I know, I know… When I hear the terms plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, and especially oil-free, used in the same sentence as LASAGNA, I’m probably not going to read any farther. But trust me! This Noodle-less Butternut Squash Lasagna may be free of 7 of the top 8 allergens (it could easily be made soy-free, too), but believe me when I tell you that this delicious and comforting vegan dish is not free of flavor or decadence.

I love the simplicity of this pasta. It feels like a traditional Italian dish, where meat is browned, and the fond in the pan is used to season the cream sauce. There is a simplicity to this dish, and a quickness with which it comes together that just makes you feel like you’re instinctively composing in the moment; like you’re a Nona at home in her Tuscan kitchen.

I wanted to find a unique way to dress up “The Cream Sauce” so that y’all could see how truly versatile this sauce is. This “Creamy Vegan ‘Elote’ Pasta with Fuego Dust” is just the dish. Perfectly cooked fettuccine is tossed with a spicy red pepper cream sauce and sweet corn, and then topped with a generous sprinkling of ground Fuego Takis.