Creamy Vegan Cashew Tomato Pasta
This Creamy Vegan Tomato Pasta is made with a cashew cream sauce. It's the secret ingredient that adds a creamy texture and lighter color!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 473kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup water
- ¾ teaspoon salt divided
- 16 ounces rigatoni
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 15 ounce canned diced tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak until cashews are tender, 60 minutes.
- Drain cashews and transfer to a blender with ½ cup fresh water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 2-3 minutes less than the time indicated on the package. Reserve 1 ½ cups pasta cooking water.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Then add diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ cup reserved pasta water. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and darker in color, about 10 minutes.
- While sauce is simmering, transfer pasta, cashew cream and remaining 1 cup of the pasta cooking water to the sauce and toss until the sauce coats the pasta well. Top with basil, and serve immediately.
Notes
Make Ahead: Both the tomato sauce and the cashew cream can easily be made ahead of time, so feel free to prep them in advance. When you’re ready to eat, just heat up the sauce in a pan with the cashew cream, make the pasta, and toss it all together!
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. It will last about 4-5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 496mg | Potassium: 600mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg