Eat Your Greens Pasta
This is a dish we have been making for a little over a year pretty routinely and I just had to finally share it with you!
Truthfully, I never measure a thing, but eyeball it so consistently I feel like I could guess the quantities pretty accurately. Tweak things here and there if you need to for your own taste and texture’s sake as you’d like — it is a very relaxed recipe. Want to add herbs? Please do so. Maybe some extra greens to the sauce such as spinach? I’m sure it would be fantastic.
We have eaten this entirely plant based thus far, but since reincorporating animal foods I can see how sliced chicken or Italian sausage would go very well here. Just an idea if it suits your dietary preferences! I may give it a go next time.
I hope you enjoy this simple meal immensely! So much happens in overlapping times here. I can get this done from start to finish in 20 minutes. All while the pot of water is boiling for the pasta I can steam both the peas for the sauce and the broccolini for the final dish — blending the sauce while the broccolini and pasta cooks. It’s all very weeknight friendly.
x Jessie
EAT YOUR GREENS PASTA
Makes 3 to 4 servings.
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup raw cashews
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
filtered water, to fill
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 box spiral pasta, we use Community Grains
3 to 4 servings chopped broccolini
freshly cracked black pepper
few pinches chill flakes, optional
Earlier in the day, add the sunflower seeds and cashews to a bowl and cover with fresh water. Let soak at least 4 hours.
In a pot with a steamer basket inserted fill with an inch of fresh water then add the frozen peas and edamame.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let steam 5 to 6 minutes, until warmed through.
Drain the soaking sunflower seeds and cashews. Add to a high speed blender along with the steamed green peas and edamame, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt.
Add enough fresh water to just reach the top of the contents in the blender. Cover and blend on low, working slowly up to high speed.
Stop and give the blender a shake when it gets stuck to release the air bubble. Then blend again. It may take a few times but it should eventually blend smoothly (it will be on the thicker side). If not, add a touch more water.
Taste and add any additional lemon or sea salt to taste, if needed.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until done.
Bring the pot with the steamer basket back to a simmer (add a little more water to refresh it a bit) and add the chopped broccolini.
Cover and steam until fork tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Drain the pasta and add the steamed broccolini and 3/4 of the sauce to the pot. Stir well and divide between bowls. (Add more sauce if you’d like or save the extra to go with lunches during the week.)
Top with a few fresh cracks of pepper and serve. (This serves Scott, myself, and Riley for 1 meal but we eat large portions!)
If you are like me and enjoy a little spice, add a few pinches of chili flakes to the top too — so good here!