Make this a whole meal and offer my Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad on the side. This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission. Sharing a bowl of bolognese with your beau is a truly romantic moment. Immortalised in many a Hollywood scene as lovers’ lips meet over a strand of spaghetti. Food really is the language of love, and no-one says it better than the Italians. But what happens next in this love scene? My guess is bloated bellies and lie-down? Not this time! Thanks to an entirely vegan recipe, this vibrantly coloured, silky smooth butternut squash sauce is easy on the stomach, digestible and delicious. The perfect start to a sophisticated, romantic meal for two. And you choose how the movie ends.
Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce
The secret to this sauce is to roast your squash. Don’t boil it! Roasting caramelises and brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetable. It takes time, but you want that golden glow. One of the most beautiful things about this vegan pasta sauce is the lightness and guilt-free creaminess. As it’s dairy-free, there is no cream in this creamy sauce! The consistency becomes smooth and cream-like on blending. The subtle cheese flavour comes from nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast, also known as ‘nooch’ is a seasoning all-star. It’s vitamin-packed, so ideal if your diet is limited, and it has a salty, cheesy flavour. It can be used in place of dairy cheese if you’re vegan-conscious, and salt if you are on a low-sodium diet. The result of this match-making: a liquid gold-soaked spaghetti love story.
Pistachio Crumb
The benefits offered by nuts are well-known; they are a source of good fats, protein and they help look after your heart. Pistachios are up there as one of my favourites. They’re not too hard on the tooth, mild but earthy, and such a pretty dappled purple and green. The crunchy pistachio crumb topping on this dish provides extra nutritional value and a sprinkling of sophisticated elegance. It definitely elevates the dish from ‘family dinner’ to ‘date night’.
Serving suggestions
A pasta can exist as a dinner all on its own, especially one as rich and creamy as this butternut squash pasta. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be made even better by adding a couple friends alongside. I will always vote for hot and crispy garlic bread – although leave that out if its date night! – and a side salad to give a bit of freshness. Add it all together, and you have a meal that has a bit of everything, enough to keep any gathering happy!
Storage and leftovers
I’m not suggesting butternut squash is an aphrodisiac, but should your romantic meal come to an early end, any leftover pasta and sauce and be covered tightly and kept in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of olive oil or water to loosen the sauce and prevent sticking.
