Got 20 minutes? Then you've got dinner! An impossibly creamy, full-of-flavor sauce coats curly pasta for this awesomely easy pasta dish that'll please vegans and carnivores alike.
Yield: 4
Ingredients
8ouncesrotini pastaor pasta of your choice
1tablespoonolive oil
1/2medium yellow onion, dicedabout 1 cup diced
1teaspoondried oregano
2medium cloves garlicminced
2tablespoonstomato paste
1/2cupwater
1(15-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
1/3cupraw whole cashews*
1/2teaspoonkosher salt + more to taste
1/4teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper + more to taste
4-5fresh basil leaveschiffonaded
Equipment
High speed blender (like Blendtec or Vitamix)
Instructions
Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Once boiling, add the pasta. Cook according to package instructions (usually about 8-10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
While the pasta boils, set a medium saucepan over low heat. When hot, add the olive oil. Add the onion and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to get translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute. Add the tomato paste and cook until warmed through. Pour in 1/2 cup water and stir to bring up all of the bits of everything.
Pour the sautéed onion mixture into the blender. Add drained roasted red peppers, cashews, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Puree until silky smooth, 2-3 minutes. If the sauce is too thick to puree, add a bit more water, a tablespoon at a time.
Return the pasta to the pot you cooked it in or to the saute pan - whichever is biggest! Place over low heat. Add sauce. Stir gently and cook just until warmed through, 1-2 minutes.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Sprinkle basil over the top and serve!
Notes
* I find that with my Vitamix, I don't need to soak my cashews first - they puree completely! If you don't have a high-speed blender, you may want to soak your cashews in very hot water for 20 minutes before pureeing.
Gluten-Free Option
Use gluten-free pasta. My favorite is brown rice pasta.