Creamy Kabocha squash, caramelized onions and truffle oil blended until smooth makes the most amazing rich vegan sauce on top of gluten-free pasta with sautéed mushrooms you have even tasted.
Why you are going to love this Creamy Kobocha Truffle Pasta
Easy to make
Gluten-free
You can exchange with butternut squash or acorn squash
Creamy
Pure comfort food!
Comfort food is something that our body needs and craves. Don't you think that comfort food makes even our worst days, more tolerable.? Comfort food is this creamy kabocha truffle pasta. It is warming, filling and made my house smell fantastic. I promise you that one bite of this creamy and decadent gluten-free vegan pasta dish and you will be hooked on comfort food with a healthy twist.
How is everyone doing in the world of snow and freezing rain and sub-zero temperatures?!? (For all of you basking in the sunny heat of Singapore, the land of Oz, in the Florida Keys or in other places enjoying the heat, keep on reading as you are going to love this recipe) I am the biggest cold weather wuss. My blood has gone thin living in Asia! Today in Hong Kong, it dropped just down to 11 C and I already am whining about the cold. I have all the de-humidifiers running full blast in every room and have about four layers of shirts and sweaters on, drinking warm tea, thinking about cracking out the big red blanket and actually wearing socks. We don't have central heating in Hong Kong but might have to run out and get some of those little portable room heaters.
A light cold salad is certainly not going to do on a day like today. We need something warm and cozy...some pure comfort food.
I want my comfort food to be gluten-free, vegan and healthy. Is this too much to ask? I am always jealous when I see these thick creamy pastas dripping with cheese and I wanted something creamy and delicious that I can actually eat. I cannot eat gluten, eggs or dairy products so this really can be a buzz kill when it comes to eating comfort foods. However, I found a delicious solution.
Kabocha squash is lovely pureed and can be the base of the most lovely creamy and delicately sweet pasta sauce. I used kabocha squash as that is what I have access to here in Asia but a nice butternut or acorn squash would be delightful too. I found my squash already cooked in the freezer section of the grocery store to save time or you could bake a fresh squash/pumpkin. I made this meal is about 15 minutes with the use of pre-cooked frozen kabocha squash. If you are looking for another less than 15 minute pasta dinner, be sure to try our Farfalle Aglio e Olio with Breadcrumbs.
Plain pureed kabocha squash is nice on its own, but it needs to be kicked up. I had just the plan. My eldest foodie sister, Vickie, gave me a bottle of truffle oil for the holidays. Oh my goodness this stuff rocks. Just a little drizzle of truffle oil takes your dish from ho-hum to oh my goodness I need seconds. Thanks Sis!!! Truffle oil is not required to make dish, but it is really delicious.
In order to get some additional flavor into the kabocha squash sauce I caramelized some onions and garlic along with some fresh thyme and added it to my kabocha puree and it was amazing. I also added a little almond milk to thin it out a little and then a tiny drizzle of the truffle oil. The result was a savory, sweet and herby pasta sauce that had loads of flavour.
Now I wanted to keep it vegan but hearty so I sautéed some button mushrooms in a little olive oil, garlic and thyme and added them to the gluten-free pasta.
The result...creamy, decadent comfort food that is deliciously gluten-free, vegan and dairy free. I just could not believe how tasty this was with just 8 little ingredients and 15 little minutes.
Now you don't have to use gluten-free pasta. By all means, use what you like or have if you do not have dietary issues like me. My boys loved this dish with a little bit of pancetta fried up with the mushrooms and added to the pasta and they topped it with lots of grated fresh Parmesan cheese. If you are not going the vegan route then there are tons of possibilities.
I used a gluten-free pasta with corn and quinoa mix. This brand stays nice and aldente when cooked, unlike other gluten-free brown rice pasta I have tried. Finding the right gluten-free pasta can be difficult. What brands do you use and like?
You might also like a blast from the past with my Topless Butternut Ravioli with a creamy wild mushroom sauce. This is a knock out dish that will really impress your guests.
I served my delicious creamy kabocha truffle pasta with a drizzle of truffle oil just before serving and a big side salad. My comfort food craving was satiated and body actually started to unthaw from the inside out.
Stay warm and take care!
More delicious Pasta Recipes
Homemade Tagliatelle Pasta with Zucchini Blossoms
Mini Sweet Roasted Pepper Basil Pasta
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Creamy Kabocha Truffle Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried spaghetti pasta
(gluten free or regular spaghetti) - 2 tbsp olive oil
(1 tbsp for the onions and 1 tbsp for the mushrooms) - 1 small onions
chopped - 2 cloves garlic
minced - 8 ounces mushrooms
- 2.5 cups squash/pumpkin
cooked and pureed squash (I used frozen roasted kabocha squash but roasted butternut or acorn squash would work good here) - 1 tsp thyme fresh or ½ tsp dried
- ½ cup almond milk or as needed to thin the sauce a little bit
- salt and pepper
to taste - 1 tsp truffle oil and drizzle for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place pasta in boiling salted water and cook until aldente. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. (Save a little of the pasta water for later)
- While your pasta is cooking, in a small pan place a little olive oil and saute onions and garlic until caramelized. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, saute sliced mushrooms with a little olive oil and season with thyme, salt and pepper and cook until slightly golden. Set aside.
