Meatless Monday: Roasted Squash and Pea Pasta

Those of you who follow our Instagram account (Do it! It’s fun!) already knew that today’s post would involve this:

(That’s lots of delicious roasted squash, for those of you who don’t recognize it).

On Friday night, I was in the mood for a light, yet comforting, dish and was so excited when I found a huge butternut squash hanging out in my kitchen.

Ironically, I was originally pretty mad when my lovely fiance brought home a giant butternut squash THE DAY BEFORE WE MOVED. We had previously agreed to cook and eat the food that we already had in our old kitchen so we could clear it out, make moving easier and start fresh.

Instead, he brings home this squash, even though we had already packed all the cookware we would need to prep it. Of course, it was too heavy and awkward to pack, so instead, I had to cradle it in my arms on a bumpy car ride across the city while simultaneously making sure all our houseplants didn’t spill.

But none of that matters now, because of this:

A yummy pasta with tons of flavour and even more delicious squash.

Ingredients

Rice pasta
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1″ chunks
1/2 cup frozen peas
Olive oil
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp non-dairy margarine (I used Zen Buddha’s Buttery-Style Spread)
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tbsp mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
A squeeze of fresh lemon
Fresh oregano

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spread squash chunks on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cooked.

Meanwhile, heat non-dairy margarine in pan on medium heat and cook onion. Add soy milk, nutritional yeast, mustard, garlic and lemon. Combine well and reduce heat to low.

Next, cook pasta according to package instructions. After straining, set aside.

When roasted squash is done, combine it with sauce and mash it slightly to combine. Add frozen peas and continue cooking on low heat until peas are heated through.

Combine pasta with sauce and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper (to taste).

Garnish with fresh oregano.

-Katharine Watts, associate web editor