Creamy Green Veggie Pasta with Cashew “Parm”
I find cashews to be magical when it comes to what they can do in recipes. They’re SO versatile and when I found out I could turn soaked cashews into creamy sauces, I officially became obsessed. This creamy green veggie pasta does just that AND it also uses cashews in a simple parmesan cheese inspired crumble that goes on top. If you’re looking to get more veggies in your diet, this one is for you! This recipe is from my March 2024 grocery series where I turned a $50 grocery haul into five meals.
Creamy Green Veggie Pasta with Cashew “Parm”
4
servings20
minutes15
minutesI find cashews to be magical when it comes to what they can do in recipes. They’re SO versatile and when I found out I could turn soaked cashews into creamy sauces, I officially became obsessed. This creamy green veggie pasta does just that AND it also uses cashews in a simple parmesan cheese inspired crumble that goes on top. If you’re looking to get more veggies in your diet, this one is for you! This recipe is from my March 2024 grocery series where I turned a grocery haul into five meals.
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Ingredients
- For the pasta
3/4 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/3 broccoli head, cut into small florets (about 2 cups)
2 ounces baby spinach
16 ounces gluten-free spaghetti
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, additional to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- For the cashew “parm”
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions
- Place the cashews in a glass bowl or jar and cover completely with the hot water. Set aside for 20-30 minutes to soak the cashews.
- Meanwhile, boil a pot of salted water. Once at a roaring boil, add the broccoli and baby spinach. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove from the water and set aside.
- Boil another pot of salted water and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Drain the soaked cashews, reserving all of the water. Add the broccoli, spinach, cashews, broth, lemon juice, and olive oil to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. If needed, slowly pour in the leftover water from the cashews to thin out as needed. The sauce should be think enough to stick to the pasta, but smooth.
- Add in the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and nutritional yeast and blend again. Taste and salt accordingly. In the same pot as the pasta or a large bowl, add the sauce, starting with half of the total yield, and mix to combine. Add more sauce as desired.
- To a clean blender or food processor, add the cashews, nutritional yeast, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes and pulse until finely ground, similar to the texture of parmesan cheese.
- Evenly divide the pasta among 4 bowls and top with the cashew “parm.”
Notes
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze the sauce for up to 1 month. Prepare the pasta and cashew parm before serving.
- Reheating: Microwave until warm, about 2 minutes or heat in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warm, about 10 minutes.
- Cashew “Parm”: Swap for regular parmesan cheese if you do not need dairy-free.
- Cashew (sauce): Swap the blended cashews for half and half or heavy cream. Start with ½ cup and add more, up to ¾ cup total, if needed depending on your desired creaminess.
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We tried this tonight for dinner. It fed my 2 adult sons and myself (56 year old female). We added up the cost, and it came to about $10 Canadian – and it was DELICIOUS! Thank you!
JENN, how do you do it?! Another slam dunk of a recipe. I loved packing in some veggies this way. My only edit was that I used silken tofu instead of soaked cashews because I find that the silken tofu is smoother and heats up better than soaked cashews. The flavors were delicious though, especially that cashew parm. I’ll be making this again and again with different veggies!
My kids – who have hated most of the vegan dishes I’ve made – loved this and said it should be part of our regular rotation! It was delicious.
As someone who is working on creating a healthier relationship with food, this recipe has been a *staple* to introducing pasta back into my life!! Creating sauce out of veggies sets my mindset to know I am fueling my body with good ingredients without giving up the yummy and fulfilling pasta parm dish.
My daughter has a milk allergy – so I am on the hunt for dairy -free and delicious recipes our whole family can enjoy. This was a slam dunk! You’d never know it has no cheese in it!! Its on our repeat list. We added grilled chicken on top for extra protein. You could probably speed up the time waiting for water to boil if you did two pots (one for veggies and one for pasta — at the cost of more dishes :/ ) and made the cashew parm first while the veggies boil.
So creamy and decadent! One of those recipes that proves vegan doesn’t need to sacrifice at all on flavor.