This Butternut Squash Pasta Bake is a great weeknight meal dinner! It’s loaded with protein, has a divine butternut squash pasta sauce and tastes absolutely delicious!

Top down view of butternut squash pasta bake on a plate and baking dish. - 1 Overhead view of diced squash on a baking tray. - 2 Overhead view of diced squash on a baking tray. - 3

This butternut squash pasta bake has some divine, base ingredients. A creamy pasta sauce made of the butternut squash itself, which is turned into a kind of Alfredo sauce. Honestly, this recipe wins from this alone. Of course I needed to amp up the bake by adding oven roasted/caramelised onions, tomatoes and mushrooms. I then added in cheese, kale and topped the whole thing with breadcrumbs and baked it again. Oh, and of course we need to speak about the most important ingredient in the whole dish.

Overhead view of pasta in a colander. - 4 Overhead view of pasta in a colander. - 5

The pasta. Yes, friends. I have a surprise for you – I used Chickapea Pasta’s amazing gluten free pasta for this bake. I also have ANOTHER surprise for you – there’s an amazing giveaway at the end of the post! So, I don’t mean to brag, but brags the Mr. has been gobbling this up. He is not a huge gluten free pasta fan, he’s a regular pasta fan – and he is LOVING Chickapea Pasta . That’s the only compliment that I needed. Chickapea’s Pasta is made from only 2 ingredients – chickpeas and lentils. Nothing else so it’s all natural which you know I love. It’s also organic, vegan, kosher and non-GMO. As you probably know I’ve been integrating way more lentils on the blog so that part really caught my attention. I love that this pasta is loaded with protein, 27g in each serving (insane) so you can have a great pasta, and be filled thanks to the protein and the 13g fibre.

Butternut soup in a blender. - 6 Butternut soup in a blender. - 7

So, that butternut squash sauce. I love butternut squash. I’ve used it quite a few times on my blog before: in a soup , oh, in soup again, in pasta …I’m sensing a pattern. When butternut squash is cooked, it is so soft and creamy that it adapts well to anything that needs that texture. Here, I roasted the butternut squash in the oven. It adds more flavour than boiling it, and means you don’t have to stand over the stove watching it. In fact, the onions, butternut squash, tomatoes and mushrooms are all roasted at the same time. Talk about time saver AND flavour heaven! Your kitchen is perfumed with the aromatics of each of these. Honestly, the second they came out I popped a hot roasted tomato into my mouth. Then a piece of butternut squash. Okay, about 5 pieces, but who’s counting? Let’s pretend I didn’t eat ¼ of the mushrooms too. I couldn’t wait to taste the pasta sauce after this.

Spoon scooping up butternut squash pasta bake from a white baking dish. - 8 Spoon scooping up butternut squash pasta bake from a white baking dish. - 9

After adding the Chickapea Pasta , onions, tomatoes and mushrooms to my casserole dish, I poured that divine sauce over the top. It honestly is so good and so easy to whip up in my Vitamix . Look at that gorgeous swirl – my Vitamix blended everything so smoothly that I practically wanted to DRINK this sauce!

Side shot of butternut squash in a blender. - 10 Side shot of butternut squash in a blender. - 11

After that it’s add some cheese, kale, breadcrumb topping, and then bake. The butternut squash pasta bake is so divine, so delicious and so filling. I’ve been adding it to every meal and it seems to be getting better and better everyday in the fridge, so leftovers are so good from this. Also, it’s so easy to reheat, so know your family will be enjoying this for days.

Overhead view of pasta bake in a white dish with a pack of chickpea pasta on the side. - 12 Overhead view of pasta bake in a white dish with a pack of chickpea pasta on the side. - 13

VITAMIX GIVEAWAY

Oh, hey there again friends! It’s the holiday season so you know a giveaway is in order! I teamed up with Chickapea Pasta and Vitamix to give away an amazing Vitamix, a case of Chickapea pasta, and a lot of other amazing things in their prize pack! I used a Vitamix to make my sauce, and I absolutely love it, so I guarantee it’s the best option for making this pasta bake.

