Creamy red pepper and cashew pasta
Cashew nuts and soya cream make this vegan red pepper pasta so comforting and creamy.
Ingredients
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú cashew nuts, soaked in water covered in the fridge for at least 4 hours
- 200g/7oz mushrooms, sliced
- 300g/10½oz whole baby plum tomatoes
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 2 tsp mixed Italian herbs
- 180g/6oz roasted red pepper from a jar, drained
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 3 large garlic cloves (or 4 small)
- 200ml/7fl oz just-boiled water
- 100ml/3½fl oz soya cream
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 280g/10oz spaghetti or pasta of your choice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
Put the mushrooms and baby plum tomatoes on a baking tray. Drizzle over the olive oil, and season with 1 teaspoon mixed Italian herbs, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.
To make the pasta sauce, drain the cashew nuts, then put the cashews, red pepper, sundried tomatoes, garlic cloves, remaining mixed Italian herbs, the hot water, soya cream, nutritional yeast and a sprinkle of salt in a blender. Blend until smooth – it’s important to use a blender rather than a food processor for a smoother, creamier sauce.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water, following the instructions on the packet.
Warm the sauce up by putting it in a large non-stick pan over a low heat for a minute or two.
Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid, and combine the pasta with the sauce and a little of the pasta cooking water to loosen. Stir through the roasted tomatoes and mushrooms. Serve topped with some fresh parsley and good drizzle of olive oil.
Recipe Tips
This recipe makes enough red pepper and cashew sauce to set aside or freeze to use another day. You could also cook more pasta to make larger portions or serve more people.