Cut squash into four pieces, scoop out seeds, set seeds aside.
lightly drizzle avocado oil and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Bake squash at 425 meat side down for about 40 minutes or until tender
Set squash aside to cool.
Rinse seeds and remove pulp. Dry with paper towel. Add seeds to baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake seeds for 10-20 minutes at 250, mixing halfway through.
Prepare Banza chickpea cavatappi noodles (or your favorite noodle)
Once squash is cool, scoop meat out of 2 of the four pieces (save the other two pieces for another meal) placing directly into blender. Add 1/2 cup of plant based whipping cream or coconut cream, 4 tbsp of nutritional yeast, a heavy dose of paprika, a pinch of salt, and a splatter of pepper. Blend and add to prepared pasta. Add roasted seeds. Taste and season to liking
Good source of zinc, protein, fiber, vitamin E, A, and C, magnesium and potassium.
Creamy Basil and Thyme Pasta with Cashew Cream
1-2 Large handful of fresh thyme, stripped from the stems
1-2 Large handful of Basil
1 cup plant-based whipping cream (can also use coconut cream)
1/2 cup raw, un-roasted cashews
1/2 red onion sliced and roasted
4-5 cloves of garlic whole, for roasting
1/tsp Himalayan salt, or sea salt
1 tsp avocado/ grapeseed oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1 package of brown rice or chickpea noodles (Tinkyada Spaghetti is used in picture, but any noodle will do)
2 tbsp Hemp Seeds (optional protein boost)
High Speed Blender, Cookie sheet, and Large skillet
Set oven to 425
Place onions and garlic in cooking sheet and drizzle oil over vegetables. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes or until edges get slightly brown
While veggies are roasting, fill a large pot with water and prepare your noodles as directed on the package. Mix with a little oil so the noodles don’t stick together. Set aside.
After veggies are done, remove from oven.
Wait a few minutes for garlic to cool and remove from casing and add to blender. Add onions, thyme, coriander, garlic powder, a pinch of salt, pepper, half of the fresh basil, and cashews*, and plant-based whipping cream. Blend on high speed until creamy
Mix sauce into pasta, stir. Sprinkle additional thyme and basil on top of the pasta with hemp seeds and serve
*If you don’t have a high speed blender, you will need to boil the cashews in hot water or broth for about 5-10 minutes and add to regular blender. Also, do NOT used roasted cashews. It will change the flavor and texture.