
Recipe and photography by Sarah Steffens
Cashew butter adds depth and creaminess to this vegan butternut “pasta” dish with added protein from chickpeas, cashews and sesame seeds. This dish can be prepared up to 3 days in advance, just leave off the cashews and sesame seeds until ready to serve.


Cashew Butternut “Pasta” with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut or avocado oil
- 3 medium garlic cloves ,peeled & minced
- 1 14.5-oz can of full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup plain almond milk
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup plain creamy cashew butter
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups spiralized butternut squash
- 1 14.5-oz can of chickpeas ,drained
Garnish
- ¼ cup fresh parsley ,minced
- 1 whole scallion ,minced
- ¼ cup toasted cashews
- 1 tbsp black or white sesame seeds
Instructions
- ADD coconut or avocado oil to a stockpot set to low heat.
- ADD minced garlic and allow to become golden in color, stirring often, about 3 minutes.
- POUR in coconut milk and almond milk and stir well. Whisk in nutritional yeast, lemon juice and cashew butter until very smooth.
- SEASON with sea salt and black pepper and stir well.
- ADD in butternut squash pasta and stir well so that the spirals are completely coated in sauce. Stir often until "pasta" is soft, about 5-8 minutes. If it appears a little dry, add another splash or two of almond milk or water.
- STIR in drained chickpeas.
- WHEN the butternut squash is soft, remove from the heat and serve garnished with fresh parsley, scallion, cashews, and sesame seeds. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- ENJOY!