Delicious and nutritious, let's do this. Who needs dairy when there is cashew cream? This plant based spicy vodka rigatoni is creamy, dreamy and supremey.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion , finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves , diced
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil , plus more for drizzling
- 28oz can san marzano tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons calabrian chili paste
- 2 shots of vodka
- ¾ cup cashew cream
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 lb rigatoni
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cashew cream:
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked overnight
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Method
Lets make some cashew cream. This is my favorite way to replace dairy in pretty much any recipe, and it couldn't be easier. you just soak the raw cashews overnight or you can pour boiling water over them and leave for a half an hour. Let them soften up.
1. Blend the cashews with a squeeze of lemon, pinch of salt, and enough water to get that smooth creamy consistency you are looking for. Blend on high
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add rigatoni and cook till soft but still has a little bit of structure to it, al dente.
3. Drizzle of olive oil pinch of salt
4. Set aside one cup of pasta water for the sauce
5. Like most great sauces start with sautéing the onions and garlic in a little bit of oil. Salt and pepper now this way you are bringing out the flavors,
6. Add our tomatoes, I like the whole ones so the sauce is chunky. break it up with my spatula while its cooking.
7. Add tomato paste and chili past
8. Salt and pepper and two shots of vodka
9. Let that cook down and thicken up for 10 min.
10. Mix in the cashew cream a little at a time to see how much cream I want in there
11. Add 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast that's going to give it that cheesy flavor.
12. Add rigatoni coating each piece with sauce
13. If you think its too thick, this is when the reserve pasta water comes in. Pour it in slowly adding a little at a time until you get the consistency that you want