Heyyyy youuuu guyyssssss!

This is NOT a joke. I have made this dish four times, count it four, in the past two weeks!

Once for a friend of mine and her husband for Valentine’s dinner, once at a Junior League party for 30 gals, once for a friend with grilled chicken as a weeknight prepared dinner… and once for myself, duh.

I have since purchased ALL of the butternut squash in Austin and am prepared to live on this dish alone for the rest of my life.

Please send help!

I could eat this sauce with anything. Like this as pasta, just over some grilled chicken, over some roasted greens, or by the spoonful on its own.

Maybe drink it out of a sippy cup?

No?

Whichever way I eat it, I’ll tell you this… this is my new favorite recipe.

Now if you’ll excuse me my pasta water is boiling.

Ingredients: serves 4-6

1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked

1 (3.5-4 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced (or two (450g) packages chopped squash)

3/4 cup water

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (you can find this at Whole Paycheck)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste

1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 lb. package mini shell or macaroni pasta

Recipe:

Add cashews in a small bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight or for at least 3-4 hours, until soft and plump. Drain and rinse before use.

Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with foil. Spread out chopped squash on sheet and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes, flipping once half way through baking, until squash is fork tender. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.

Add the soaked and drained cashews, water, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and 2 cups of cooked squash into a high speed blender. Blend on high until smooth.

Now add the salt, and liquid smoke and blend again.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Add the drained pasta back into the pot. Pour on your desired amount of sauce and stir to combine.

Cook over medium until heated throughout and serve immediately.