All you need to do to enter is the following:

  • Login to the Rafflecopter widget below using either your email or Facebook. Once you login, you’ll be given several options to enter the contest by liking or following different Facebook and Instagram accounts To get your Facebook entry, click the button for the Facebook page you want to like, like the Facebook page, then click “I visited” To get your Instagram entry, click the Instagram account you want to follow, follow the account, then type the name of the account into the box and click “Enter”
Vitamix blender on a white background with text next to it. - 14 Vitamix blender on a white background with text next to it. - 15 Terms and conditions. - 16 Terms and conditions. - 17

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

This Butternut Squash Pasta Bake is a great weeknight meal dinner! It's loaded with protein, has a divine butternut squash pasta sauce and tastes absolutely delicious! via https://jessicainthekitchen.com - 18

Ingredients

  • 1 box Chickapea Pasta , Penne (227g)
  • 5 cups butternut squash, peeled, and cut into cubes , 1.105kg
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half , 170g
  • 6 cups mushrooms, sliced , 396g
  • 2 cups kale , chopped into bite size pieces and washed and dried
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil , 45ml
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 10 cloves garlic , not peeled
  • ½ large red onion , cut into large quarters
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth , 350ml
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk , 120ml
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes , optional
  • 1 cup shredded cheese , vegan or vegetarian
  • ½ cup ground gluten free breadcrumbs , 75g
  • 1 ½ tablespoons melted vegan butter , 22.5ml
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees °F/204°C.
  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add your Chickapea pasta and cook according to package directions. Remove from water, and set aside until ready to use.
  • You’ll need about three baking sheets for this, or just split the sheets between the ingredients. Spread the butternut squash, tomatoes, and mushrooms separately on a baking sheet. Add the garlic cloves and the onions - I love to add about 4 cloves and a few pieces of onions to the butternut squash section (that’s going into the sauce), and distribute the rest over the tomatoes and mushrooms. Drizzle the olive oil over it all, and the salt and pepper and mix together with your hands or a wooden spoon to toss it with the veggies evenly.
  • Bake for 35 minutes in the oven until the butternut squash is completely cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. I love to now remove the peel from the garlic cloves and mash the garlic (with your fingers or a knife) for the tomatoes, mushrooms and extra onions section so it goes into the pasta mashed.
  • To make the sauce: mix the vegetable broth, almond milk, ½ teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, and everything on the butternut squash baking sheet (with its portion of garlic and onions) to your blender . I use a Vitamix for this. Blend together until creamy and smooth.
  • In a greased casserole dish, add the Chickapea pasta, the mushrooms, the tomatoes, the kale, the ½ cup cheese along with the extra mashed garlic and onions. Pour the sauce over the pasta mix, and then stir to combine.
  • Top with the rest of the cheese, and the breadcrumb topping. Bake for 15 minutes to set the pasta. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Dig in and enjoy!

This Butternut Squash Pasta Bake is a great weeknight meal dinner! It’s loaded with protein, has a divine butternut squash pasta sauce and tastes absolutely delicious!

Top down view of butternut squash pasta bake on a plate and baking dish. - 19 Overhead view of diced squash on a baking tray. - 20

This butternut squash pasta bake has some divine, base ingredients. A creamy pasta sauce made of the butternut squash itself, which is turned into a kind of Alfredo sauce. Honestly, this recipe wins from this alone. Of course I needed to amp up the bake by adding oven roasted/caramelised onions, tomatoes and mushrooms. I then added in cheese, kale and topped the whole thing with breadcrumbs and baked it again. Oh, and of course we need to speak about the most important ingredient in the whole dish.

