Vegan Pasta Primavera with Creamy Garlic Cashew Sauce

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Ambitious Kitchen

Total Time

2 hours and 20 minutes

Prep Time

2 hours

Cook Time

20 minutes

Rating

(137)

Ingredients

4 servings

12 ounces penne pasta (or sub any kind of pasta you’d like, including gluten free)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, sliced lengthwise
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered OR cut into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
For the sauce:
¾ cup raw cashews
½ cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Freshly ground black pepper
For serving:
Red pepper flakes
Extra salt and black pepper, if desired
Garlic costini/garlic bread

Italian Dinner Pasta Sautéing ...

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Preparation

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Step 1

First make your sauce: soak the cashews in 2 cups of warm water for at least 2 hours; otherwise I've found that you can easily speed up the process by adding the raw cashews to a pot with water and placing over high heat. Bring water to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat; let the cashews sit for about 30 minutes in the hot water, then drain.

Step 2

Once the cashews have finished soaking you'll be ready to make the sauce: add drained cashews, ½ cup fresh water, fresh lemon juice, garlic, salt, onion powder and black pepper to a blender. Blend on high until sauce comes together. If you want a bit of a thinner sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons more water. Set aside until ready to use.

Step 3

Next, cook your pasta until al dente, according to the directions on the package.

Step 4

While your pasta boils, you can cook your vegetables. Add olive oil to a large pot and place over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, red bell pepper and broccoli; saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next add in the zucchini and cook for 2 minutes, or until all the veggies are tender, but still have a little crisp to them. Finally stir in the tomatoes and italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute more.

Step 5

Finally, add cooked pasta and cashew sauce to the pot with the veggies and stir to combine. Serve with red pepper flakes, if desired. I love enjoying this with a side of garlic bread or with garlic crostini!