Eggplant Cashew Pasta
Prep. Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings
4-6 plates
Difficulty
Easy
Soy-Free, Gluten-Free, dairy-free, egg-free
You almost can't go wrong with pasta. Such diverse options to pair it with, and as a mom of 4 (and a full-time job), a fun, yet necessary mission I've taken upon is to create super quick and easy recipes that will reduce my time in the kitchen for our everyday meals. I've tweaked this version of sauce and made multiple sub-recipes, all of which revolve around the same idea - roasted vegetable (but then the types change between recipes) paired with either cashews, tofu or cream cheese (or all together!), with pasta water for extra starchy sauce that'll bind to the pasta better. It gets the creamiest texture and is highly nourishing, as its packed with protein, fiber and vitamins. Depends on the pasta you use, it can get that fancier touch (with tagliatelle or fettuccini) and be perfect for when you're hosting. I recently had friends over for dinner, but instead of working in the kitchen all day, I whipped up a couple of sauces (this one and pesto - be sure to check out my recipe in the notes!), and had 2 amazing pasta dishes already. I served it with focaccia (be sure to check out my recipe in the notes!) and a couple of salads, and there you have it! I know hosting can be intimidating, but its all about balancing efforts and good recipes. We are in the mood for pasta a couple of times a week, and recipes like this one are a keeper.
Ingredients
1 small basket of cherry tomatoes, whole
1 onion (white, red or yellow), sliced
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled, whole
1 cauliflower head
1 small eggplant, cut to 1'' cubes
3.5oz (100g) raw cashews
1 cup pasta water (see notes)
2 tbsps tomato paste
Optional: sliced black olives
Seasoning
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
Pasta of choice (for a gluten-free recipe, use store-bought gluten-free pasta)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 420F (210C).
Boil water, and place the cashews in a small glass bowl. Pour the boiling water onto the cashews, and let it soak until the vegetables are ready, or for at least 20 minutes.
In an oven-safe dish, place the vegetables side by side in one layer.
In a small bowl, mix all the seasoning ingredients, and drizzle the mixture onto the vegetables. Rub the vegetables as needed to ensure they are covered well.
Add 1/2 cup tap water to the dish, to ensure it stays moist while baking.
Cover the dish thoroughly with aluminum foil, and place the dish in the oven for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta of your choice and toss it in a large serving bowl. Save 1 cup of pasta water (the water the pasta was cooked in).
Remove the foil, and place the dish back in the oven for 20 more minutes or until the vegetables are golden on top.
Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool a little.
Drain the water from the bowl with the cashews.
Remove the eggplant from the dish and set it aside for later.
In a powerful food processor with a steel blade, combine the rest of the roasted vegetables, the cashews, the pasta water, and tomato paste, and mix until smooth and consistent.
Pour the sauce onto the pasta, and mix until the sauce is evenly spread.
Add the roasted eggplant to the bowl on top (and olives too if decided to add).
Serve hot!
Notes
Pasta water works like magic! It is highly starchy and it helps emulsify and thicken sauces to cling better to the noodles.
For a nut-free dish, do not add cashews. For added nutritional value, replace the cashews with any kind of tofu (firm).
For more ideas of pasta sauces, follow my pesto recipe here and my marinara sauce recipe here.
The Latest Bite
No-Bake Pistachio Ice Cream Cake
I love ice-cream cakes, and it is so hard to find vegan ones in stores, so I knew at some point I'd want to try and whip a recipe up, but one thing that's always a factor for me is whether or not it'll be a time-consuming project or not. If I need to use my mixer, food processor or oven, it means I need to plan for more dishes and more time spent on this, and that's where I sometimes hold off on exploring and developing new recipes. I was not only aiming for an easy-to-make recipe here, but also one that requires very few ingredients and as allergen-friendly as possible. This makes it a store-in-the-freezer dessert for when I have unexpected guests, or when we are on the road and want an indulgent treat.
Made primarily from raw pistachio butter, coconut cream and almond flour, this easy no-bake cake is elemental and holds texture and flavor impressively. Compliments are guaranteed!