Tonight I wanted something creamy and easy. And I manifested my own destiny with this glorious quick weeknight dinner.
Literally 5 minutes to whizz everything together in a blender, and only one pot. Gotta love it.
Also loving that there's an awesome amount of filling protein and healthy fats in here to give me some fuel that will last me all the way till the mornin'!
Give it a whirl! You won't be sorry!
Recipea:
Prep time: 10 mins (if you don't have cashews already soaked, then 30) | Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves two
Ingredients:
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup soaked cashews
1/2 small avocado
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups fresh basil + 1/2 cup for garnish
4 tablespoons water (if you need it)
Wholewheat pasta
2 cups fresh asparagus
5 cherry tomatoes
Directions:
Pour boiling water over 1/4 cup cashews and let sit for 20-30 mins or until relatively soft.
In a medium pot, boil water and throw your pasta in.
While that's brewin', drain your cashews and put them in a blender with the lemon juice, avocado, garlic, almond milk, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, pepper, and basil. Blend until smooth. If you need it, add water one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired thickness. I like mine a little thinner than hummus consistency. If you wind up making it a bit too thin, not to worry, you can always condense it down when you stir it in your pasta.
Chop the asparagus into bite sized pieces.
When your pasta is 5 mins from being al dente, throw it in the same pot and continue boiling.
Meanwhile, quarter your cherry tomatoes.
Once the pasta and asparagus is ready, drain and then return to the same pot.
Over a low heat, stir in the tomatoes and the sauce until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Chiffonade the last bit of your basil and stir some through, leaving some to sprinkle on top of each bowl.
Fill a container to the brim with the pasta, shove it in a bag with two forks and a frisbee, walk to the park down the street, spread out a blanket, and enjoy it with someone great.
(You don't have to do this last bit, but it is highly recommended :] )
(Yes, that's the pot of my glorious basil plant, Massimo in the background. You go, Massimo!)