Confession time: not that long ago; I was a total pasta monster. No food ever provided me with that level of comfort and coziness. A warm, cheesy, (slightly spicy) bowl of pasta gave me life back in the day…. It also gave me a solid set of hips and a whole set of back problems. Not because of the weight; but because I’ve been fighting autoimmune disease since I was 24, and getting better meant giving up my favorite thing in the world: cheese!
Unfortunately; cow dairy is a proven inflammation trigger for me. Fortunately; there’s ways to circumvent around it. Insert this delicious sauce into the equation and we have cheesy, creamy, golden reddish pasta sauce- sans the cheese. And we owe it all to CASHEWS! Yes, am talking to you.. cashews. Let’s face it: is there anything cashews can’t do? I am still amazed by how we can make an awesome tasting cheese-like sauce from cashews. And, with a little help from nutritional yeast and apple cider vinegar!
I already have a Mushroom and Cashew Alfredo Pasta recipe on the blog; but it was time to fine-tune it and bring you this deliciously fresh Cashew Alfredo Rosé sauce; because it has a little kick and the wonderful addition of garlic, sweet creamy tomatoes, apple cider vinegar and a little bit more tamari and red pepper flakes. This sauce is dynamite; give it a chance and you will love it!
p.s. it’s also kid AND husband approved. They don’t need to be in on the cashew piece. 😉 Taste-wise, it passed the palate test with flying colors. Pasta doesn’t need to be demonized into this starchy, white carb, sugary and dairy laden sauce thingamajig. You can make healthy pasta (that doesn’t taste healthy) and fully satisfy that carby craving.
p.p.s. For the penne (or any other pasta of your choice) I highly recommend you try organic brown rice pasta, lentil, edamame or chickpea pasta; to throw in a little plant protein! You will be surprised at the similarity in texture and the added nutritional perks.
So give it a try… and if you make it, please tag me #thedishonhealthy 🙂 Nothing makes me happier than seeing others enjoy my recipes.
Cashew Alfredo Rosé Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups of chopped/washed mushrooms of your choice (I love crimini, portobello and oyster mushrooms!)
- 2 cups of fresh, chopped organic tomatoes (don’t use canned ones)
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped white onions or shallots
- 1 tightly-packed cup of fresh organic spinach or arugula
- 2 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
- 2-3 cups of your favorite GF brown rice, quinoa or chickpea pasta
- 1-2 tsp of red chili flakes
- 2 tbsp of low-sodium Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
*You’ll need a food processor or high-speed blender for the sauce
For the Cashew Alfredo Rosé Sauce:
- 1 + 2/3 cups raw cashews soaked (for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (or more, to taste)
- 3 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 3 tbsp of nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 + 1/4 cup water or bone broth (bone broth adds the best flavor!)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water with a pinch of sea salt to a boil and add the pasta. Cook for about 8-10 mins, I like it a bit “al dente” and then drain. I like to add a pinch of chili oil to the pasta after draining, it keeps it from sticking together.
- In your food processor, throw in all the sauce ingredients and process until it’s smooth and creamy. If you feel it’s too thick, add a pinch more water or broth and then blend again. Also, test-taste and adjust salt and pepper to suit your palate.
- In a skillet or large sauce pan, warm up the extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions, tomatoes and mushrooms and allow them to soften and brown a bit while stirring often. Add the tamari sauce, stir well, then throw in the spinach (always do this last). I then add some cooked pasta and cashew sauce to the pan and give it a good toss. The soft, blistery tomatoes (along with the resulting juices will tint your sauce red). Serve immediately.
- Note: the sauce will be mostly absorbed by the pasta- but it’s so dang tasty! Alternatively, you can add the pasta at the very end over the served plates for a more “saucy presentation” and firmer pasta.
- Top with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, coarse black pepper, hemp hearts for protein and fresh basil. Enjoy!! x
Notes: IF you want the sauce to be fully blended with the tomatoes as opposed to having tomato chunks; simply blend the sautéed tomatoes, onions (or shallots) and mushrooms into the cheese sauce. Same delicious flavor, different look. Works well with toddlers! 😛 Or non-veg eaters. Personally, I love the chunky tomatoes for a little texture!
By: Aleyda/ The Dish On Healthy