Overhead view of pasta in a colander. - 21

The pasta. Yes, friends. I have a surprise for you – I used Chickapea Pasta’s amazing gluten free pasta for this bake. I also have ANOTHER surprise for you – there’s an amazing giveaway at the end of the post! So, I don’t mean to brag, but brags the Mr. has been gobbling this up. He is not a huge gluten free pasta fan, he’s a regular pasta fan – and he is LOVING Chickapea Pasta . That’s the only compliment that I needed. Chickapea’s Pasta is made from only 2 ingredients – chickpeas and lentils. Nothing else so it’s all natural which you know I love. It’s also organic, vegan, kosher and non-GMO. As you probably know I’ve been integrating way more lentils on the blog so that part really caught my attention. I love that this pasta is loaded with protein, 27g in each serving (insane) so you can have a great pasta, and be filled thanks to the protein and the 13g fibre.

Butternut soup in a blender. - 22

So, that butternut squash sauce. I love butternut squash. I’ve used it quite a few times on my blog before: in a soup , oh, in soup again, in pasta …I’m sensing a pattern. When butternut squash is cooked, it is so soft and creamy that it adapts well to anything that needs that texture. Here, I roasted the butternut squash in the oven. It adds more flavour than boiling it, and means you don’t have to stand over the stove watching it. In fact, the onions, butternut squash, tomatoes and mushrooms are all roasted at the same time. Talk about time saver AND flavour heaven! Your kitchen is perfumed with the aromatics of each of these. Honestly, the second they came out I popped a hot roasted tomato into my mouth. Then a piece of butternut squash. Okay, about 5 pieces, but who’s counting? Let’s pretend I didn’t eat ¼ of the mushrooms too. I couldn’t wait to taste the pasta sauce after this.

Spoon scooping up butternut squash pasta bake from a white baking dish. - 23

After adding the Chickapea Pasta , onions, tomatoes and mushrooms to my casserole dish, I poured that divine sauce over the top. It honestly is so good and so easy to whip up in my Vitamix . Look at that gorgeous swirl – my Vitamix blended everything so smoothly that I practically wanted to DRINK this sauce!

Side shot of butternut squash in a blender. - 24

After that it’s add some cheese, kale, breadcrumb topping, and then bake. The butternut squash pasta bake is so divine, so delicious and so filling. I’ve been adding it to every meal and it seems to be getting better and better everyday in the fridge, so leftovers are so good from this. Also, it’s so easy to reheat, so know your family will be enjoying this for days.

Overhead view of pasta bake in a white dish with a pack of chickpea pasta on the side. - 25

VITAMIX GIVEAWAY

Oh, hey there again friends! It’s the holiday season so you know a giveaway is in order! I teamed up with Chickapea Pasta and Vitamix to give away an amazing Vitamix, a case of Chickapea pasta, and a lot of other amazing things in their prize pack! I used a Vitamix to make my sauce, and I absolutely love it, so I guarantee it’s the best option for making this pasta bake.

All you need to do to enter is the following:

  • Login to the Rafflecopter widget below using either your email or Facebook. Once you login, you’ll be given several options to enter the contest by liking or following different Facebook and Instagram accounts To get your Facebook entry, click the button for the Facebook page you want to like, like the Facebook page, then click “I visited” To get your Instagram entry, click the Instagram account you want to follow, follow the account, then type the name of the account into the box and click “Enter”
Vitamix blender on a white background with text next to it. - 26 Terms and conditions. - 27

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

This Butternut Squash Pasta Bake is a great weeknight meal dinner! It's loaded with protein, has a divine butternut squash pasta sauce and tastes absolutely delicious! via https://jessicainthekitchen.com - 28

