It was a rollercoaster of a week.
On Friday, I shipped my huge bundle of book edits back to New York. A definite high point this year. Strangely, I enjoyed the meticulous process of sifting through each chapter line by line. By the time I finished almost every page was scribbled with red ink and I squeezed in a few photo re-shoots too. I lived and breathed that document day and night, as you might have guessed from my blog absence. After a few curse words at the Staples print & copy centre (never underestimate how many times a multi-thousand dollar printer will jam…), I even printed my own copy should anything happen to the one in the mail. You will not get me this time, postal service!
Naturally, I went straight to the grocery store and bought some cheesy kale chips and a dark chocolate bar to celebrate. Living. it. up.
If that wasn’t exciting enough, we found the house of our dreams last week. We’ve been looking for almost a year now. It almost felt too good to be true and I barely slept all week. This house has everything on our list with several renovation projects for us to tackle in the future. Everything felt like it was falling into place after a challenging year. We’ve been dealing with some rental issues lately and we’re just ready to move on and settle down. Plant roots. Build another vegetable garden. Storage space! This house was the one, we were certain. I’m a bit superstitious, so I didn’t even tell my family about it because I didn’t want to jinx it.
Well.
We lost the house. It was scooped up by a higher bidder. Nothing new in this hot housing market, but it’s still tough to swallow when you get your heart set on something. We had already spent a few days planning and preparing ourselves for a quick move, taking measurements, dreaming, the whole shebang, and then it was all over just like that. I went from cloud nine to feeling rejected and defeated all within a few hours. Back to square one.
I tried to cheer us up by playing the “let’s list all the things we don’t like about the house” game. A solid effort, but we weren’t fooling anybody. Love is blind.
This dish, on the other hand, was just what we needed – a hug in a bowl, and a reminder that time heals all wounds. So what if I burned the broccoli to a crisp and overcooked the pasta. It was still major comfort food when nothing else seemed to help. Plus, I discovered that over-cooked crispy broccoli tastes a lot like kale chips. Yes, I ate every one straight off the pan. Weird, but good.
In the end, I realized that nothing good ever comes out of a full moon eclipse, especially if you happen to be pms-ing. Unless of course this meal is the end result. Then it’s not a total loss.
Onward and upward, keep the faith, may better things come to those who wait, and all that cliché jazz… :)
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Smoky Butternut Squash Sauce with Pasta and Greens
Yield
4-6
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This recipe is adapted from my Butternut Squash Mac and Cheeze recipe from 2011. While the former version is a huge hit on the blog, some of you didn't like how sweet the sauce is. I've been playing around with this recipe every time I make it. This version I'm sharing today is still quite sweet thanks to the butternut squash and cashews, but I've tried to balance it out better with some smoky seasonings like liquid smoke, chili powder, smoked paprika, and some hot sauce for a kick and more depth of flavour. It's a big hit in this house. Feel free to adjust the various seasonings to taste. This sauce is also great heated up and poured over roasted vegetables and brown rice. Use it any way you see fit! I think you'll be surprised by how creamy and satisfying it is all without a lick of butter or oil.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 1 (3.5-4 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (or two (450g) packages chopped squash)
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional, but recommended)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke
- hot sauce, to taste
- 1 (450g) package mini shell or macaroni pasta (use gluten-free, if desired)
- roasted broccoli or sauteed kale leaves, to stir into pasta
Directions
- Add cashews in a small bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight or for at least 3-4 hours, until soft and plump. Drain and rinse before use.
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. See note about prepping squash below. Spread out chopped squash on sheet and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes, flipping once half way through baking, until squash is fork tender. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Add the soaked and drained cashews, water, garlic, nutritional yeast (if using), lemon juice, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and 2 cups of cooked squash into a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth. Now add the salt, liquid smoke, and hot sauce to taste and blend again.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. If using broccoli, kale, or other vegetables, roast or sauté those too.
- Add the drained pasta back into the pot. Pour on your desired amount of sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the cooked vegetables, if using. Cook over medium until heated throughout and serve immediately.
- Leftover sauce can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 1 week or so in the fridge. It's great poured on roasted vegetables too!
Tip:
Time saver: You can also simply slice the squash in half, remove seeds, and roast the two halves rather than chopping the squash up. The butternut squash sauce makes 2.75 cups.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
So sorry to hear about the house, but glad this beautiful recipe could lend some comfort. Sending positive thoughts your way!
Boo! Sorry about the house. Sometimes it’s hard to keep the faith, but it’ll happen for you! I’ve been needing a little faith & cheer myself – what better place to find it than comfort food? ;-) Can’t wait to try this out!
