Creamy Tahini Butternut Squash Pasta
This creamy, delicious Tahini Butternut Squash Pasta will be a hit at your dinner table. Roasted butternut cubes are blended with tahini into a smooth sauce and spiked with smoky sage. Green peas add sweetness, flavor and texture.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 269kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds (24 oz) peeled and cubed butternut squash (cubes should be about 1-inch square)
- ½ cup tahini
- 1 cup vegetable stock, divided
- 2 teaspoon dry sage, divided (if using fresh, increase to 1 tbsp. You can also sub another herb like oregano or rosemary)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion (finely minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 16 oz frozen green peas
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pound (16 oz) pasta (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Place the butternut squash cubes on a baking sheet, preferably one lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil to make cleanup easy. Bake 30 minutes in an oven that's been preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the roasted butternut squash cubes in a food processor or blender with the tahini, half the sage and ½ cup vegetable stock. Blend into a very smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and saute until the onions start to brown. Add the red pepper flakes, mix, and then add the frozen peas along with the remaining ½ cup of stock. Cover and cook five minutes or until the peas are heated through.
- Add the butternut-tahini puree and season with salt and pepper as needed. If the sauce is too thick, thin out with more vegetable stock or pasta cooking water as needed.
- Add the drained, cooked pasta and stir well to mix. Stir in the lemon juice and zest.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.7g | Protein: 9.8g | Fat: 10.8g | Potassium: 559mg | Fiber: 9.1g | Sugar: 6.4g | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 3.6mg