Ingredients

  • 1 box Chickapea Pasta , Penne (227g)
  • 5 cups butternut squash, peeled, and cut into cubes , 1.105kg
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half , 170g
  • 6 cups mushrooms, sliced , 396g
  • 2 cups kale , chopped into bite size pieces and washed and dried
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil , 45ml
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 10 cloves garlic , not peeled
  • ½ large red onion , cut into large quarters
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth , 350ml
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk , 120ml
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes , optional
  • 1 cup shredded cheese , vegan or vegetarian
  • ½ cup ground gluten free breadcrumbs , 75g
  • 1 ½ tablespoons melted vegan butter , 22.5ml
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees °F/204°C.
  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add your Chickapea pasta and cook according to package directions. Remove from water, and set aside until ready to use.
  • You’ll need about three baking sheets for this, or just split the sheets between the ingredients. Spread the butternut squash, tomatoes, and mushrooms separately on a baking sheet. Add the garlic cloves and the onions - I love to add about 4 cloves and a few pieces of onions to the butternut squash section (that’s going into the sauce), and distribute the rest over the tomatoes and mushrooms. Drizzle the olive oil over it all, and the salt and pepper and mix together with your hands or a wooden spoon to toss it with the veggies evenly.
  • Bake for 35 minutes in the oven until the butternut squash is completely cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. I love to now remove the peel from the garlic cloves and mash the garlic (with your fingers or a knife) for the tomatoes, mushrooms and extra onions section so it goes into the pasta mashed.
  • To make the sauce: mix the vegetable broth, almond milk, ½ teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, and everything on the butternut squash baking sheet (with its portion of garlic and onions) to your blender . I use a Vitamix for this. Blend together until creamy and smooth.
  • In a greased casserole dish, add the Chickapea pasta, the mushrooms, the tomatoes, the kale, the ½ cup cheese along with the extra mashed garlic and onions. Pour the sauce over the pasta mix, and then stir to combine.
  • Top with the rest of the cheese, and the breadcrumb topping. Bake for 15 minutes to set the pasta. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Dig in and enjoy!
Top down view of pasta bake in a white baking dish with a box of pasta on the side. - 29

Butternut Squash Pasta Bake

Ingredients

  • 1 box Chickapea Pasta Penne (227g)
  • 5 cups butternut squash, peeled, and cut into cubes 1.105kg
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 170g
  • 6 cups mushrooms, sliced 396g
  • 2 cups kale chopped into bite size pieces and washed and dried
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil 45ml
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 10 cloves garlic not peeled
  • ½ large red onion cut into large quarters
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth 350ml
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk 120ml
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 cup shredded cheese vegan or vegetarian
  • ½ cup ground gluten free breadcrumbs 75g
  • 1 ½ tablespoons melted vegan butter 22.5ml
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees °F/204°C.
  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add your Chickapea pasta and cook according to package directions. Remove from water, and set aside until ready to use.
  • You’ll need about three baking sheets for this, or just split the sheets between the ingredients. Spread the butternut squash, tomatoes, and mushrooms separately on a baking sheet. Add the garlic cloves and the onions - I love to add about 4 cloves and a few pieces of onions to the butternut squash section (that’s going into the sauce), and distribute the rest over the tomatoes and mushrooms. Drizzle the olive oil over it all, and the salt and pepper and mix together with your hands or a wooden spoon to toss it with the veggies evenly.
  • Bake for 35 minutes in the oven until the butternut squash is completely cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. I love to now remove the peel from the garlic cloves and mash the garlic (with your fingers or a knife) for the tomatoes, mushrooms and extra onions section so it goes into the pasta mashed.
  • To make the sauce: mix the vegetable broth, almond milk, ½ teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, and everything on the butternut squash baking sheet (with its portion of garlic and onions) to your blender. I use a Vitamix for this. Blend together until creamy and smooth.
  • In a greased casserole dish, add the Chickapea pasta, the mushrooms, the tomatoes, the kale, the ½ cup cheese along with the extra mashed garlic and onions. Pour the sauce over the pasta mix, and then stir to combine.
  • Top with the rest of the cheese, and the breadcrumb topping. Bake for 15 minutes to set the pasta. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Dig in and enjoy!

Nutrition

Butternut Squash Pasta Bake https://jessicainthekitchen.com/butternut-squash-pasta-bake/ October 17, 2017

These are my top 10 choices for Filling Vegetarian & Vegan Main Dish Recipes! No, you won’t have to grab another meal within the hour, finally!

