Creamy cashew and roasted red pepper pasta
Earlier this year I made a roasted aubergine (eggplant) dip, which was super creamy. Since I do get bored eating the same thing over and over again (except pizza… I never get bored of pizza), I stirred the leftovers through some warm pasta, and it made a brilliant creamy sauce. I thought this time I’d be a bit more deliberate with my cooking, and used the same technique for this cashew and roasted red pepper pasta. Just blend some roasted aubergine into the sauce, and it makes everything nice and creamy without having to add any dairy – so it’s perfect for vegans, people with dairy intolerance, people following a low fat diet, or just anyone who appreciates a bowl of creamy pasta (i.e. probably everyone).
As well as the aubergine, the sauce is packed with roasted tomatoes and roasted red peppers. Most vegetables are improved by roasting, but especially peppers and tomatoes – they become really soft and sweet and juicy. A few blended cashew nuts add a really lovely texture, as well as a bit of protein.
A vegetable-based sauce like this is a great way to get towards your 5-a-day (or is it meant to be 10 these days?!), especially if you have picky eaters in your family – they’ll never know that it’s made with aubergine! You get tons of flavour and goodness without even knowing you’re eating veggies.
The vegetables for this creamy cashew and roasted red pepper pasta do take a little while to roast, but the actual hands-on cooking time is pretty minimal (you don’t even have to chop the aubergine before cooking it!). Chuck all the veggies in a blender, then stir it through some cooked pasta, and you’re ready to dig in. Feel free to add extra veggies if your family is less picky – I’m thinking a few roasted button mushrooms would be pretty great stirred through the creamy sauce!
Creamy cashew and roasted red pepper pasta
Ingredients
- 1 aubergine (eggplant)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 red pepper, cut into a few large chunks
- ~ 10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 small clove garlic
- 1-2 tsp tahini
- 3 tbsp cashew nuts
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Few small sprigs fresh basil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 200 g (~ 7 oz) dried pasta
Instructions
- Lightly brush the whole aubergine with oil, and place on a baking tray. Roast for around 25 minutes at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F). Turn the aubergine over, and add the chunks of red pepper and the cherry tomatoes, also lightly tossed in oil. Roast for a further 25 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft and juicy. The aubergine should be very soft.
- Cut the aubergine in half, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Scrape the flesh from the middle of the aubergine - it should pull away easily from the skin. Add the aubergine flesh to a food processor, along with the roasted peppers and tomatoes, garlic, tahini, cashews, smoked paprika, and a couple of sprigs of basil. Season generously, and blend thoroughly.
- Boil the pasta in plenty of water until cooked al dente, then drain, and add the roasted red pepper sauce. Mix well over a low heat for a minute or two, until piping hot. You can add a dash of water if the sauce seems too thick. Serve with fresh basil and some extra chopped cashew nuts, if desired.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.
Have you ever made your own vegan pasta from scratch? Try it – you don’t even need a pasta machine!
We super love this. It was a great way to enjoy pasta. The cashew gave it a wonderful texture which I really enjoyed. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thanks Sheila, glad you enjoyed it! :)
For some extraordinary reason, aubergines and pasta are a match made in heaven, which you really wouldn’t think. You want plenty of garlic, though – and for those who don’t eat cashew nuts, how about blending some goats’ cream cheese into the mixture?
Goat’s cheese and roasted red peppers go so well together! Love this idea.
This sounds SOOOOO good – anything containing Cashew nuts is always a major winner in my book – yum! Such a nice healthy list of vibrant and nutritionally packed ingredients too – which I personally love to see, as I focus mostly on clean eating and healthy recipes on my blog. Love it! Trying to share the love and make sure I take the time to read other bloggers, and reach out on recipes that I think are fabulous. Good job lovely! Charlie x
Thanks Charlie! :)
So inviting ingredients ! Will do and thank you for the idea !
That’s one of my favourite pasta shapes too! ?
I rarely buy aubergines but I actually have one sitting in my fridge right now and it’s starting to look a bit neglected and wrinkly. Your sauce could be the perfect way to bring it back to life. I’m always on the look out for new ways to serve pasta so I’m excited to give your recipe a try. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!
Thanks Sharon! It can be hard to know what to do with an aubergine when it’s all you have, but blend it up and you can make all sorts of creamy sauces!
Oh I love a good creamy pasta sauce, and cashews make the best vegan version – yum! (And that’s one of my favourite pasta shapes too….. I know, pasta geek!).
Haha it’s my favourite shape too! I usually just buy the super cheap penne, but every now and then I splash out haha ;)
I was sold with the cashews and it being a pasta dish..no words ;) Yum!
This looks amazing! Do you think you’d be able to batch cook and freeze the sauce? It’s been ages since I made my own pasta sauce.
I haven’t tried freezing it but I don’t see why you couldn’t!