This is officially my new favourite pasta! Daringly different and fabulously fresh, it’s a real crowd pleaser. In the last month, I whipped it up three times before race days to fuel up on pure plant power.
This pasta is:
- gluten-free and high in protein as I use Happy Earth People’s chickpea pasta screws.
- high in iron because of the added spinach
- lemony fresh and high in vitamin C (that helps with iron absorption) thanks to the lemon juice and zest
- oil-free (if you wish)
- incredibly rich and creamy, yet ridiculously healthy!
Ingredients
- 1 raw cauliflower, washed and cut into florets (2 1/2 cups when cut)
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water and drained
- 1 1/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Breeze
- 1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- A VERY good grind of coarse salt and black pepper
- 1 packet Happy Earth People Chickpea Pasta
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 300 grams swiss chard, cored, washed and cut into strips
- 1 slice of lemon
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add cauliflower florets and cook until soft. Drain the florets using a slotted spoon and place into the blender or food processor. Keep the water in the pot.
- To the blender, add soaked cashew nuts, almond breeze milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper.
- Blend until smooth. Season to taste (you might prefer more lemon juice and pepper). Set aside.
- Bring the same pot of cauliflower water to the boil and add a pinch of salt.
- Add chickpea pasta and cook until al dente (around 6 minutes).
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large non-stick pan (if you don’t like cooking with oil, you can use a bit of water).
- Add the chopped onion and slice of lemon and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic and sauté until browned.
- Remove the slice of lemon. Add the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the spinach is cooked. Add the tablespoon of lemon juice, stir through and take off the heat.
- Drain the pasta.
- Add the sauce from the blender to the spinach mixture, followed by the cooked pasta.
- Bring the mixture to a low heat and stir carefully, not to break the pasta, until it is heated throughout.
- Garnish with more lemon zest and serve immediately.
Check out Leo’s blog CT Veganista where she educates readers on how to simply live and eat with more compassion. Cooking wholesome, home-cooked vegan meals that give you all the nutrition you need from a plant-based diet.
