Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta With Broccoli

Enjolinfam's Note:

This is something I just put together today. I was craving something creamy, but wanted to keep it vegan and this is what I came up with. I got some of the ideas for the sauce from other recipes in the Micheff Sister's Cookbook. I think next time I will use this pasta mixture in a casserole baked with bread crumbs covering the top.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 7 ounces firm tofu
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed (or fresh spinach tastes really nice and keeps more nutrients!)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (500 g) package egg-free pasta (I usually use bow tie, but it would be great with penne also)
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vegetarian poultry seasoning (I use McKays Vegan Chicken Seasoning)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3 tablespoons pesto sauce, liquid (can add more to taste)
• 1 medium head of broccoli, cooked

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, blend cashews and 1/2 cup water until smooth. Then add the tofu, 1 tablespoons olive oil (reserve 1 Tbsp), 3/4 cup water, vegetarian chicken seasoning, 1 1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, and salt, and blend until smooth and creamy. You may want to add a tad more water if it's too thick. Set aside.
2. Boil pasta noodles and drain.
3. In a large saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in the remaining 1 tablespoons olive oil until onions are clear. Add 1/3 cup water and the vegan chicken seasoning. If you are using fresh spinach, cook it with the onion, if using frozen spinach add it to the saucepan after the onion is clear.
4. Once the onion, garlic, and spinach is cooked and the water has been evaporated, add the blended mixture (cashews, tofu, etc), cooked broccoli, and pesto sauce to the sauce pan. Cook together on low for 5 minutes.
5. Serve mixed sauce on top of cooked pasta and enjoy!

Reviews

[VegSocialWorker]

Wow, this is truly a superior vegan cream sauce. The best I have had! I left out the pesto but otherwise kept to the recipe. All I can say is yum. Thanks for posting, this is a sauce that I will be making again for sure.

[Kathy228]

Very nice sauce. Nobody would think it's vegan - even after you tell them! I would have given this recipe 5 stars, but the ingredients are out of order with the directions. And the chix seasoning was added in step 1 AND step 3 (which I did). I thought I was seeing the seasoning listed for both additions because it was out of order in step 1. But I doubt that mattered in the final outcome. I used fresh spinach and gluten-free brown rice spaghetti.
This is a very good dish for anybody's eating restrictions... and pleasure.

[Kozmic Blues]

This was amazing, AND I served it to omnivores who DEVOURED it. I quote: "Seriously, Becky, if you hadn't told me this was vegan, I never would have known". So, I printed this recipe out before Enjolinfam edited her ingredient list and instructions. BUT, I fell I guessed right as far and when and "how much" water and veggie broth to add ad which time!! At first I thought the raw garlic was going to WAY overpower the sacue, when I tasted it still in the blender. Maybe I used REALLY big cloves, but I assure you, the garlic flavor mellows out nicely when you add the cooked pasta. As many others who have reviewed here, I did not have any pesto on hand, so I decided to add this new super-cool italian spice blend that I bout at the farmer;s market the other week. Totally YUM! I know I will make this again!