Creamy Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Penne pasta and broccoli florets are tossed in a creamy cashew sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, basil and walnuts to make this luscious vegan dinner.
Servings: 8
Calories: 408kcal
Ingredients
For the Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours
- 2 cups unflavored soy or almond milk
- 1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, not oil packed, divided
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
For the Penne Pasta
- 16 ounces dried penne pasta
- 1 large broccoli crown, broken into florets
For Serving:
- Fresh basil
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Make the creamy sun-dried tomato pesto by placing the cashews, milk, ½ cup of the sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Blend until smooth. Add the basil, walnuts, and remaining sun-dried tomatoes. Pulse until they're finely chopped and mixed into the cashew mixture. Taste test and season with additional salt if desired.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot and cook for 6 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until the pasta is tender and the broccoli is bright green and tender-crisp. Drain the pasta and broccoli into a colander.
- Return the pasta and broccoli to the pot and add the creamy sun-dried tomato pesto. Toss to coat, adding more milk if needed.
- Divide the pasta onto plates and top with additional basil and red-pepper flakes, if desired. Serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 58.2g | Protein: 12.5g | Fat: 15.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Sodium: 199mg | Fiber: 4.8g | Sugar: 5.5g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2.9mg