Description
A light yet satisfying vegan pasta dish featuring creamy cashew sauce, fresh zucchini, and vibrant lemon and basil flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ onion – finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 medium or 4 small zucchinis – roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water (heavily salted)
- ¾ cup plant milk
- ¼ cup cashew butter (or tahini if allergic)
- ½–1 cup basil – finely chopped
- Juice from ½ lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 servings cooked pasta
- 1 can white beans (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the finely diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until it becomes translucent and fragrant.
- Toss in the roughly chopped zucchini along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for another 5 minutes until the zucchini becomes tender and slightly golden.
- Add the minced garlic and finely chopped basil to the pan. Stir and cook for another 3-5 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and everything is wonderfully softened.
- Transfer the sautéed zucchini mixture to a blender. Add the nutritional yeast, reserved pasta water, plant milk, cashew butter, lemon juice, and more salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta with the creamy sauce. If you’re using white beans, fold those in gently to add some protein and texture.
- Serve warm, garnished with extra basil or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for that added cheesy flavor.
Notes
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add a splash of plant milk when reheating to revive the creamy texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sautéing and Blending
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 0mg