As a proud owner of her own bakery company, Ivey Cake, Ivey Childers has become a master at navigating around a kitchen. With a passion for inventing her own recipes, her signature dish is a homemade take on a fall classic: butternut squash casserole.
This plant-based comfort meal is perfect for cold nights, family days, or an opportunity to try something new—any time of the year!
Here’s how to make her healthy, hardy casserole for yourself:
Prep Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- One 16oz box of cooked pasta (recommended: Casarecce or cavatappi)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large butternut squash peeled, diced and roasted
- 1 1/4 cups veggie stock
- 6 tablespoons plant based milk (or 1/2 pack cream cheese)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bunch chopped sage
- 1 bunch chopped basil
- 1/2 container sautéed spinach with salt and onion powder (optional)
- Parmigiana cheese
- Mozzarella cheese (or any specialty cheese that you prefer)
Directions
- Toss diced squash in avocado oil (or oil of choice) spread out on a nonstick pan and roast at 400 degrees for 20-30 mins until tender.
- Optional: If you want to amp up the veggie intake, sauté spinach with oil, salt, and onion powder until cooked down. When cooled, squeeze excess water and set aside.
- Cook pasta until al dente.
- Place butternut squash, veggie broth, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, salt, pepper, and milk (or cream cheese) in a high-speed blender and mix until smooth like sauce.
- Place cooked pasta in a large casserole dish. Add butternut squash sauce, cooked spinach, chopped sage, and basil. Mix together well. Top with parmesan and mozzarella cheese as you prefer.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Ivey’s Tip
My favorite pasta cooking method is in an instant pot—4 1/2 cups water for 4 minutes with a quick pressure release! However, If using gluten free pasta, boil on the stove top instead of instant pot method.
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