Basil Pesto and Cashew Cream Stuffed Shells in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 package large pasta shells
- 1 cup cashews
Basil pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- salt and black pepper to taste
Tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- optional: handful of chopped grape tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Cashew cream sauce
- 5-7 handfuls baby spinach
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Prepare the pasta shells al dente according to package instructions.
Soak the cashews in 2 cups of hot water for about 3 hours.
For the basil pesto, combine all pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Set aside.
For the tomato sauce, heat a large skillet and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat until shimmering, then add chopped onion and lower heat to sauté until translucent. Add crushed garlic and sauté a few minutes more. Add basil, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, and tomato paste. Stir to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes on low heat to caramelize. Add crushed tomatoes and brown sugar, raise heat slightly and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Optionally add chopped grape tomatoes. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to keep warm.
For the cashew cream sauce, in a large skillet, add 2-3 tablespoons of water and steam the baby spinach until wilted. Drain off remaining moisture. Drain and rinse the cashews, then blend with garlic, olive oil, water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt and pepper until creamy. Pour the cashew cream into the skillet with the spinach. Add the basil pesto and stir to combine. Heat on low heat, stirring frequently, to warm the sauce.
To assemble, add a spoonful of the cashew cream spinach sauce to each pasta shell and gently place each shell into the tomato sauce. Top with fresh basil. Enjoy.
