Description
Healthy Spinach and Artichoke Alfredo Pasta on the table in 20 minutes! Super creamy and dairy-free for the ultimate plant based dinner. Prep time does not include soaking cashews.
Ingredients
Scale
For the artichoke alfredo sauce:
- 1 15oz can quartered artichoke hearts in brine (do not drain)
- heaping 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- pinch of red pepper flakes (optional for a bit of heat!)
For the spaghetti:
- 8.8 oz box Barilla Chickpea Spaghetti
- 5 oz package baby spinach
Instructions
- Place cashews in a bowl. Cover with very hot water. Let soak for at least 20 minutes and up to overnight (if you have a high-speed blender, you can skip this step.)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Place spinach in a large colander. Drain pasta over the spinach to wilt it, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water. Toss together noodles and spinach.
- Drain and rinse cashews. Place cashews, artichoke hearts and their liquid, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, optional salt and red pepper flakes, and several grinds of pepper in a blender (I used my Nutribullet). Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to thin.
- Add pasta, spinach, and sauce to the pasta pot or a large bowl, tossing to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve hot, topped with extra red pepper flakes!
Notes
Sun-dried tomatoes or sautéed shiitake mushrooms are great additions here! If you're not vegan, a handful of parmesan or sautéed shrimp is tasty, too.
Keywords: healthy alfredo sauce, vegan alfredo