Cashew Cream Pasta
Pasta paired with my favorite condiment--cashew cream--makes for an easy weeknight dinner. It's popular with picky eaters and tastes indulgent but the sauce is made of wholesome ingredients.
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta of choice (340g) use gluten-free pasta as needed
- 16 ounces shelled organic edamame or chickpeas (454g)
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes (300g)
- 4 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 5 tablespoons walnuts
- 1/2 cup fresh basil (10g), thinly slivered
Cashew Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews (140g) soaked for 8 hours
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons plant-based milk (150 mL)
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper + more to taste
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions. When the pasta is al dente, ladle out a bit of the cooking water (1/2-1 cup or 120-240 mL is plenty). Drain the pasta in a colander and return it to the saucepan or to a large bowl.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the Cashew Cream. Blend all of the ingredients together in a high-powered blender or food processor until smooth and creamy and all cashew bits are pulverized. Scrape down the sides as you go, and add more plant-based milk as needed to achieve your desired texture.
- While the pasta is still hot, add in the Cashew Cream and toss to coat. It will likely be very thick, so add in some of the reserved pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time until your sauce is still creamy but thin enough to coat the noodles.
- Add in the edamame, tomatoes, hemp seeds, walnuts, and basil, tossing to coat. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 870mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 6mg