People really hate me when I say this: I’m not a big pasta person. I never really have been. Generally speaking, it just doesn’t do it for me.
But I was recently reminded of a recipe that I grew up with when my mom requested it for her birthday dinner. It felt nostalgic and also like a nod to the Spring that’s desperately trying to come through.
Instead of the half and half and/or heavy cream that’s typically used in a dish like this, I opted for cashew cream which provides the same rich, luscious mouth experience (I would argue, even more) than its dairy counterpart.
I also recently discovered a really delicious gluten-free pasta that’s made fresh and I have to say, that made the idea of pasta more appealing for me. It has simple ingredients and a really great texture. It’s made in Wisconsin and looks like it’s currently only available in the Midwest, so if you can find it I highly suggest it!
Typically, you’d garnish this dish with fresh Parmesan. I opted to grate macadamia nuts on top, but you could also use Brazil nuts. A microplane or zester works best here. I’ve also used this dairy-free Parmesan recipe before and that would work wonderfully.
This dish is heavy on the vegetables, full of healthy satiating fats from the cashews and overall provides a comforting, bright dish that will help you welcome Spring into your kitchen. Enjoy!
Creamy Spring Pasta
serves 4 / total time 30 minutes
cashew cream sauce
1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight*
1 cup water
1 clove of garlic
Juice + zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp salt
A few grinds of pepper
pasta ingredients
6 strips of applewood smoked bacon, chopped**
3 shallots (or ½ red onion), thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2-3 cups asparagus, chopped, approximately 1 lb
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
9 oz your favorite pasta
garnish
Fresh lemon zest
Black Pepper
Micro-planed brazil or macadamia nuts
Nutritional Yeast
directions
Get a pot of water for your pasta going on the stove.
First, make your cashew cream sauce. Add everything to a high-speed blender and blend on high for 1 minute, scarping down sides as necessary. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the bacon and shallots. Cook for 5-7 minutes until they’re both starting to get brown and crispy. Add the garlic for the last minute or so of cooking. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the asparagus and turn up the heat slightly. Sauté your asparagus for about 3-5 minutes, until it turns bright green. Add the peas and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until they turn bright green as well.
In the meantime, you may notice your pasta water boiling. Go ahead and cook your pasta according to the package instructions, drain and set aside.
Once the asparagus and peas are done cooking, turn the heat to low and add the cashew cream, the bacon/shallots and the pasta to the skillet. Stir the pasta mixture evenly, distributing the cream sauce to make sure everything is coated. If the cashew sauce gets too thick as it sits, add a few splashes of water until it's creamy again.
Divide into bowls and garnish with a little fresh lemon zest, your “parm” of choice and some fresh black pepper. Enjoy!
* If you forget to soak overnight, cover the cashews in boiling water and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.
** You can use regular bacon here, but the smoked flavor really makes this good.
