Pasta is an easy go-to meal for any night of the week but if you add this Vegan Lemon-Dill Cream Sauce, it is fancy enough to serve to company. Don’t be misled by the word fancy, this sauce is super easy to make and even non-vegan eaters will love it!
The secret to making a vegan cream sauce creamy is cashews, they are amazing in a sauce, creamy dressing and even in a dessert. Check out our Vegan Ranch Dressing – yep, we used cashews and it’s so delicious. You can even use cashews to make a creaming icing as in our Raw Carrot Cake recipe we just posted last week. Now…you guessed it – this is the bit where we tell you about how nutritious this recipe is ;).
Cashews:
- Are actually good for your eyes due to the high levels of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin
- Have been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels due to the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids they contain
- Are high in Copper which plays a role in the maintenance of collagen – and we all want to maintain this!
- Contain a good amount of magnesium, which in addition to playing a role in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, it is also good for muscle relaxation and neuromuscular transaction
Something we didn’t know until we did our research is that truly raw cashews aren’t safe to eat but don’t worry, the ones that are sold in grocery and health stores may be labeled as “Raw” but they are actually steamed to remove the toxins.
We added carrots, zucchini, and peas in this recipe but you can certainly add in whatever veggies you like. If you are looking to bump up the protein, add some grilled chicken, edamame, tofu or tempeh – you can really make this dish your own. We love the taste of dill in the sauce but if you don’t like it – swap it out for an herb you do like.
We hope you like this as much as we do and would love to see your pictures when you make it! Please share with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
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Spring Veggie Pasta Dish With A Vegan Lemon-Dill Cream Sauce
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Pasta is such a quick and easy meal to make. This one is filled with nutritious veggies and the Vegan Lemon-Dill Cream Sauce is delicious and will leave you feeling satisfied all evening!
Ingredients
12 ounces Gluten-Free Pasta, any shape will work, we used spaghetti
Vegetables of your choice – we used zucchini and carrot ribbons, peas
Ingredients for Vegan Dill Cream Sauce:
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup of water or broth
Zest of one lemon
Juice of that same lemon
1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 1/2 Tablespoon fresh dill
Instructions
1.) In a small saucepan, add cashews and enough water to cover them. Bring them to a boil and let them stay at a boil for @ 7-10 minutes. Drain them and place in a high-speed blender. We used a Blendtec but a Nutribullit should work just as well.
2.) Add the 1 cup water, zest of one lemon and the juice of one lemon. Blend on high speed until the mixture is creamy.
3.) Add salt to taste and dill and blend again to incorporate. Set aside while you cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.
4.) While your pasta is cooking – chop or slice your vegetables and get them ready. We ate our vegetables raw for added crunch but you can blanch them in the pasta water at the very last minute to soften them just a bit.
5.) Drain the pasta and toss with sauce and veggies – and enjoy!
