Protein Packed Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
This pasta is so easy to make, packed with protein (think 33g per serving), and full of flavor. Plus, it can be on the table in just about 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 16 oz sun dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 large eggplant
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1 cup basil
- 1/2 cup reduced sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup whole raw cashews
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1 15.5 oz can of white beans
- 2 boxes Banza cavatappi chickpea pasta
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
Instructions
- Heat 2 cups of water in the microwave for 4 minutes. Soak the cashews in this for 15 minutes.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Dice the onion and add it to a large sauce pan on medium heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Use a garlic press to press the garlic into the sauce pan or dice it. Sauté until onions are soft and mixture is fragrant.
- Dice the eggplant and add it to the saucepan. Cook until softened with lid on for about 5 minutes. Halfway through, add the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan - don’t pour it in, you don’t want all of the oil, use a fork to remove the tomatoes from the jar.
- While that’s cooking, drain the cashews and add them to a high speed blender or food processor with the 1/2 cup of water. Blend until smooth. Add an extra 1/4 cup of water if needed to create a smoother cashew cream.
- Add the tomato paste to the pan and mix it in. Then, add the vegetable broth. Put the lid on and cook for two minutes.
- Pour the cashew cream into the pan and mix it in.
- Drain and rinse the can of white beans - add them to the pan. Mix in the basil and spinach until softened.
- Pour the cooked pasta into the pan and stir until it’s covered in sauce.
- Serve warm and enjoy!