- If you are using frozen pureed cooked butternut squash, unthaw and place in the food processor. If using fresh squash (kabocha, butternut or acorn) cut in half, turn flat side down on a lined and greased baking tray. Add a couple spoons of water to the tray and bake at 190 degrees C (375 F) for about ½ hour to 45 minutes until fork pieces easily in the squash.
- Add caramelised onions, garlic almond milk, thyme, truffle oil, salt and pepper along with the squash to the food processor and process until smooth and creamy.
- In a large frying pan, add the pasta, delicious pureed kabocha squash mixture, sautéed mushrooms and about ¼-1/2 cup of pasta water to loosen up sauce. Stir and mix well. Season to taste.
- Serve your Creamy kabocha truffle oil with a little additional ruffle oil on top and if your not going vegan add a little parmesan cheese on top would be delightful. Enjoy!
This pasta does sound moreish enough for me to think of getting that truffle oil 🙂 ! Actually would love some real truffles to grate atop and I do live very close to one of the biggest truffle-growing areas in Australia . . . but when even the smallest one sets you reaching for a hundred dollar note from your purse . . . I better look for the oil ! Butternut pumpkin for me and lots of mushrooms and the most interesting pasta I have in the pantry . . . nothing is glutein-free in this household . . . and I do not think we have cooked frozen pumpkin in our stores . . . a little homework followed by a lot of pleasure . . .
Thank you Eha! Truffle oil is really optional in this recipe but very delicious. That would be really interesting to visit a truffle farm. We always thought they were grown in the natural environment and that is why they were so expensive to harvest. Australia must have the perfect climate and soil to grow them... We hope you give this creamy pumpkin mushroom pasta recipe a try soon at it is really comforting. Take care
Just for interest. In the past few decades Australia has become an almost bigger producer of truffles than France. Few people realize or, I daresay, care 🙂 ! Most are in Western Australia and in the area south of Sydney. No pigs for snuffling them out - various breeds of dogs. During the season the farmers make quite a bit of extra money taking small groups of visitors around then producing a truffle-heavy and very expensive lunch at the end 🙂 ! Have not yet been but would love to join in . . .
If these truffle farms are near you that would be a very interesting visit for sure. Thanks Eha for letting us know. Take care
I'm not eating neither fish nor meat lately (my taste is changing, I guess at least for a couple of months : )) but I'm literarily craving pasta... and your dish dear Bam made me so hungry that I could run into the kitchen and cook a plate of pasta in the middle of the afternoon!
Vegan, gluten free and glamorous. Wow! Love the look of this dish.
You make vegan and gluten free sound sensational! Truffle oil is one of my favorite ways to 'upgrade' any pasta or vegetable dish. And caramelized onions and garlic? I can only imagine how great tasting this is! Really great recipe!
Love kobocha pasta and your version looks amazing! Great idea to turn it into a vegetarian version and adding mushrooms into it. Because mushrooms make everything taste better, don't they?
Glad the commenting works again! Have a great week ahead 🙂
Eight ingredients yielded quite a dish! Your photos are beautiful by the way...I'm now craving a heaping bowl of pasta. Stay warm!
This looks so dreamy! and creamy! Love the squash substitute, especially since I am now on a diet.
I definitely love the idea of using the squash as a substitute for cream and I have created a version using creamy navy beans and cauliflower purée that is so good, you wouldn't know that there is no cream in it what-so-ever!
Love this and thought it was some thick, yummy-but-not-so-healthy cream in that pasta! It's a smart idea to use squash not only for the texture but for the flavour and colour as well. Great job, Bam!!!
Julie & Alesah
Gourmet Getaways xx
Loving this pasta dish!!! I'm such a big fan of Kabocha squash that finding another recipe for it makes me very happy and I will be adding this recipe to my collection of Kabocha recipes post! Thanks for fantastic pasta dish!
Hello MJ, thanks so much for adding me on to your collection, I am so honored. Wishing you an awesome start to your week!
Just wanted to let you know that I made the puree'/onion mixture and served it with spaghetti and spinach (didn't have mushroom). We both GREATLY enjoyed it and will be making it again! Thank you again for such an awesome recipe!
That is such awesome news and so glad your family liked it!! Adding spinach is also a wonderful idea as it makes it bright and colourful. Have a super weekend MJ!
I can't get my comment to submit so trying again. I will make this tonight. Love how it's dairy-free xx
My husband has just been told he has to go dairy-free and he so loves pasta! He thought he'd have to give it up for good. I'll make this for dinner tonight and when he comes home, he'll be very, very happy. I'll add the crispy pancetta as that's another favourite of his. Great recipe, Bam xx
Aaaaaaah, give me a bowl of that please... this will for sure brighten anyone's day :).
That looks so rich and creamy 🙂 Your photos look awesome, Bam!