A healthy, low-fat “Alfredo” with a delightful nutty topping.

Easily made vegan.

One of the most satisfying creamy pasta sauces ever. And it’s made from squash. How crazy is that?

Just the Recipe | 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

1 Medium Yellow Onion

3 Cloves Garlic

1 Cup Chopped Hazelnuts, Toasted

2-3 Cups Butternut Squash, Diced into 1” cubes

2 Cups Cauliflower Florets

1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock (Use Vegetable Stock for vegan)

1 Cup White Wine

1/2 - 1 Cup Reserved Pasta Water

1/3 Cup Heavy Cream (optional, skip if vegan)

1/3 Cup Italian Parsley

1 Lb of Twirling-Friendly Noodles (I used Spaghetti)

Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan, for sprinkling (optional, skip if vegan)

From the Pantry:

Salt

Pepper

Granulated Garlic

Olive Oil

Stove Top | Dish: Cast Iron Braiser and Pasta Noodle Pot

Oven Temp: 425° | 2 Sheet Pans

Steps

Preheat the oven.
Roast the squash and cauliflower:
- Arrange the cauliflower florets in a single layer on a sheet pan.
- Arrange the butternut squash cubes in a single layer on a separate sheet pan.
- Drizzle each pan of vegetables with olive oil. Sprinkle each pan with roughly 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp granulated garlic.
- Roast both pans for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the cauliflower and set aside. Stir the butternut squash and return to the oven for another 15 - 20 minutes, until the diced squash starts to brown slightly.
Prepare ingredients:
- Dice the onion finely.
- Mince, grate, or finely sliver the garlic.
- Chop the parsley and set aside.
Make the sauce and noodles:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package to be al dente. You’ll finish the noodles in the sauce so timing is key. You want the sauce to be ready when the noodles are al dente.
- Carefully toast the hazelnuts. Heat a cast iron braiser on medium. Add the nuts and stir every 30 seconds or so. Watch carefully, you should start to smell them as they begin to toast. Keep them moving as the pan heats up, they can burn easily. This shouldn’t take more than 5-8 minutes. When they have toasted, remove to a bowl and set aside. Carefully wipe any debris from the pan.
- In the braiser, add 2 TBS of Olive Oil. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent, stirring.
- Add the garlic. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the roasted butternut squash and the white wine. Allow the wine to deglaze the pan, if necessary, and boil. Reduce by about half.
- Add the chicken stock and boil. The squash should melt into the stock. If it doesn’t use a wooden spoon or meat masher to gently breakdown the squash until you have what looks like a butternut squash puree.
- Using tongs, move the al dente noodles from the pasta water pot directly to the sauce. Using a 1/2 cup measure, carefully add hot pasta water to the sauce. Start with 1/2 cup. Using tongs, stir the noodles into the sauce. If it is too thick, continue to add pasta water in about 1/2 cup increments until all the noodles are well coated but the sauce is not runny.
- Add the roasted cauliflower, hazelnuts, heavy cream (if using) and stir once more. Turn off the heat and let the noodles and sauce sit for another minute.
Using tongs, twirl onto plates or bowls. Sprinkle on the Italian parsley and cheese and serve!

I love Alfredo but find it hard to justify making with our healthy concerns. I once made a pasta and added some roasted butternut squash. I watched the roasted cubes melt into the sauce and realized it would be a great base for a thick, creamy sauce. I was skeptical it would be as rich and delicious as an Alfredo, yet paired with the nutty flavors of roasted cauliflower and toasted hazelnuts it really worked. We loved this pasta. It is delicious, simple to make, and so much healthier than a traditional Alfredo. Granted, it does have an orange hue but the flavors speak for themselves.

Kitchen Acumen Tips:

Easily make this vegan by skipping the dairy and using vegetable stock.
As with most pasta dishes, the key is in the timing. For this one I roast the vegetables first, preparing the rest of the ingredients while they are in the oven. Once roasted, the cauliflower and squash can be set aside so there’s no harm in getting them in the oven early.
- Typically we eat pasta on Sunday, which means I’m usually meal prepping breakfast for the week right before I make dinner. I’ll often prep a breakfast casserole and bake it at the same time as roasting the veggies for this recipe to make everything go a little faster. Efficiency is key to a successful meal prep Sunday!
- For the noodles, with this recipe, I’ll put a big pot of water on the stove and turn it on low as soon around the time I pull the cauliflower out of the oven. If it’s boiling before I’m ready for it, I turn down to low and then raise it back to boiling when I’m ready. For more tips on timing sauce and noodles, see my Spinach and White Bean Pasta recipe.
If you don’t want to use white wine, use additional chicken stock in the sauce. Or try adding 1/2 cup of white wine vinegar for some acidity.
As always, if using wine in a recipe, use a wine you’d actually drink from a glass. I used a semi-sweet table wine (here’s the exact wine from Torrey Ridge Vineyard in Seneca Lake, NY) and it worked really well with the butternut squash.