Vegan Lemon Pine Nut Pasta
Ingredients
Lemon pine nut crema
- 1/2 cup soaked pine nuts
- 1/4 cup water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 small garlic cloves
- Pinch of chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt
- Cracked pepper
Pasta components
- 1 bag short noodles (such as mezzi rigatoni)
- 1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 red onion
- 8 cups mixed mushrooms (such as cremini, black, and white oyster)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
- 1 cup chopped asparagus
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of chili flakes
- Sprouts
- Vegan Parmesan
Preparation
Soak pine nuts for at least 1 hour.
Add all crema ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Boil water for pasta.
Preheat a large pan and add olive oil.
Add onion and sweat for a couple of minutes, then add chili flakes and garlic and cook until fragrant for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add asparagus and sauté for a couple of minutes, then add mushrooms and let them settle and cook for a couple of minutes before tossing together.
If the mixture looks dry, add a splash or two of pasta water to help.
Add zucchini, peas, and beans, then season with salt and pepper.
Cover the mixture with a lid for a couple of minutes to allow everything to meld together.
Once pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
Rinse the pasta if it is gluten-free to remove starchy residue.
Toss the pasta into the pan with the vegetable mixture.
Add the crema and mix to combine, adding reserved pasta water if desired for a creamier texture.
Season with salt and pepper, then top with vegan Parmesan, sprouts, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Tips
Adjust pasta water to achieve the desired consistency of the dish.
Rinsing gluten-free pasta helps remove excess starch for better texture.
