This pasta with creamy basil sauce is 100% vegan and 100% delicious. Full of flavour and full of nutrition too!
Packed with FLAVOUR!
The Creamy Vegan Basil Sauce
I love combining soaked cashews and on-the-softer-side tofu as a base for a cream. It’s also the base for my sour cream. I find it leaves the final result less gritty. Plus, you don’t need to be in possession of a top of the line blender or food processor. Lemon juice is a must. My best advice is to make sure you taste test in between blending. Lemons can differ in taste and they differ in size so you might like it more or less tangy.
Orecchiette are a Fab Pasta
If you can, try experimenting with different shapes of pasta. They really do make a difference in the end result. (Ask any Italian). For this dish I love using orecchiette (little ears in Italian). The little indentations keep little pockets of the sauce so when you’re eating you get extra little bursts of flavour. So good. But if you can’t find orecchiette any other pasta will do. Keep reading to see more detailed instructions for this pasta with creamy vegan basil sauce recipe.
I could have fried shallots on top of everything.
Fried Shallots & Roasted Chickpeas
The fried shallots add an extra layer of flavour and texture to this dish. And the best part? You will have a whole jar of shallot infused oil that you can drizzle on EVERYTHING!
The roasted chickpeas are optional if you don’t feel like making them. I like adding them for crunch and extra protein. Roasting chickpeas brings out a lovely nutty flavour in them. They’re also a fabulous snack.
Roasted chickpeas add crunch and protein.
Loved this pasta recipe? I’m sure you’d also LOVE my vegan mac and cheese recipe.
Want to see more in depth instructions? Check out my YouTube vids! I upload new videos every Sunday. Including one for this pasta with creamy vegan basil sauce.
Pasta with Creamy Basil Sauce (Vegan!)
Equipment
- oven
- Big pot for pasta
- Blender
Ingredients
- 75 grams cashews, soaked
- 250 grams tofu, soft/traditional
- 1 lemon
- 250 grams water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 clove garlic
- 50 grams basil
- 200 grams kale
- 200 grams cooked chickpeas
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 500 grams orecchiette or pasta of choice
- 6 shallots, finely chopped
- 300 ml olive oil
Instructions
The Creamy Basil Sauce
- First you have to soak your cashews. If you're in a pinch or you forgot, you can also boil the cashews for about an hour or until they're soft enough to blend.
- Pop the soaked cashews in the blender with the tofu, a pinch of salt, water, lemon juice, and garlic. Blitz until blended.
- Add the basil and kale and blend again. Taste test and adjust flavours accordingly. Set the sauce aside for later.
Shallots
- Thinly slice the shallots. Add to the cold oil that you've added to a medium sized pot.
- On low to medium heat, heat the oil with the shallots.
- Occasionally stir, letting the shallots get a golden brown colour for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Drain and place onto kitchen paper with a pinch of salt.
- Filter the oil into a jar and use to drizzle on literally everything.
Chickpeas
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F).
- Add the rinsed and dried chickpeas to a baking sheet with olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Pasta
- Whilst the chickpeas are in the oven, boil water with generous amount of salt and cook the pasta al dente.
- Serve with the sauce, top with chickpeas and shallots and more basil.
[…] Did you enjoy this vegan Sicilian bean salad? Leave me a comment or message, I love reading them! And if you’re into Italian style meals, you’ll love this easy pasta recipe. […]