18 Mar Roasted Tomato And Zucchini Spaghetti With Vegan Basil-Cashew Pesto
This vegan pasta dish is all about balance of ingredients and taste. Zucchini “noodles” (also known as “zoodles”) combined with whole-wheat spaghetti creates a healthy ratio of vegetables to pasta.
Roasting caramelizes natural sugars in the tomato, adding a touch of sweetness, while the acidity cuts the fat and richness of the nuts. Yellow or butternut squash can be used in place of the zucchini with equally delicious results.
Low sodium. High potassium. High phosphorus. For a medium-potassium and medium-phosphorus dish, use regular spaghetti instead of whole wheat and decrease the tomatoes and zucchini to 1 cup each. This also significantly reduces the fiber in the dish, so make this modification only if you need a low-potassium diet.
Roasted Tomato And Zucchini Spaghetti With Vegan Basil-Cashew Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- 6 tablespoons pine nuts divided
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup unroasted unsalted cashews
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
- Vegan Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (optional) for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Cut the tomatoes in half, place on a baking sheet, and toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Place the pine nuts in one corner of the baking sheet. Roast until pine nuts are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the nuts from the pan, set aside. Return the pan to the oven and continue roasting the tomatoes until blistered, about 10 minutes, set aside.
- Using a spiralizer, julienne peeler, or mandolin fitted with a julienne blade, julienne the zucchini into long, thin noodle-like strands, set aside.
- Place ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, basil, cashews, garlic, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor and process until combined. While the machine is running, slowly add the remaining oil through the top feed tube until incorporated. Season with pepper.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the spaghetti, cook according to package directions for al dente, and add the zucchini when two minutes remain. Drain the spaghetti and zucchini and return to the pot with the roasted cherry tomatoes over low heat.
- Gently fold the pesto into the pasta until combined. Season with pepper, if needed.
- Top with remaining toasted pine nuts and vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast, if desired
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