No dairy – avocado, basil, cashew and lemon. This is a deliciously healthy way to enjoy your spaghetti if you like creamy pasta. Think carbonara, minus the smokiness of the ham, but with a refreshing twist of zesty lemon (OK, so not at all like carbonara).
It’s a great summer midweek dish – and despite the greeny-greenness of this, my kids went back for seconds!
This creamy pasta is so simple. The biggest win is the time it takes to make. Anything healthy AND quick is a triumph, in my books.
Building up a list of quick-to-produce sauces also takes so much pressure off, if you need to whip something up mid-week.
ADAPTABLE AVOCADO
I’m always looking for nutritious, meat-free pasta toppings and alternatives to the traditional tomato-based dishes. Whilst the basil adds a gorgeous flavour element and the cashew a creaminess, the avocado is the star of this show, in that it brings everything together.
This ABC sauce (Avocado, Basil and Cashew – clever, yes?) is now one of my staples, as it can be used as an avocado salad dressing or delicious avocado dip.
Food for thought alert — Did you know that avocado contains more potassium than bananas (and less sugar, might I add!)? And did you know that fewer than 2% of people in the US have enough potassium in their diet?
GLUTEN
If you eat it often, try to find a good gluten-free pasta. Although not everyone is sensitive to gluten, it is an irritant and often we don’t realise that we have a sensitivity. Our body can battle for some time before the symptoms begin to show themselves externally (bloating, rash, brain fog, tiredness, joint pain, nausea). Whilst there is no compelling evidence that gluten is bad for your health in general, there is a lot of evidence out there that it CAN be. Hence, I try to keep my consumption of it to a minimum anyway.
Vegan Creamy Pasta (Zesty Avocado, Basil and Cashew sauce)
Smooth avocado, fragrant basil and creamy cashew. If you are looking for a healthy alternative to creamy pasta, this is a must-try. Brought together with the zestiness of lemon, this makes a perfect summer evening dish.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 25
- Category: Dinner
Ingredients
- Spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine pasta
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1 handful (or around 2 cups) cups fresh basil leaves and chopped stalks
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 large avocado
- 1 medium garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (you can add more at the end, depending on the texture you’d like)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water (you can increase/decrease this for consistency)
- For sprinkling:
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Pinch of chilli flakes
Instructions
- Pop your spaghetti on the stove and cook according to instructions
- Put everything up to (and including) the crushed garlic into a blender or food processor
- Blend until smooth. I like to add a bit of crunch by not completely blending the cashews.
- Add the lemon juice and salt, to taste. Everyone’s palate is different, so play around with the seasoning until it works for you. Remember, you will be topping this with lemon zest.
- Add water slowly until you reach the desired consistency – for me, it’s like that of shop-bought guacamole (I make mine quite chunky, hence this comparison)
- Check your flavour and decide if you need more salt
- Add this to your freshly cooked pasta and toss thoroughly
- Serve and top with lemon zest and a pinch of chilli flakes
Notes
- I sometimes add a sprinkle of parmesan, but the dish is actually so flavourful that it’s not necessary. Try to use Italian Parmigiano Reggiano, which is lactose-free, as alternatives are also more likely to contain preservatives.
- For an additional element of green health goodness, add chopped parsley as an optional topping.
- Salad dressing – a perfect accompaniment for an energising kale and avocado salad
- This makes a great avocado dip, as an alternative (or in addition!) to guacamole
