Creamy Pasta Primavera

This is an absolute rainbow of pasta deliciousness! Vegan Creamy Pasta Primavera will be your go-to gluten-free pasta dish. It is a great combination of your favorite veggies, and when tossed with penne pasta and a creamy garlic sauce it’s the perfect dish to satisfy a pasta craving.

Ingredients

For the pasta

• 10-ounces gluten-free penne pasta
• ½ tablespoon salt for boiling pasta

For the creamy garlic sauce

• ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in advance, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup filtered water
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the veggies

• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion, peeled, ends removed, thinly sliced
• 3 sweet bell peppers (I like a mix of yellow, orange and red), stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced
• 1 large thick carrot, peeled, ends removed, thinly sliced into 2-inch long pieces
• 1 small zucchini or yellow squash slice thin
• 1 head broccoli or broccolini, florets only
• 1 bunch of asparagus, ends removed, cut into 2-inch pieces
• ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

For serving

• vegan Parmesan
• drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil
• red pepper chili flakes

Instructions

1. Bring water to a rolling boil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add salt and pasta and cook according to package instructions (until al dente ideally).
2. While the pasta cooks, add oil, sliced onion, bell pepper, carrot and broccoli or broccolini florets to a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Sprinkle lightly with salt to help draw out the moisture from the veggies.  Cook for five minutes over medium heat tossing occasionally.  Add asparagus, toss and cook another five minutes.  Continue cooking until the veggies are tender.  Be careful not to overcook.  Add the tomatoes during the last minute of cooking.
3. While the pasta and veggies are cooking, add drained cashews, filtered water, garlic, maple syrup, salt and pepper to a high speed blender and blend on the highest speed for one minute until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
4. Drain the cooked pasta and place overtop the cooked veggies. Pour the creamy garlic sauce from the blender overtop the veggeis and pasta.  Toss everything well to combine.  Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
5. Plate your pasta while hot and add any desired garnishes such as a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese, drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of red pepper flakes.