Whole-wheat pasta with vegan parsley cashew pesto

Whole-Wheat_Pasta-Parsley_Cashew_PestoThis is the ultimate feel-good pasta dish. It takes under 30 minutes to make and tastes incredible. It is laden with vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. A 1-cup serving of cooked whole-wheat spaghetti meets roughly 23% of your daily fiber- and 16% of your daily protein requirement.

Vegan parsley cashew pesto not only tastes outlandishly good, but also provides many health benefits. Parsley is an excellent source of flavonoids, vitamin C, vitamin A and folic acid, which protect against heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Cashews are loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. Whoot!

This is the absolute crowd-pleaser, so invite friends and family for an impromptu, hassle-free dinner party. Crank up the music and have fun!

Instructions

Pasta

Ingredients

  • Whole-wheat pasta
  • Sea salt

Instructions

  1. Fill a large, deep pot with approximately 1 liter of water for every 100 grams of whole wheat pasta that you plan to cook.
  2. Stir in 1 tbsp. of salt per each 500g of pasta to supercharge the cooked pasta’s flavor (optional).
  3. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
  4. Pour the whole wheat pasta into the boiling water and stir immediately in order to prevent the individual pieces from sticking together.
  5. Keep the water at a low boil and continue to stir it every few minutes.
  6. Whole wheat pasta will be cooked to “al dente” (chewy) in roughly 10 to 14 minutes. Cooking time varies depending on brand and stove performance. Check for doneness by tasting a tiny pasta sample. The pasta should be soft, but still have a little bite to it. Finito!

Vegan_Parsley_Cashew_PestoVegan Parsley Cashew Pesto

Ingredients

  • ½ cup raw cashews
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cover the cashews with some water and let them sit for 1+ hours.
  2. Drain the cashews using a colander and add them to a food processor together with the other ingredients. (If you are in a hurry, steps 1 and 2 can be skipped)
  3. Process the mixture until your preferred consistency has been reached.
  4. Taste and add additional lemon juice and/or salt and pepper as desired.
  5. Use immediately or store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Suggested Toppings:

Vegan Cashew Parmesan & Toasted Cashews

Suggested Kitchen Soundtrack

What’s nutritional yeast?

Nutritional_YeastNutritional Yeast:

  • A deactivated yeast with a nutty, cheesy, savory flavor. Just 1-2 tablespoons can add richness to soups, dips and spreads. Larger quantities of this wonder yeast can be used to make “cheese” sauce for vegan macaroni and cheese, lasagna or other cheesy dishes.
  • It cannot be used as a substitute for active dry yeast or baking yeast.
  • It is laden with vitamins and minerals, specifically B-vitamins, folic acid, selenium, zinc, and protein.
  • Depending on the brand, nutritional yeast can be high in vitamin B12, which is exclusively found in animal products and is essential for a healthy brain and nervous system, as well as red blood cell formation. Just 1/2 tablespoon of this yeast meets your daily requirement of B vitamins.
  • It is available in two forms: flakes and powder. If you’re using the powder, you will need only about half as much as the flakes.
  • It is sold at natural food stores such as Whole Foods and Alnatura. Popular brands include Bragg Premium Nutritional Yeast Seasoning (B12 fortified: 1 tbsp. = 40% of daily value) and Rapunzel Hefeflocken (for my German friends).

Source: www.health.com

Delicious Vegan Basil Walnut Pesto

Walnut_Basil_Pesto_IngredientsI love to jazz up pasta and sandwiches with fresh homemade pesto. This basil walnut pesto takes only a few minutes to make and tastes heavenly. Naturally, it doesn’t have any parmesan and thus it is dairy-free. This ultra tasty sauce provides such an explosion of flavor that it is destined to become a staple in your pantry.

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2-2 cups fresh, loosely packed, washed stemmed basil
  • 1/2 cup raw walnuts
  • 1 or 2 medium cloves of garlic
  • 1/4-1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  1. Mix basil, walnuts and garlic into a course meal using the pulse option on your food processor.
  2. Add 1/4 cup vegetable oil to the mixture and pulse the ingredients until your preferred consistency has been reached. Feel free to add more vegetable oil, if desired. I like my pesto to have a somewhat coarse texture. Whatever works!
  3. Season with sea salt for taste.
  4. Use immediately or store in fridge for later use.
  5. Smile for you have just made delectable vegan pesto! 🙂

Vegan_Walnut_Basil_Pesto

BTW: this basil walnut pesto goes superbly with whole-wheat pasta topped with vegan cashew “parmesan”.