1 large butternut squash, peeled, linguine sized noodles
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup slivered or sliced almonds
For the sauce:
½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 fresh sage leaves
1 large garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
½ cup unsweetened almond milk or vegetable broth (if nut allergy)
optional: 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes**
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay out the butternut squash noodles, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until butternut squash is no longer crunchy and is al dente (check after 8 minutes to make sure you don’t overcook- ovens are finicky!)
While the butternut squash is cooking, prepare the pumpkin sage sauce. Place a large pot over medium heat and once heated, add in the olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, add in the sage and fry until crispy (about 3 minutes) and then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Add in the garlic, red pepper flakes, shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes or until shallots are translucent. Add the tomato paste and pumpkin and stir to combine thoroughly. Then, add in the milk, season with salt and pepper and stir until sauce thins out and absorbs the milk. Then, add in the nutritional yeast flakes, if wanted. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, crumble in the sage, stir and let flavors develop, while the butternut squash finishes cooking.
While sauce is simmering, place a small skillet over medium-high heat and add in the slivered almonds. Toast for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned on all sides and fragrant. Be careful not to burn. When done, transfer to a small plate and set aside.
When the butternut squash is finished, portion into bowls and pour over pumpkin sauce. Top each bowl with a tablespoon of the toasted almonds. Alternately, toss the pasta in a large mixing bowl with the almonds and sauce to combine and then portion out to serve.
4 servings:
168 calories
10g Fat (1g Sat, 4g Mono, 1g Poly)
29mg Sodium
333mg Potassium
20g Carbs (7g Dietary Fiber, 6g Sugar)
5g Protein