Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 7 oz dry pasta
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 oz fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)
- 1 oz raw cashew nuts
- 2 small garlic cloves
- 1/2 small jalapeño (deseeded and sliced)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 small lime
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of the starchy cooking water and set it aside.
- Prepare Sauce Base: In a blender or food processor, combine the fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, raw cashews, garlic cloves, deseeded jalapeño, olive oil, lime juice, agave syrup, salt, and black pepper. Pulse until everything is finely chopped and combined.
- Blend Sauce to Creamy Texture: Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved hot pasta water and blend again until the mixture becomes silky smooth and bright green in color.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Return the drained pasta to the pot and toss well with the creamy cilantro sauce. If the sauce feels too thick, add another drizzle of the reserved pasta water to ensure every noodle is glossy and evenly coated.
- Season and Serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then serve the pasta immediately to enjoy it at its freshest.
Notes
- Reserve pasta water carefully as it helps to thin out the sauce and bind it to the noodles.
- If you prefer a spicier kick, keep some jalapeño seeds or add more jalapeño.
- Raw cashews can be soaked in hot water for 10 minutes if your blender struggles to blend them smoothly.
- This dish is naturally vegan and gluten-free if using gluten-free pasta.
- For a nut-free version, try substituting cashews with sunflower seeds but note the flavor variation.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Fusion, Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
