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PlantPlate.com is here to provide the recipes, information, and practical advice needed to follow a healthy plant-based diet. Whether you're interested in improving your health, losing weight, or eating more sustainably, a whole foods plant-based diet may be the perfect solution for you.

My name's Emma, and I started PlantPlate in 2013 with the help of my husband Scott, a web developer and fellow plantivore. I’m a certified Plant-Based Nutritionist who loves to cook, and I've followed a plant-based diet for over a decade. Having lived in various locations throughout the world - sometimes on a shoestring budget, and often with irregular and demanding work schedules - I’ve had to constantly adapt my diet in order to make it work. It’s taught me a lot, and it’s motivated me to show others just how accessible and enjoyable this way of eating can be.

The recipes featured on PlantPlate are based on minimally processed plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. They're free from all animal products, processed oils and refined carbohydrates, and are made with simple and affordable ingredients. Our articles are aimed at providing you with plant-based know-how when it comes to shopping, cooking, nutrition and day-to-day living. We have answers to common questions and share practical knowledge that we have acquired through experience. Finally, the resources section contains links to books, DVDs, and video presentations from some of the world's leading experts on plant-based nutrition. It is our hope that these resources will help you to fully understand and evaluate the health benefits of this wonderful way of eating.

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Pasta with Roasted Butternut Cream Sauce

RECIPE By PlantPlate
Looking for the perfect Autumn comfort food? Look no further! Made with roasted butternut pumpkin, carrots, and a hint of sage and nutmeg, this pasta sauce is deliciously velvety, and packed full of vitamins and minerals to help keep you healthy in the colder seasons.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Yield: Serves 4-5

Notes:

Autumn has hit the Northern Hemisphere, and that means that there are pumpkins aplenty! In an effort to pack more vegetables into one of my family's favourite dishes (pasta with plant-based Alfredo) I decided to make a creamy sauce using roasted butternut pumpkin and carrots as the base. The result was a huge success; a velvety-smooth sauce that's packed full of flavour, and loaded with vitamins and minerals too.

I like to serve this with a side of steamed vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts. Peas and / or baby spinach make a nice addition to the dish itself, if you want to get more greens in!

If butternut pumpkis (or squash, for those of you in the US!) isn't in season, I'd suggest substituting 400g of sweet potato (peeled), and 300g of white potatoes. 

To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten free pasta in place of whole wheat.

To make this recipe soy free, use unsweetened almond milk or another non-soy variety of plant-based milk.

Ingredients:

  • 500g (1 lb.) whole wheat, or gluten free, pasta shapes
  • 750g (1.6 lb.) butternut pumpkin (butternut squash), peeled and cut into medium-sized chunks
  • 3 medium carrots, cut into medium-sized chunks
  • 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
  • 1.5 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp. fresh sage leaves
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (or freshly grated)
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 190 °C / 375°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Arrange the pumpkin and carrot pieces on the tray, along with the 2 whole garlic cloves. Sprinkle with the dried thyme. Pop the tray in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and just starting to brown.
  2. While the vegetables roast, prepare your pasta. Cook it according to the packet instructions until it is al dente, then drain. (Be sure not to cook it for longer than this, as it will become mushy when you add the sauce later on.) Return the pasta to the pot, cover, and set aside.
  3. When the vegetables have finished roasting, remove them from the oven, and allow to cool slightly. Combine the soy or almond milk, vegetable stock, nutritional yeast, sage, nutmeg and lemon juice in a blender. Remove the garlic cloves from their skin, and add them to the blender along with the pumpkin and carrots. Blend until smooth and creamy. 
  4. Add the pumpkin sauce to the pot of pasta and stir well. Place the pot over a medium heat, and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until everything is heated through. Season the pasta with black pepper to taste, and serve immediately with a side of steamed vegetables.

Prepared pasta and sauce will keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days. The sauce can be frozen, separate from the pasta, in an airtight container for up to 2 months.