Meatless tagliatelle with spinach and butternut, perfect for winter recipe.

Meatless tagliatelle with spinach and butternut, perfect for winter recipe. Image credit: Elanie Beckett

Meatless spinach and butternut tagliatelle: Vegetarian goodness

Winter is the best time for comfort food. This vegan meatless spinach and butternut tagliatelle pasta is comforting and absolutely delicious.

Meatless tagliatelle with spinach and butternut, perfect for winter recipe.

Meatless tagliatelle with spinach and butternut, perfect for winter recipe. Image credit: Elanie Beckett

Oh pasta, you’re always going to bring us so much joy with every bite. When you want comfort food, Italy reigns supreme with pizza and pasta. With so many pasta styles, you’ve always got a choice to make some great and interesting meals. However, many of them can have meat, pasta is actually the perfect opportunity to make some great vegan and vegetarian meals that will fill you up this winter. This meatless spinach and butternut tagliatelle pasta is one of those recipes.

ALSO READ: Creamy bacon and mushroom pasta: Family dinner, made easy

Meatless spinach and butternut tagliatelle tips

You’ll almost be making a lentil and butternut soup (which is actually great on its own) which is creamy and heartwarming. The roasted butternut adds a richer and caremelised flavour which adds depth to the pasta. Taglatelle is a flat, fettuccine-style long pasta which actually holds onto the creamy sauce, making every bite perfect. If you are not vegetarian, add a knob of butter to the pan when finishing the sauce and pasta together.

ALSO READ: Pocket lasagne dinner: A fun twist on an classic Italian pasta

Winter is the best time for comfort food. This vegan meatless spinach and butternut tagliatelle pasta is comforting and absolutely delicious.

Last updated on 28 April 2023

Meatless spinach and butternut tagliatelle recipe

5 from 3 votes
Recipe by Elanie Beckett Course: DinnerCuisine: GlobalDifficulty: Easy
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

Ingredients

  • ½ ½ fresh butternut, cubed

  • 2 2 medium onions, roughly chopped

  • 6 cloves 6 garlic, crushed

  • 1 tin 1 coconut cream

  • 300 g 300 fresh baby spinach

  • 300 g 300 wholewheat tagliatelle pasta (or whatever pasta you like!)

  • ½ cup ½ dry lentils, soaked (soaking optional for smoother sauce)

  • ½ tsp ½ dry thyme / 10 sprigs fresh

  • ½ tsp ½ dry rosemary / 1 sprig fresh

  • 60 ml 60 olive oil

  • 1 tbsp 1 paprika

  • 1 tbsp 1 sea salt

  • 1 tbsp 1 Ina Paarman Vegetable Stock powder

  • 1 tsp 1 black pepper

  • 1 tsp 1 fenugreek (“Methi”) (optional)

  • 1 tsp 1 coriander

  • 1 tsp 1 fennel seeds (whole or ground)

  • 1 tsp 1 turmeric

  • 1 tsp 1 cinnamon

  • 1 tsp 1 ginger

  • 1 tsp 1 mustard powder

  • 1/4 tsp 1/4 asafoetida (“hing”) (optional)

  • 1 pinch 1 cayenne pepper (or 7 twists of Pick ‘n Pay Chilli Explosion)

  • 2 cups 2 vegetable broth/stock (or plain water)

Method

  • Turn oven on to 190°C.
  • While the oven is heating up, place coconut cream, lentils, salt and veg stock powder in a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat down low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot – it will thicken as it becomes cooked.
  • While you are nursing the lentils, chop butternut, onion and garlic and place in a large enough oven dish. Separate the layers of onion so that you have all single layers.
  • Sprinkle thyme and rosemary on butternut/onion/garlic pieces and drizzle with olive oil.
  • Once the oven reaches 190°C, place butternut in the oven and set the timer for 30 min.
  • Turn after 15min and keep an eye on it from 15min onward – depending on the size of your butternut pieces and your oven, it might be cooked after 20min.
  • Once cooked, remove from the oven and set aside.
  • Bring a large pot of water to the boil on your stovetop (using boiled water from a kettle speeds up the process). Place pasta in boiling water and cook according to packet instructions (8 – 12min depending on the pasta)
  • While pasta is cooking, place all remaining spices in a pot on medium heat and dry roast spices for 3-5min to maximize flavour.
  • Add roasted spices to the lentils & coconut cream pot and stir in, remove from heat.
  • Place roasted butternut/onion/garlic in a blender. Add lentil mixture to the blender and add 1 cup of vegetable broth OR 1 cup of plain water. Blend on high until smooth – it might be quite thick so help it with a spatula/wooden spoon as necessary.
  • By now your pasta should be almost cooked – check texture and strain through colander once desired al dente is achieved.
  • Place pasta back in the large pot and pour the mixture from your blender over the pasta. Place back on low heat.
  • Add 1 cup of vegetable broth (or 1 cup of pasta water) to the pasta and gently toss to work through.
  • Add fresh baby spinach and work through. Leave on low heat for 5min to wilt the spinach, stirring occasionally to avoid it getting stuck to the bottom of the pot. If you would like it more saucy, add more water, ¼ cup at a time until desired sauciness is achieved.
  • Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds &/or toasted sesame seeds if desired, serve and enjoy!

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