This Spring in Montreal has felt more like the dead of winter than anything. The cold and rainy forecast had us craving something warm and comforting, but we wanted to make sure it was still as healthy as possible and vegan! So far, since quarantine has begun, we’ve actually been eating really well and it really is a great time to experiment with new recipes and try new things in the kitchen!

I made this dish for lunch and it was delicious. While carb heavy, this adorable pasta dish contains one of our favorite facefoods, butternut squash which is a superfood rich in vitamins and minerals we need for glowing skin! Notably, it’s rich in skin loving nutrients like vitamins A, B6, and C, folate, magnesium, fiber, riboflavin, phosphorus, and potassium. This meal can be either vegetarian or vegan depending on what you use as ingredients - it’s up to you!

Ingredients

• 1 pound of short pasta - we used Ziti (because the sauce gets inside the pasta!)

• 1/2 half of a roasted butternut squash

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 2 tablespoons paprika

• 1 - 1/2 cups of almond milk

• 2 tablespoons of butter (if making vegan use vegan butter)

• splash of olive oil

• Handful of panko breadcrumbs

• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (if making vegan use nutritional yeast)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. generously salt and add the pasta. Cook the pasta until barely done

2. Remove the pasta from the pot, leaving the pasta water in the pot and add the flesh from the roasted butternut squash, mashing it into the pasta water. Let it heat up until it loosens and becomes creamy. Add the spices and the almond milk and heat thoroughly.

3. Put the pasta back in the pot and stir to coat (if you need more almond milk you can add it here). Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper as needed.

4. Place the pasta in an oven proof casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs, vegan butter, and parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for plant based).

5. Place dish on the middle rack in the oven for 15 minutes until top is golden brown.

6. Serve immediately with crusty french or Italian bread.