Butternut Squash Noodles with Pumpkin Sage Sauce and Pork

This meal is best prepared in the fall and winter, as its main ingredient, squash, is at its peak during this time. Besides, what better time to enjoy a comforting warm bowl of pork and pumpkin pasta than during the cool, brisk days at the end of the year? This Pumpkin Sage Sauce is cream-free, but the combination of almond milk and nutritional yeast would have you think it's loaded with cream. If you don’t like the taste of nutritional yeast or don’t have any on hand, you can leave it out, and it won’t affect your sauce—it just adds a bit of “cheesiness” to an otherwise smooth sauce.

Serves 4

2 large butternut squashes

31⁄2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

21⁄2-pounds boneless pork loin chops

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

Ingredients for Pumpkin Sage Sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1⁄2 medium onion

1 cup pure pumpkin purée

1⁄2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1⁄4 cup nutritional yeast

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

1⁄4 cup chopped sage leaves

  1. Cut the bulbous end off your butternut squash and set aside. You will be using the longer end to spiralize. Peel butternut squash until the top, tough surface is completely removed; then slice in half crosswise and cut off both ends. Spiralize using a small-noodle blade.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add squash noodles, cover, and cook for about 7–10 minutes or until squash is soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. In a separate large pan or cast-iron skillet, heat 11⁄2 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat. Add pork loin chops and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until pork is no longer pink. Remove from pan and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add to butternut squash noodles.
  4. In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for about 5–7 minutes or until onions are very soft and browned.
  5. To make sauce, combine pumpkin purée, cooked garlic and onions, almond milk, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. In the small pan you used in the previous step, heat ghee on medium heat. Add sage leaves and cook for 3–4 minutes until they begin to crisp. Lower heat to low and add pumpkin mixture, mixing until sage becomes absorbed and the rest of the sauce begins to warm.
  6. Pour sauce over squash noodles and pork, mixing until evenly coated. Turn heat on low if your noodles have gotten cold. Serve warm.