Rigatoni Alfredo with Green Vegetables
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/2 cup dry navy beans or about 1.5 cups cooked beans or about 1 can, rinsed
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk (creamy oat or soy recommended)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- 1-2 cups pasta water
Optional
- 1 tbsp white miso paste
Vegetables and pasta
- 1 small head of broccoli or about 2 cups frozen broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup chopped frozen spinach or 2 cups fresh
- 1 pound pasta of choice
Toppings
- Fresh basil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
If using dried beans, rinse them and add to a pressure cooker with cashews and filtered water, then cook on manual setting for 30 minutes.
If using canned or previously cooked beans, rinse them well and add to a blender with the cashews quick soaked in hot water for 15 minutes prior, along with plant milk, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, and sea salt, then blend until smooth.
Cook pasta according to package directions and add broccoli florets to the pot a few minutes before pasta is al dente.
At the end of cooking, add peas and spinach to the pot.
Drain the pasta and vegetables, reserving 1 to 2 cups of pasta water.
Mix the hot pasta, broccoli, peas, and spinach with the creamy sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to adjust consistency.
Top with fresh basil and freshly ground black pepper, and serve.
Tips
No soaking is needed for dried beans when using a pressure cooker.
Use creamy oat or soy milk for better texture in the sauce.
Adjust sauce thickness by adding more or less pasta water as desired.
