Pasta with Vegan Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Not a lot can be as satisfyingly filling as a pasta with white sauce. This recipe is a great way to introduce plant-based cooking or try your hand at making a staple sauce that’s delicious with or without red peppers and great on pizza, too.

Ingredients

1 package penne or pasta of your choice

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

1 zucchini, roughly chopped

1 large red pepper, julienned

1 clove garlic, minced

5 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced (by weight)

2 large handfuls of baby spinach (de-stemmed regular spinach works, too)

For the sauce

1 cup whole cashews

1 cup unsweet, unflavored non-dairy milk

2 oz. water

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

½ tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp salt

½ tsp garlic powder

Black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Soak cashews in boiling water for approximately 10 minutes
2. Sautee rough-chopped garlic clove (for sauce) in a little olive oil until browned
3. Add cashews, garlic and the rest of the sauce ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Keep sauce in blender.
4. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat
5. Once oil is shimmering, add zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms
6. After moisture is cooked off (little steam coming from pan), add garlic
7. Cook pasta according to instructions
8. Continue to stir veggies until red peppers become tender.
9. Transfer half of cooked red pepper slices into blender with sauce 
10. Pulse sauce until red peppers are fully incorporated with sauce. 
11. Pour sauce over sauteed vegetables and mix well. Add black pepper to taste. If sauce is too thick, a few ounces of water will make it more manageable. 
12. Plate pasta, add sauce on top. Garnish with red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately.