Description
Store-bought pesto and homemade roasted garlic cream sauce join forces to transform an ordinary pasta dish into a weeknight wonder.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce:
- 1 head garlic, peeled (about 12 cloves)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews (Soak overnight if not using a high-speed blender.)
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the Creamy Pesto Rigatoni:
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- 1 1/2 cups store-bought or homemade vegan pesto
- 1 1/4 cups Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and julienned
- 1/2 cup vegan Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
For the Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce:
- Roast the garlic: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the garlic on a small sheet of foil. Fold the foil so that the garlic is completely covered and place the foil package on a sheet pan. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, until soft and spreadable.
- Blend ingredients together: When the garlic is done cooking, remove the cloves from the foil and place in a high-powered blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
For the Creamy Pesto Rigatoni:
- Prepare the pasta: Boil a pot of water and cook according to package directions.
- Add in the sauces: When the pasta is done cooking, drain and immediately return to the pot. Stir in the pesto, Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Serve: Garnish with the vegan Parmesan cheese and basil.
Notes
- Nut allergy? Substitute raw, shelled pumpkin seeds for the cashews.
- Gluten Allergy? Swap the rigatoni for a gluten-free alternative.
- Spoiler Alert: Creamy Pesto Rigatoni is best eaten when served but will stay fresh in an airtight container for 3-4 days. When reheating, stir in ¼ – ½ cup vegetable broth to prevent the pasta from drying out.
- For non vegans: Add cooked, shredded chicken.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian