Peel and cut your butternut squash. Make sure you remove all the skin.
Rub in oil and all your spices. Bake in the oven at 180°C/356°F for 25 minutes until soft.
Make your pasta and sauce in the meantime.
FOR THE PASTA AND SAUCE
To make your cheese sauce, melt dairy-free butter in a small pan. Wait for butter to fully melt. Then add flour. Whisk vigorously until combined.
Start gradually and slowly (e.g, only ¼ cup at once) adding your plant milk. At the same time, keep whisking.
Once you’ve added all your plant milk, keep whisking some more. The sauce should be perfectly smooth with no lumps.
Lastly, add all your seasoning and shredded vegan cheese to the hot pan. Keep whisking on medium-heat until everything has dissolved and thickened to almost gravy-like consistency (but less thick).
Boil your pasta - make sure to boil about 3-4 minutes less than regularly. Your pasta needs to be al dente before going into the oven.
Once your pasta is cooked (do not overcook), reserve ¼ cup of pasta water. Drain the rest. Add your pasta to a large baking tray.
Pour over your cheese sauce and pasta water. Add butternut squash. Mix well and add some more smoked paprika and sage if desired. Top off with ground almonds and nutritional yeast.
Bake in the oven at 180°C/35°F for 25 minutes. Serve hot or store in an airtight container for later.
Notes
Use the step-by-step photos above as your visual guide.
This recipe has been tested using weight measurements (not cups). I always strongly recommend using weight measurements (both EU and US weights are stated in the recipe card). Cups vary in size and are thus considerably less exact.
To make it gluten-free, you’ll need to use gluten-free pasta and substitute plain flour for cornstarch (also known as cornflour).
When preparing your squash, make sure you remove all the skin using a vegetable peeler. Then, focus on cutting it into equal-sized cubes.
Last but not least, bake your squash for full 25 minutes to get it perfectly soft.
Apart from macaroni, you can use any small to medium-sized pasta shape that has a way of trapping the sauce within it. Fusilli and rotini are great options.
Store in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, place in a microwave-safe dish and microwave until piping hot. Alternatively, warm up in the oven.