Creamy Cashew, Lemon & Pea Pasta

Vegan (check pasta doesn’t contain egg)
Prep & cook time: 1 hr
Serves 4

You’ll adore this completely dairy-free sauce because it’s so creamy and full of flavour. The best news is that this sauce is simple enough to throw together on a weeknight and use in your favourite dish.

This versatile sauce can also be used to make a creamy mushroom pasta, as a creamy addition to lasagna or poured over steamed vegetables. My favourite use is as a base for dairy-free macaroni cheese. Simply omit the lemon zest and juice and use one of the wonderful vegan parmesan cheeses now available.

 

Creamy cashew sauce ingredients

2 cup Alison’s Pantry Natural Cashews

1 onion – finely diced

2 garlic cloves – finely diced

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

Zest of 2 lemons

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or any milk will work)

1 cup vegetable stock

Juice of 1 lemon

Creamy cashew, lemon & pea pasta ingredients

500g dried spaghetti

3/4 cup frozen peas (or more if desired)

70g baby spinach leaves

Olive oil for sautéing

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

 

 

Creamy cashew sauce

Place the cashew nuts in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse well.

 

Heat a generous glug of oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook without browning, until very tender. Add the fennel seeds, lemon zest and cashew nuts. Cook for a further 4 minutes. Combine this with the almond milk, vegetable stock and lemon juice. Use a powerful blender or hand blender to blitz until silky smooth. It’s important to have the sauce be as smooth as possible. Taste and then season very generously. The addition of salt and cracked black pepper is important.

Creamy cashew, lemon & pea pasta

Bring a large pot of salt water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions adding the frozen peas to the pasta water in the last minute of cooking. Drain well and toss with the cashew sauce and baby spinach leaves. Add a little water to the sauce if it is too thick.

Divide finished pasta between the plates. Garnish with cracked black pepper and fresh basil leaves.

Leftover sauce will last 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It may be necessary to whisk in a little water when reheating.

Click here to download the recipe as a PDF.

 

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