Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
A rich and creamy vegan pasta tossed with flavorful pan-seared tofu, tangy sun-dried-tomatoes, Tuscan kale and a silky Dijon Cream Sauce.
Ingredients
Pantry
- 1 lb short pasta noodles
- ½ cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes reserve 3 tbsp of the oil from the jar
- ½ cup raw cashews
Produce
- ½ yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic big cloves :)
- 5 cups chopped kale
Cold
- 1 block firm tofu
- 1 cup oat milk unsweetened
- ¼ cup dry white wine
Spices
- 2.5 tbsp salt-free all purpose seasoning divided
- 2 tsp dried Italian herbs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2.5 tbsp nutritional yeast divided
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
Prep
- Pour boiling water over the cashews and set aside to soften. In the meantime, drain the water from the package of tofu and gently squeeze some of the water out into the sink. Wrap the block in a clean cloth and place a book on top to weigh it down. This will help release more liquid. While that does it thing, chop the onions, mince the garlic, and de-stem and chop the kale. Set aside.
Sear the tofu
- Unwrap the tofu and cut into bite-sized cubes. Pat dry one more time. Then add 3 tbsp of the seasoned oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes to a large skillet. Set to medium-high heat and when warm, add the tofu. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning, 2 tsp of dried Italian herbs, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of black pepper. Tip: Don't stir or flip for a minute or two to allow the tofu to brown nicely. Cook for 5-6 minutes and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast. Toss to coat and then transfer to a plate and return the pan to the stove.
Cook the veggies
- Reduce the heat to medium, add a little more oil to the pan if needed and then add the onions to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes and stir using a wooden spoon to gently scrape the crispy bits off of the bottom of the pan. That's all flavor! Add the garlic and cook for one minute.Then add the white wine and cook for 1-2 minutes until mostly absorbed but not completely dry. Stir in the kale and cook for one more minute. Then remove from the heat. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and set aside.
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and the pasta noodles. Cook according to the package directions. About 10 minutes. Towards the end of cooking, ladle out 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside for later.
- While the pasta cooks, drain the cashews and add them to a blender with 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard, 1 cup of oat milk, 1.5 tbsp of all-purpose seasoning, and 1.5 tbsp of nutritional yeast. Blend for 30-40 seconds until very smooth and creamy.
Assemble
- Drain the pasta and add it back to the pot over medium-low heat. Add half of the Dijon Cream Sauce and the pasta water. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken nicely. Then add the veggies, tofu and remaining sauce. Mix well. Remove from the heat and squeeze the lemon juice on top. Mix, taste and add more salt and pepper as desired. Enjoy!HOW TO MAKE THIS IN UNDER 20 MINUTES IN THE NOTES BELOW :)
Notes
How to Make this Pasta in 20 Minutes or Less!
- Soak the Cashews --> Press the Tofu-->Fill an electric kettle with water and bring to a boil
- Chop the veggies --> Unwrap + Chop the tofu
- Sear the tofu then remove from the pan
- Cook the veggies + while they cook, fill a large pot with boiling water and add the pasta so the pasta cooks at the same time
- Remove the veggies from the heat and set aside with the tofu. When the pasta is almost done cooking, ladle out some pasta water and make the Dijon Cream sauce.
- Blend the sauce
- Drain the pasta and combine the pasta, veggies, tofu, sauce and pasta water according to the recipe directions above.
- Spoon into bowls and enjoy!