Cauliflower Pasta with Pumpkin {GF, Vegan}

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PastaPerfection #CollectiveBias

Cauliflower pasta made with roasted pumpkin and a crunchy nutty raw cauliflower pesto is bound to be your new favorite meatless vegan dinner. A hearty gluten free meal. 

Cauliflower pasta might seem like an unusual combination but trust me it’s currently my new favorite pasta recipe! Now you might be surprised that there are no large chunks of cauliflower florets pictured in the dish but that’s because the cauliflower pasta is made with a raw cauliflower pesto as the sauce.

I know – sounds like an odd one. I normally make my go to vegan basil pesto, but I wanted to branch to some different veggies and a cauliflower pesto sounds quite intriguing. The main ingredients in this cauliflower pasta recipe are as follows:

• cauliflower
• shallow
• parsley
• garlic
• nutritional yeast
• slivered almonds
• lemon
• parsley
• capers
• pumpkin

Can you tell already that the flavors are going to be divine? As for the pasta itself, in this recipe I’m using my all time favorite Barilla gluten-free pasta. My blog focuses on gluten-free and dairy-free eating so I am always on the lookout for delicious gluten and dairy free products and substitues.

Trust me, I have sampled a lot of different gluten-free pasta over the years and I must say Barilla is my favorite. This time around I used the spaghetti which is gluten-free, made with non GMO ingredients, made with a blend of corn and rice. Best of all the Barilla gluten-free pasta line has that classic pasta taste and structure.

I’ve had brown rice pasta that tastes more like Pad Thai noodles then a classic Italian pasta, and as much as I love Asian food, when I’m trying to take a culinary trip down to Italy, I want a classic Italian pasta.

You can find the Barilla gluten-free line of pasta at your local Safeway Albertsons stores – in my case I visited my nearby Shaw’s to find it. You’ll easily spot it on the shelf with the rest of the pasta options. Click here to print out a coupon for a discounted box of Barilla gluten free pasta.

To make this cauliflower pasta you’ll want to roast the pumpkin first, and while that’s in the oven, get the pasta boiling and the cauliflower pesto ready.

The key here is to make sure not to over process the cauliflower pesto ingredients. You want everything in crumb like texture. It’s best to separate the cauliflower into two batches just to make sure it doesn’t start to puree in there.

Then remove that from the food processor and add the other pesto ingredients.

Ideally you want the processed mixture to look like this:

From there you will mix that with the cauliflower, add in some olive oil, and combine the cauliflower pesto with the pasta.

Once the pasta is all mixed up get ready for a delicious bowl of vegan cauliflower pasta with your raw veggie filled pesto and soft and caramelized roasted pumpkin.

For an additional pop of flavor and color sprinkle with dried cranberries on top. This cauliflower pasta is my new favorite pasta recipe. I love the taste and texture of the Barilla gluten-free pasta – it has that perfect classic Italian pasta taste and you would never know it was gluten free!

So next time you’re looking for a meatless vegan pasta recipe – look no further than this cauliflower pasta!

5 from 2 votes

Print

Cauliflower Pasta with Pumpkin {GF, Vegan}

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Cauliflower pasta made with roasted pumpkin and a crunchy raw cauliflower pesto is bound to be your new favorite meatless vegan dinner. A hearty and healthy gluten free meal.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6

Calories: 446 kcal

Author: Vicky Berman

Ingredients

• 3 cups cubed pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
• 1 small head cauliflower
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons capers dried
• 1/4 cup parsley
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 lemon zested
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 12 ounces Gluten Free Barilla Spaghetti
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• Optional: 3 tablespoons dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Prheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl toss pumpkin with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. Place on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
3. In a food processor pulse the cauliflower in two batches until it resembles crumbs. Remove.
4. To the food processor add garlic, slivered almonds, capers, parsley, lemon zest and nutritional yeast. Process until the mixture resembles crumbs.
5. Combine the cauliflower rice mixture with the parsley almond mix. Add in 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil and mix. Add salt/pepper to taste.
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare pasta according to package directions.
7. Toss pasta with cauliflower pesto and up to 1 cup reserved pasta water (as needed). Add roasted pumpkin.
8. Optional: serve topped with dried cranberries.

Recipe Notes

For non vegans you can also serve this pasta topped with pan seared seasoned chicken, diced up

Nutrition Facts

Cauliflower Pasta with Pumpkin {GF, Vegan}

Amount Per Serving

Calories 446 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Sodium 85mg4%

Potassium 515mg15%

Carbohydrates 58g19%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 5160IU103%

Vitamin C 27mg33%

Calcium 62mg6%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.