Description
A creamy and flavorful pasta dish that’s quick to prepare, packed with protein, and loved by the whole family.
Ingredients
Scale
- 225 g chickpea penne pasta
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 120 g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 70 g raw cashews (soaked)
- 240 ml unsweetened almond milk
- 30 g nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 200 g firm tofu (crumbled)
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Place raw cashews in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak for at least 15 minutes, then drain.
- Cook chickpea penne pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 120 ml of pasta water and drain the pasta.
- Combine soaked cashews, almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for another 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and crumbled tofu to the skillet. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the cashew cream sauce into the skillet along with reserved pasta water. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Add cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Remove from heat and let rest for 2 minutes. Serve hot garnished with fresh basil leaves.
Notes
Soak cashews longer for a creamier sauce. Always reserve pasta water—the residual starch helps thicken sauces nicely.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 0mg