Power Primavera + Balancing Basil Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 ozbrown rice pasta (mafalda or similar wide ribbon)
- 1 cupasparagus, trimmed and chopped
- 1 cupoyster mushrooms, torn
- 1/2 cupsugar snap peas
- 1/2 cupgreen peas
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1/4 tspgarlic powder
- Balancing basil sauce
- 1/4 cupcultured cashew cream cheese (Miyoko's or Kite Hill both work)
- 2 to 3 tbspfiltered water, to thin
- 1 to 2ice cubes (keeps it cold and vibrant while blending)
- 1/4 cuppacked parsley
- 1/4 cuppacked basil leaves
- small handful spinach leaves
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1 tspwhite miso
- 1 tbspchopped chives
- 1 smallgarlic clove
- pinchHimalayan sea salt
- To finish
- 1/4 cuppuffed quinoa
- 2 tbsppistachios, chopped
- 2 tbspwalnuts, chopped
- 1 tbspnutritional yeast
- 1 tbsphemp seeds
- pinchspinach powder (optional - order online, or skip)
Method
- Cook the pasta; reserve a little pasta water before draining.
- Sauté asparagus, oyster mushrooms, snap peas, and green peas in olive oil with the garlic powder until crisp-tender.
- Basil sauce: blend the cashew cream cheese, water, ice, parsley, basil, spinach, olive oil, miso, chives, garlic, and salt until smooth and bright green; thin with reserved pasta water if needed.
- Toss the pasta and vegetables with the basil sauce.
- Top with puffed quinoa, chopped pistachios and walnuts, nutritional yeast, hemp seeds, and a dusting of spinach powder if you have it.
Notes
cultured cashew cream cheese (Miyoko's, Kite Hill) and spinach powder are the two specialty items - both optional to seek out; a plain soaked-cashew blend and a pinch more fresh spinach cover the gap fine.