Pasta with Arugula in a Creamy Lemon Sauce
By the Gracious Vegan
This recipe started with a Barefoot Contessa dish. She used oil, heavy cream, and dairy parmesan. I got rid of all those and re-built the method as well. The peppery arugula holds it own again the velvety lemon-infused sauce. The combination is strong and very pleasing.
Makes 5 servings
Cashew cream.Soak the cashews in cold water for at least 2 hours, or pour boiling water over them, cover, and let soak 20 minutes. (You can skip this step if you have a high-speed blender.)
1/2 cup raw cashews
Drain them, put them in the blender with water, and liquefy for 30 seconds to several minutes until absolutely smooth. Set aside.
3/4 cup water
Pasta. Start the pasta water. When it is boiling (as you work on the sauce and vegetables) add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
8 ounces pasta such as rotini (spirals), penne, or other (whole wheat or other whole grain or legume-based)
Sauce and vegetables.Cook the garlic and broccoli in a Dutch oven or other large pot for 3-4 minutes (covered, with several Tablespoons of water added), until tender.
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
3-4 cups broccoli florets
Add the following ingredients to the garlic and broccoli. Stir. Add more water as needed to create a creamy sauce. Cook until heated through and the arugula has wilted.
The cashew cream
5 ounces of fresh baby arugula
1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
Zest and juice of one lemon
3/4 teaspoon salt
Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss them together. Serve with
Timing: About 25 minutes
Gluten-free if gluten-free pasta used