Palmini with Creamy Butternut Squash

This palmini with creamy butternut squash is a fantastic dairy-free recipe that even the mac-n-cheese lovers will love. Palmini noodles are purely made out of hearts of palm and are low in calorie and carb. The cashews and butternut squash make this sauce so rich and creamy without having to add any cream. This holiday dish makes an ideal side to Thanksgiving turkey and it won’t sabotage your figure!

Palmini with Creamy Butternut Squash

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (14 oz.) jars Palmini Linguine
• 2 cups coconut milk (or any milk)

• 1 cup cashews, soaked 
• 1/2 butternut squash
• 2 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sea salt 
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 
• extra-virgin olive oil cooking spray
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 onion, chopped

Toppings: 

• 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
• chili flakes

DIRECTIONS

• STEP 1. Rinse the palmini linguine with cold water and drain. Place in a large glass container and pour 2 cups of coconut milk or milk of choice and refrigerate anywhere from 1 hour to 12 hours. The milk will neutralize the acidity of the palmini and will remove the veggie taste. 
• STEP 2. Soak the cashews in water for 2-4 hours. Drain the water at the end.
• STEP 3. Preheat oven to 400 F. 
• STEP 4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the butternut squash facing up. Bake for 45 minutes, until the squash is soft. 
• STEP 5. Once the squash is ready, scoop out the inside and toss into a high powered blender along with soaked cashews, coconut milk, cumin, nutmeg, turmeric, sea salt and black pepper. Blend until the mixture is pureed into thick consistency. 
• STEP 6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with olive oil. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a minute, until onion is translucent.
• STEP 7. Drain and rinse palmini linguine. Add to the skillet and add part of the butternut squash sauce. If you have left over sauce, save it for later or freeze it. Toss the linguine using tongs and turn off heat. Top with fresh sage and chili flakes. 
• 

Tools for this recipe