A montage of vegan food with text over it. - 30

Happy Stranger Things 2 Day! Can you tell I’ve been counting down?! Okay seriously though – this was a major requested roundup. One of the requests I get ALL the time is “Can you make some more main dish recipes please!”. Sometimes as vegetarians and vegans we feel kind of stuck having dishes that are essentially side dishes in main dish portions. Boo, no one wants that. I’ve made a real effort to create real main dish recipes that are not only something you can have with something on the side , but that are filling! No, you won’t have to grab another meal within the hour. These are my 10 favourite main dish recipes on the blog right now.

1.Coconut Chickpea Curry

Okay seriously, is there anything better than a warm curry recipe?! This chickpea curry is loaded with protein, yummy flavours and is such a quick and easy dinner dish. I love to pair it with naan bread or basmati or forbidden rice.

Overhead shot of coconut curry in a black skillet. - 31

2. Loaded Potato Skins

Thanks to the literally “loaded” part of these Potato Skins, they fill you right up! They are an unexpected main dish recipe. I usually enjoy these by themselves since they are everything in your meal right in a convenient loaded crispy potato skins.

Loaded sweet potato skins on a gray plate. - 32

3. Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Ginger Sauce

This salad is ridiculous!! Not only does it make incredible leftovers, it is so easy to put together and works for pretty much every single lunch or dinner main dish. Guarantee you’ll enjoy this one! This definitely breaks the stereotype that salads aren’t filling!

Hand pouring peanut sauce on cashew thai quinoa salad, in a glass bowl. - 33

4. Red Lentil Curry

This Red Lentil Curry is a super top notch dish! ? It’s another one pot genius dish, and I love pairing this with some forbidden rice. It is so good and probably the most filling of the whole list!

Overhead view of red lentil curry in a black skillet. - 34

5. 15-Minute Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

I love salads, and sometimes they aren’t filling. This one not only takes 15 minutes, it is so filling especially if you want to have it for lunch. The chickpeas fill you up with lots of protein and you get lots of flavour from the other salad additions.

Mediterranean chickpea salad on a square plate with a gold fork. - 35

6. Vegan Meatloaf

This Vegan Meatloaf is a great main dish especially for Thanksgiving!! I love it with some maple garlic roasted carrots on the side, mashed potatoes , green bean casserole – the WORKS. I also love it in a sandwich too , but this is a real deal main dish that feels like one too.

Slices of vegan meatloaf on parchment. - 36

7. Loaded Taco Salad Bowl

This is another main dish salad that I love. I remember that it took me almost half of a movie to finish this whole dish because of loaded it was! I was filled for the rest of the night for sure. It’s SO good and so ridiculously easy to make!!

Spooning sauce on a loaded taco bowl. - 37

8.Vegan Quinoa Crockpot Chili

Chili is often so forgotten about but it is a BOMB main dish!! Whether you’re serving it as football parties or as a dinner on a cold night, it is not only comfortville, it’s so filling. I love this chilli SO much and highly recommend it!

Vegan crockpot chili in a bowl topped with slices of avocado. - 38

9.Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers

Who doesn’t love a great burger recipe?! This is my #1 burger recipe and thanks to the quinoa and black beans it packs a real punch. I love love love smothering my strawberry bbq sauce all over this!

Two black bean quinoa burgers on parchment. - 39

10.Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Traditional Shepherd’s Pie is served as a main dish, and there’s no reason that this version shouldn’t be too. This Shepherd’s Pie dish is loaded lots of protein, a divine filling and of course that unmistakable topping. This is also a Thanksgiving favourite.

Top down view of vegan shepherd's pie in a baking dish and on a plate. - 40

BONUS:

A burger with pineapple salsa and chips on the side. - 41

These Jamaican Jerk Burgers with Pineapple Salsa & Baked Crispy Plantain Chips found in my ebook!

These burgers are an ode to my country, Jamaica! They are spicy, filled with deep flavour, and go beautifully with the pineapple salsa and homemade plantain chips! They are mega filling and so darn delicious. You can get the recipe here !