‘Cream’ of Pepper Pasta Recipe

This vibrant pasta tastes so cheesy, you may forget it’s whole-food plant-based.

Appreciating vegetables in a generation where almost everything we eat comes from a box is grueling. Processed junk food has successfully numbed our palates. Amidst the junk, this recipe is a breath of fresh air. It’s incredibly decadent; almost tastes ‘too unhealthy’ to be true.

It has the cheesy creaminess of mac n’ cheese, and a spicy tinge of an Arrabiata with a tangy twist. All this while being extremely nutrient dense.

This comes together in less than 30 mins with the help of just a few clean ingredients. So let’s dive right in.

You will need:

• A large red or orange bell pepper

• 1 cup whole wheat/lentil, unrefined pasta

• An jalapeno (optional, if you like it spicy)

• ½ a cup coconut milk (or) ½ cup of cashews (soaked in hot water for 30 mins to an hour**)

• ½ cup - 1 cup pasta water

• ¼ cup nutritional yeast

• ½ lemon juiced

• Salt / pepper as per taste

• Basil for garnishing (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil some hot water, salt it, and cook your favorite pasta al dente. Keep some pasta water aside to use in the sauce.

2. Roast the bell pepper and the jalapeno. (I roast it on the open stove, but feel free to roast in the oven or even use roasted peppers from a can).

3. Once charred, peel the peppers and jalapeno. Set aside.

4. To a blender add the roasted peppers, coconut milk (or cashews), pasta water, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Blitz away to create a smooth velvety pasta sauce. Taste for salt and spice. You can adjust the taste by adding some crushed black pepper for a spice kick and even more lemon juice for additional tanginess.

5. Transfer the sauce to a heavy-bottomed pan and let it simmer for a couple of minutes.

6. Fold cooked pasta of choice into the sauce.

7. Garnish with some fresh basil leaves and enjoy!

Notes:

• ** Soaking cashews longer helps soften them to be blended later to create a velvety consistency. Make sure to drain the cashews and wash them down with fresh water before adding to the blender.

• Always add cooled down ingredients to the blender, especially if using a plastic blender jar like a Vitamix or Nutribullet.

• This recipe is extremely versatile. Feel free to saute/roast some asparagus, zucchini, or any other veggies for a more colorful bowl of pasta if time permits.

• Adjust the sauce consistency to make it more or less soupy by adding or reducing pasta water. You can even make it more creamy by adding plain unsweetened plant milk (think soy/oat).