Pumpkin & Cauliflower Pasta Bake - Recipe

bowl of pumpkin and cauliflower pasta bake with salad and pesto

Serves

Prep in

20 minutes

Cooks in

30 minutes

I wouldn’t class myself as a massive pasta eater but offer me some cold pasta bake from the fridge & my goodness you can count on every last mouthful disappearing….

A slightly odd approach but each to their own and all!

Now some people will come to me considering pasta an ‘unhealthy’ option, & this could be true if you were to solely consume an excessively large portion of pasta made from a refined white flour with little in the way of balancing fibre, protein or vegetable based ingredients. If however you do the opposite & create a dish such as this bountifully bursting with such elements, well then to me that looks & sounds like 1 hell of a nutritious & delicious meal!

Key Facts

Prep Ahead - Lasts 4 Days
A Serious Crowd Pleaser!
Family & Picky Eater Friendly
Great For The Gut

Ingredients

For The Sauce

1 heaped cup roasted pumpkin pieces (chop & cook at 200c for 15 minutes, turning 1-2 times)
1 heaped cup steamed cauliflower florets (4 minutes over a pan of hot water)
1/2 cup soaked cashew nuts (overnight in cold water, 60 minutes in boiling water)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast or grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper + pinch of salt

For The Bake

200g pasta (red lentil, green pea or brown rice for gluten free, or spelt/wholewheat if not)
2 tablespoons flaked almond or potato crisps (optional)
Salad & pesto to serve

Preparation

01

Blend all your sauce ingredients until smooth & preheat your oven to 200C.

(You can freeze the sauce at this point for up to 3 months)

02

Cook your pasta & chop the broccoli (including the stalk) into pieces of the same size. Add to the boiling water for the last minute of cooking.

03

Drain, leave to steam for 5 minutes then mix with the sauce & decant into a lightly greased dish. Top with lightly crumbled crisps/almonds & bake covered for 25 minutes & uncovered for 5 minutes.