I hope you are not sick of pumpkin yet because this recipe is so good you just have to try it! The sauce is creamy, indulgent, luscious and yet made only with an handful of wholesome ingredients. I love adding sautéed onion, garlic and thyme to create a flavoursome sauce perfect for autumn! The miso mushrooms are not to be skipped as they so delicious and add extra texture to the dish.

Serves 2 people

Ingredients:

About 1/2 butternut squash/pumpkin – about 300gr 

1/4 cup of cashews – soaked in some boiling water for 30 minutes

1 white onion – peeled and finely chopped 

2 garlic cloves – crushed

1 tbsp of lemon juice

3 tbsp of nutritional yeast

Few sprigs of fresh thyme

1/2 tsp of smoked paprika 

1/2 cup or more of plant milk – soy or oat are great 

Plenty of salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp of olive oil for frying 

For the miso mushrooms:

About 250gr of chestnut mushrooms – sliced 

1 tbsp of olive oil for cooking 

1 tsp of brown rice miso paste mixed with  2 tsp of boiling water 

Pasta of your choice to serve

Peel and chopped the butternut squash into bite size pieces. Steam the butternut squash pieces for 20-15 minutes until soft. Drain them and leave them aside.While the butternut squash is cooking peel and finely chopped the onion and add it a small frying pan with a touch of oil. Fry the onion on a low to medium heat for 5 minutes until it starts to caramelised. Add in the crushed garlic cloves and thyme leaves and cook for another minute.

Add the cooked butternut squash to a blender together with the onion and garlic, soaked cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, plant milk salt & pepper. Blend until completely smooth and silky. Add more plant milk if needed.

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. While the pasta cooks add the sliced mushrooms to pan with the oil. Pour over the miso paste mixed with water and cook the mushrooms on a fairly high heat for 10 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated.

Drain the pasta and put it back in the pan and pour in the butternut squash sauce. Mix everything together and fold in the tamari mushrooms.