Pasta is my go-to easy meal and my number one comfort food. It’s quick, it’s cheep, and you can customize it in so many different ways. Fun fact: I once went to a “Death Row” potluck where everyone brought their “last meal” and you’d better believe we ate a lot of pasta. (My dish was cheese tortellini with vodka sauce and peas, in case you were curious.)
This creamy lemon pepper pasta is quick and customizable, which basically means you can use whatever pasta and veg you have on hand if you don’t feel like making a trip to the grocery store. We generally have penne and linguini on hand, as well as frozen peas and broccoli, and they all work well with this recipe.
First, soak your cashews in very hot (boiling or very hot from the tap) water for 10 minutes so they get nice and soft. Drain and rinse them, and place them in your blender.
While your cashews are soaking, boil a large pot of salted water for your pasta. Cook your pasta according to the package directions. When there are 4 minutes left on the clock, remove 3 cups of pasta water before you add your broccoli (or other veg) to the boiling water. Drain and set aside until your sauce comes together.
Next, heat a frying pan over medium heat and add your vegetable oil once the pan is hot. Cook the chopped onion, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to soften. Then, add your chopped garlic, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper, and cook 1 minute more, so the garlic becomes fragrant.
Remove from heat and add the cooked aromatics to the soaked cashews sitting in your blender, as well as the nutritional yeast, 1/2 the lemon juice, and the lemon zest. Take one cup of reserved pasta water and dissolve your miso paste in it, then add the mixture to the blender, along with the second cup of pasta water. Blend until very smooth.
Note: if you forget to save pasta water (don’t worry, it’s happened to me, too), just use warm water instead.
Once your sauce is creamy and smooth, return it to your pan and heat over medium-low so that it can thicken up and warm through. Add a few good cracks of fresh-ground black pepper and stir it regularly as it heats. If you find your sauce is still too thick, add more pasta water 1/4 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Add your cooked pasta and broccoli directly to the sauce and toss to coat. Squeeze the rest of your lemon juice over the pasta and sauce right before serving and give each plate another big crack of black pepper (if you like!).
Creamy Lemon Pepper Pasta with Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 yellow or white onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
- 1 tsp salt (plus more for the pasta water)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp white miso
- 3 cups pasta water, divided
- 1 cup raw cashews, softened
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tbsp lemon zest
- 1 lemon, juiced
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 300 g penne gluten-free, if desired
- 2½ cups broccoli, fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Cover cashews with boiling hot water and set aside to soften for 10 minutes.
- Heat a large pot of salted water and cook pasta according to instructions. When 4 minutes of cooking time remain, add broccoli to pasta. *Reserve two cups of pasta water prior to adding broccoli.*
- While pasta is cooking, heat a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add vegetable oil and sautee for 2-3 minutes or until onions begin to soften.
- Add the chopped garlic, 1 tsp salt, garlic powder, and white pepper and stir to combine. Cook for two more minutes. Once garlic and onions are cooked through, remove from heat.
- Once cashews are softened, place them in a high-powered blender along with the sauteed onions and garlic.
- Remove one cup of pasta water, add the miso paste and stir to dissolve, then pour the miso water into the blender.
- Add another cup of water, the nutritional yeast, ½ the lemon juice and the lemon zest, and blend until very smooth. Return blended sauce to the pan over medium heat, stirring regularly. Add more pasta water ¼ cup at a time until you reach your desired thickness.
- Add cooked pasta and broccoli to sauce and toss to combine. Serve topped with a generous crack of black pepper and the remaining lemon juice.
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