This week's Green Mondays recipe from Kelly Gibney is a pasta dish with a gorgeously creamy flavour, though it is entirely dairy free. A comforting and simple meal full of goodness. You’ll get the best result using a high-speed blender or powerful handblender to puree the cashew sauce.
Serves: 2–3
INGREDIENTS
½ onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
zest of 2 lemons, plus extra to garnish
1 cup cashew nuts, soaked for 20 minutes in boiling water, drained well
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
juice of 1 lemon
250 grams gluten-free pasta (I used Ceres quinoa and rice spaghetti)
⅓ cup frozen peas
fresh basil leaves, to garnish
olive oil, for sautéing
sea salt and ground black pepper
METHOD
Heat a generous glug of oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook without browning, until tender. Add the fennel seeds, lemon zest and cashew nuts. Cook for a further 4 minutes.
Add to a powerful blender, along with the almond milk and lemon juice. Process until silky smooth. Taste and then season very generously. The addition of salt and ground black pepper is important.
Bring a large pot of salt water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, adding the frozen peas to the pasta water in the last minute of cooking. Drain well and toss with the cashew sauce.
Divide pasta between plates. Garnish with lemon zest, cracked black pepper and fresh basil leaves.
Leftover sauce will last 3–4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It may be necessary to whisk in a little water when reheating.
Kelly Gibney
Kelly Gibney is a food writer, stylist and photographer based in Auckland. For more delicious wholefood recipe inspiration head over to her blog, bonnie delicious.
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