Marry Me Bean Pasta

This marry me bean pasta is made with veggies and a creamy tomato, cashew and tofu sauce. Legend has it that this dish is so good, whoever you make it for will want to marry you… It comes together in about 30-40 minutes and serves 2 hungry people!

Prep time: 5-10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 200-300g cremini mushrooms
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 dry pint cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup cooked cannellini beans
• 3/4 cup sliced sundried tomatoes (optional)
• 225-250g whole wheat penne (or pasta of choice)
• Lots of fresh basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cashew Sauce

• 1/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews
• 100g silken tofu
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1-1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp water

Equipment

• Frying pan or pot
• Blender

Instructions

1. Dice an onion, chop mushrooms, and peel and mince garlic cloves.
2. To a frying pan or pot on medium heat, add the olive oil, diced onion and stir often, until translucent.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions.
4. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms, sautéing until softened. Next, add the minced garlic and sauté for another two minutes.
5. Add the cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, and water and cover (this will help soften the tomatoes).
6. Prepare the cashew sauce by blending together cashews, soft tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and water, and blend until smooth and creamy.
7. Once the cherry tomatoes have softened, give the veggies a good stir. Add in the cannellini beans, sliced sundried tomatoes, and cooked pasta.
8. Stir in the cashew sauce and add lots of fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!

Notes

*Depending on the strength of your blender, you may need to soak cashews in boiling water before blending. I find the best blender for cashews is a bullet blender!

*You could also use chickpeas instead of cannellini beans.

*For an oil-free version, sauté the onions and veggies in water or vegetable stock.