A vegan take on the classic Italian dish, using cashews as a base for a creamy pasta sauce. The nutritional yeast is essential to give that nutty cheesy flavour, resembling that of a strong parmesan. An easy and fast weeknight dinner recipe which satisfies those good Italian carb cravings.
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
200g (2 cups) cashew nuts
250ml-300ml (1-1.5 cup) water
3 tbsp lemon juice (approx. 1 lemon)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp mustard powder
2 tsp sea salt
Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
Linguine pasta, serve for 2
Cracked black pepper
METHOD
Soak the cashews for 2 hours in water or leave them overnight. If you’re in a hurry, soaking them for 15 mins in hot or boiling water will help to soften enough for you to blend them into a smooth sauce.
Drain the cashews and place in a blender, with the nutritional yeast, water, salt and lemon juice. Blitz until you have a smooth sauce, adding more water until you have a creamy consistency.
When ready to eat, cook the pasta in a pan of salted boiling water until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat 1tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic until lightly toasted and golden. Add the cashew sauce and whisk to warm through and combine with the garlic oil until smooth.
Drain the pasta and add to the pan of sauce, mixing to combine and coat the pasta. Taste and season with cracked black pepper and salt.
Serve the pasta hot with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a generous seasoning of cracked black pepper.