This is an ultimate comfort food, usually portrayed as a junk food. We are going to prepare a healthy version – creamy from cashew nuts, with an intense colour from butternut squash and cheesiness from nutritional yeast.
Cashews are rich in fibre, heart-healthy fats, and plant protein. They’re also a good source of copper, magnesium, and manganese — nutrients important for energy production, brain health, immunity, and bone health.
Butternut squash has a beautiful vibrant orange colour and a good source of vitamin E, vitamin B-6, folate, manganese and vitamin A.
Ingredients
(serves 4 portions)
- around 300g of dried wholewheat macaroni (or gluten free alternative)
- 250 g butternut squash, peeled chopped and steamed
- ½ small onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and diced
- 40g unsalted raw cashew nuts, soaked for few hours (soak them in advance!)
- 125 ml plant-based milk (soya, cashew, almond)
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
- Juice of ½ lemon
Method
Place a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for the ‘’cheese sauce’’ with a splash of water, then add the garlic and continue to fry for another minute.
Drain the soaked cashews and add to a high-speed blender with the steamed butternut squash, cooked onion and garlic and the remaining ingredients for the creamy sauce. Blend until totally smooth.
Stir into the cooked pasta and heat on a low heat to warm and serve
More about Julie
Combining over 25 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical profession with an interest in nutritional science led Julie to study naturopathic nutritional therapy and ignited her fascination in the world of nutrigenomics – how food and lifestyle has the power to influence our genes.
Discovering using food as medicine for herself, going from obesity and a host of chronic diseases in her 30’s, to being medication-free and fitter than ever in her 50’s, Julie decided to swap dispensing pharmaceuticals for prescribing food to her patients.
Balancing her time between private clients and NHS commitments, Julie offers support for those seeking evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle guidance for a wide range of chronic conditions, including in weight management and gut health.