vegetables on the baking sheet, the roasted red peppers, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, 2 cups of vegetable broth plus salt and pepper as desired. Blend until smooth, adding as much of the additional 1 cup of vegetable broth as needed to thin out the sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste and then add in the sliced basil. Pulse the basil in until well combined (do not blend it as it will turn the sauce a weird color).
6. Drain the pasta, add it back into the pot and pour over the sauce. Mix until well combined.
7. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan, basil and black pepper. Enjoy!

Notes

• If you don’t have kabocha, you can also opt to use butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet potato or even just some canned pumpkin puree. The flavor will of course vary and we have not tested these variations in this specific recipe, but based on my experience with those it should work!

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Category: Pasta, Entree, Fall
• Method: Oven, Blender
• Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free

Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.

Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!