Bummer about the house :( I’m sure it can’t be “the one” if you didn’t get it…your perfect house is out there still waiting for you!
Can’t believe I still haven’t made the original recipe. I think this one might be bumped up to be tried pronto though!
I learned the SAME thing about full moon eclipses, and I’m not PMSing, but I am really pregnant. Anyway, full moon eclipses are completely over-rated! Lol
Sorry to hear about the house. Everything happens for a reason, and maybe there’s an even better one out there waiting for you!
This sounds sooo yummy!
When exactly do the cashews get added?
Just added it in- sorry! I forgot to say it should be added along with the rest of the ingredients.
House hunting and book!! Oh boy oh boy! I know when I bought my town house I almost did not get it and I thought there was recession! I guess the market is hot even though they tell us it isn’t! Lovely cheesy recipe! FYI I am all about making copies I know all to well about missing letters at the post office.
Oh no! So sorry about the house! Things do always work out in the end though so I’m sure you will find another house that is even better than the last! Can’t wait to check out your cookbook when it comes out. Best of luck in your house hunting!
Hi there!
Just read your post and felt soo excited for you as you were describing your dream home….and then the sadness of it being scooped up right from under you….this happened to my hubby and I 7 years ago….and thank goodness it did!!! We ended up custom building a wonderful home that we love !! My hope is that you will experience the same thing!
Best of luck !!!
Dawn
I could certainly go for a custom home! hah. ;)
Gosh, every time I read your blog I feel like we are living parallel lives. As a therapist turned writer who moved three times last year, I feel your pain. It gets better, but of course this is largely due to your off-the-hook-master-chef recipes. I don’t know about everyone else here, but you’ve been a lifesaver for us when we started eating Vegan/GF food two years ago. Several of our friends can attest, because they too have salivated over dozens of the recipes we’ve made from your website, to which we credit and fondly say, “Yes, well, Angela’s amazing.” Sending love and light from California!
Thanks for your kind words! You know how to make a girl smile :)
Butternut squash pasta is soooo perfect for fall. Love this!
Mmm I need to get myself some of this liquid smoke. I made tempeh bacon for the first time without it but if its popping up in more places than one I might just have to add it to the pantry :)
This looks phenomenal. I’m assuming the plumped up cashews go into the blender with the other ingredients? I (feeling quite dumb) have read the recipe a couple of times and can’t seem to find where they’re supposed to go after they’re hydrated.
ALSO
Could I use some cashew butter I have on hand instead? Like 2 TBSP?
Oh thanks for catching that – I’ve added it in :)
Not sure about the cashew butter – I probably wouldn’t add more than 1 tbsp at a time and taste as you go. enjoy!
The color of that sauce is just so vibrant and electric and full of LIFE! Love it!
And massive congrats to you for shipping your edited MS back to your publisher! What an awesome feeling. I bet you feel like the weight of the world has been lifted! Enjoy all your newfound freetime :)
Congrats on getting all that mailed off to NY! I bet you can tell the whole thing word for word without even being in the same room… tons of work, so GOOD FOR YOU! Sorry about the house though. This pasta, however, is freaking fabulous looking. Perfect for a girl like me (butternut squash love, mac-n-cheese lover who can’t eat cheese).
That looks sooooo good! I love your pasta recipes – they are always awesome!
So sorry to hear about the house. But congratulations on mailing the cookbook edits!
This dish looks divine. I’m not vegan–and I’m a huge lover of cheese–but this sauce makes me question my devotion to dairy. Seriously, I want to make this now (and I just inhaled dinner).
Why did I never think of this before? This looks incredible.
I was really sad for a while because shortly after making the original and falling in love with it I discovered I am sensitive to mustard. I tried to find another cheeze sauce recipe, but the vast majority included it. I can’t wait to try this, it looks great.
You’ll have to let me know how this one compares!
I just got around to making this (with the substitution of 1/2 cup canned sweet potato after running out of squash), and it’s amazing! I can’t remember the taste of the other one, but I certainly don’t miss it anymore! You’ve outdone yourself again, and I can’t wait for the cookbook.
so glad to hear that Jennifer!! Thanks for trying it out. :) I’ll have to try sweet potato next time.
Sounds like you had a pretty crazy week. Glad you were able to share this creamy and delicious recipe with us. Good luck with the house hunting!
Boo. On the plus side, the recipe is totally delicious! I used some roasted sugar pumpkin left over from a pie, and it was terrific. Thanks!