This is a wonderfully simple pasta that, again, is purely plant based. It comes originally from Donna Hay, via Epicurious. The cashew/lemon sauce is so smooth and bright tasting that keeping it simple with just broccoli and greens is magic.
For 2-4 servings you’ll need: 1 cup raw cashews, 2 cups boiling water, 1 large (or 2 small) garlic cloves (peeled and cut in half), 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 Tbsp lemon zest, 1 to 2 cups vegetable stock, 2 heads of broccoli (cut into small florets), 2 cups greens (we used Fava greens because we had them but kale or spinach would work just as well; stems removed and roughly chopped), 1/2 lb spaghetti, salt and pepper.
Place the raw cashews into a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, start a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. It will need to hold both the pasta and the broccoli for a period of time, so make it large enough. When the water starts to boil, place the garlic clove halves into the water and leave for about 2-4 minutes just to soften it up. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Place cashews, 1-1/2 cups of veggie stock, lemon juice and boiled garlic into a blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend everything and add a little veggie stock as you go in order to give the sauce the right thickness.
Place the pasta in the pot of boiling water and let cook for about 4 minutes. Add in the broccoli florets and let it boil for a further 4 minutes until the pasta is just past al dente and the broccoli is still crisp.
Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving some of the pasta water, and return the pasta and broccoli to the pot.
Add in the greens to the pasta while everything is still hot and stir well to combine and wilt the leaves. Add in the cashew sauce and stir well. Add in some of the pasta water to give it the right consistency, if needed.
Place grated lemon zest over the top and serve.
Dinner at Our Place 