What’s not love about creamy, garlicky pasta? This quick pasta with tomatoes, arugula and fiber-rich bean is a satisfying and nourishing meal. YUM.
Friends, you only need 10 ingredients to make your favorite pasta for a weeknight meal. We’ll show you exactly how to make it!
You guessed it, this garlicky pasta begins with garlic! There’s even more sauce in this dish, my friends. We’re not playing! White beans in a can are combined with garlic, tomatoes and a few other ingredients to create a garlicky, savory base.
It’s time to make the sauce while the beans are softening in their tomatoey goodness! For a creamy sauce, we start with cashews soaked overnight. We then add nutritional yeast, lemon juice and zest, as well as garlic for flavor. Blend it up with some water!
Add a generous amount of arugula next to the tomatoes and beans. You don’t like arugula, do you? Spinach could also work here!
The pasta is added to the pot along with the tomatoes and wilted leaves. Don’t be alarmed if the sauce looks a little thin. The sauce will thicken in a few minutes on low heat to a creamy perfection.
Ingredients
2/3 cup raw cashews
One cup of water
Fresh Lemon Juice – 1/4 Cup
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Half a teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Choose your favorite 12 oz pasta (we prefer Jovial Gluten-free Penne).
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 (15 oz.) Cannellini beans rinsed and drained. (Or substitute chickpeas but they will be firmer)
Half 2 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
6 cups of baby arugula
Instructions
Add the cashews into a heatproof bowl, and cover it with boiling water. Set aside for soaking.
PASTA: Bring to a rolling boil a large pot with well-seasoned water. Add pasta to boiling water, stir and set timer to the lowest al dente recommended on your package. While your pasta is cooking, continue with the recipe.
In the meantime, heat up a large pot Dutch Oven on medium low heat. Add the olive oil and garlic, and cook for about a minute until they are fragrant and sizzling. Stir in the tomatoes, beans and salt after they have been drained, rinsed and drained again. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for a while.
SAUCE: Add the remaining ingredients to the high speed blender (water, nutritional yeast and garlic). Blend until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides if necessary. The sauce will appear thin, but thicken when added to pasta.
PASTA: Check your pasta to see if it is done and drain. Add the arugula and beans to the tomatoes/beans, then stir well to combine. Add the pasta to the sauce once the arugula is wilted. Stir until the pasta is well coated with the cashew sauce and turn the heat down to medium low.
If desired, serve warm with vegan Parmesan cheese. Leftovers can be kept for up to 3-4 days. The food is not freezer-friendly.
