Roasted Squash Pasta with Arugula and Pine Nuts {GF, Vegan}

This Vegan roasted squash pasta with, Arugula and Pine Nuts is the ultimate weeknight filling, healthy and delicious pasta recipe that is free of all animal products, will also being gluten-free. 

I came up with this roasted squash pasta recipe randomly one day and it has soon become one of my favorites. I wanted to create a new squash recipe and decided some arugula, pine nuts, red onions and capers would be great thrown into the mix.

By the way fried capers. Have you had them before?

You seriously need to drop everything and try them, as in now. If you’re obsessed with savory salty snacks you probably love regular briny capers already but you still need to try fried capers. First you need to rinse and drain and towel dry your regular capers and then simply pan fry them in a bit of oil until they are lightly toasted and darkens.

These little balls of saltiness turn into nutty flavored addictive snacks. Remember that time I talked all about deep fried basil (served with fish in Thailand), and how that basil acquired a real delicate and pleasant nutty flavor?

Well, same thing happens with the capers. It’s simply amazing and is the perfect addition to a dish like pasta, salads, etc. I highly recommend you try this!

On to the squash. I love love love roasted squash and instead of simply serving the squash over the pasta, I pureed half the squash to turn it into a creamy silky pasta sauce, with the addition of coconut cream, lemon juice and olive oil. So we have roasted squash pasta with the squash as part of the sauce and the toppings.

So all in all with this roasted squash pasta youve got yourself an uber healthy both vegan and gluten-free pasta dish with the varying textures and flavors of smooth and creamy squash, crunchy red onions, sharp arugula, nutty capers and pine nuts,all enveloped in a velvety and rich squash based pasta sauce.

With Thanksgiving tomorrow I know you might not get to this recipe until all those turkey leftovers are gobbled up but be sure to put this at the top of your list! This roasted squash pasta makes for a perfect weeknight meatless dinner for pasta lovers! Packed full of veggies crunchy pine nuts and surprisingly crispy capers I know you’re going to love this!

Let me know what you think of my roasted squash pasta recipe in the comments below!

5 from 1 vote

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Roasted Squash Pasta with Arugula and Pine Nuts

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

This Vegan roasted squash pasta with Arugula and Pine Nuts is the ultimate weeknight filling, healthy and delicious pasta recipe that is free of all animal products, will also being gluten-free.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: gluten free, Healthy, Italian, Vegan

Servings: 4

Calories: 177 kcal

Author: Vicky Berman

Ingredients

• For the Squash
• 5 cups butternut squash peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1-2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons rosemary diced (fresh)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• For the Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons coconut cream or milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons reserved pasta water
• For the Pasta
• 10 ounces fusili gluten free pasta
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup pine nuts preferably dry toasted
• 2-3 ounces arugula
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary diced
• 1/2 cup diced red onions
• 2 tablespoon capers rinsed with water and thoroughly dried
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a bowl combine squash with salt, rosemary and olive oil.Toss to coat and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once.
2. Boil pasta according to package directions, reserving some of the pasta water.
3. In a food processor combine half of the cooked squash with the rest of the sauce ingredients (rosemary, olive oil, coconut cream, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pasta water). Pulse until smooth, adding more water or coconut milk as needed to thin out the sauce until desired consistency is reached.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and once hot add the capers, cooking them for a few minutes until lightly toasted and browned. Drain on paper towels.
5. Mix the pasta with the sauce. Top with arugula, pine nuts, red onions, capers, remaining squash and fresh rosemary.