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overhead shot of a serving of pasta with roasted red pepper cream sauce

Vegan Date Night Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

★★★★★

5 from 1 review
  • Author: Allison
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This vegan pasta with roasted red pepper cashew cream sauce, crispy chickpeas, and roasted cauliflower hits the spot on date night!

Ingredients

Scale

Roasted Cauliflower

  • 1 medium head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized florets
  • 1 tbsp oil (olive, avocado, or melted coconut oil/ghee)
  • Generous pinch each fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Roasted Chickpeas

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 1 tbsp oil (olive, avocado, or melted coconut oil/ghee)
  • Generous pinch each fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Cream Sauce

  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked and drained- see note)
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 cup sliced roasted red pepper (either from a jar or freshly roasted- see note)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, or more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 medium garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4–1/2 tsp chili flakes (use the higher amount if you like it spicy)

For Serving

Instructions

  1. Roast the cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, if desired. Place the cauliflower florets on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, or until fork tender and crispy.
  2. Roast the chickpeas: Place the chickpeas in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Transfer to a second baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes.
  3. Make the roasted red pepper cashew cream sauce: Place all of the sauce ingredients- the cashews, tomato paste, roasted red pepper, water, salt, pepper, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, smoked paprika, and chili flakes- in a blender. Blend until ultra smooth and creamy. If the sauce seems too thick and not pourable, add up to 1/4 cup more water.
  4. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain, return to the pot, and add the roasted red pepper cashew cream sauce. (You might not need to add all of the sauce to begin with, but the pasta soaks up the sauce quite quickly, so add more as desired.) Stir to coat. Serve the pasta and top with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas. I also like to sprinkle some homemade cashew hemp Parmesan and fresh herbs on top, but this is optional!

Notes

Raw cashews can be soaked in very hot water for an hour or in cold water for 4-8 hours.

If you would like to freshly roast your red peppers, you will need two good-sized peppers to make 1 cup of roasted red peppers. I used Savor Organic brand roasted red peppers, which are widely available across Canada.

 

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Supper, Lunch
  • Cuisine: Italian American

Keywords: vegan date night pasta, vegan pasta with roasted red pepper cream sauce

Find it online: https://upbeetkitchen.com/2020/10/14/vegan-date-night-pasta-with-roasted-red-pepper-cream-sauce/