Easy Vegan Pasta
Easy Vegan Pasta
Creamy vegan pasta made in 25 minutes or less!!! Perfectly al dente vegan pasta tossed with sautéed bell pepper, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, & an easy homemade lemony basil creamy vegan pasta sauce made from cashews. The easiest healthy pasta recipe – totally dairy-free, vegan & filled with veggies!
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces whole wheat pasta (see Recipe Notes)
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (see Recipe Notes)
- 4 ounces arugula (a few handfuls)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
lemon basil cashew cream sauce:
- 1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 cup packed fresh basil
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, generously salt the water. Add in the pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions. About 2 minutes before the pasta is al dente, add the broccoli florets to the pot to cook with the pasta as the pasta finishes cooking. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Make the lemon basil cashew cream sauce: Add all listed ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Cook the veggies: Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the onion and bell pepper. Season with 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften slightly, 3-4 minutes. Once softened, add the sun-dried tomatoes and arugula to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sun-dried tomatoes soften and the arugula wilts slightly, 1-2 minutes.
- Finish the creamy vegan pasta: Once the veggies are ready, add the drained pasta & broccoli to the skillet. Pour the lemon basil cashew cream sauce over top. Toss to combine, adding a little of the reserved starchy pasta water as you go to reach your desired consistency. Taste and season additionally with salt or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, as desired. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
NOTES
- Pasta: Obviously, to make this pasta vegan, use your favorite vegan pasta. I love DeLallo’s whole wheat pastas – they’re totally vegan-friendly. While I prefer a textured short noodle for this lemony basil creamy vegan pasta recipe (it clings to the sauce really nicely – pictured here is rigatoni), you can use whatever shape you like best.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I find 3 ounce bags of sliced sun-dried tomatoes at Trader Joe’s & they work really well for this recipe. You’ll want to make sure to use dried sun-dried tomatoes for this recipe, not the kind that comes packed in oil, to ensure your creamy vegan pasta doesn’t get super oily.