Penne with Basil Cashew Pesto, Asparagus and Red Bell Pepper

Basil cashew pesto with penne served on a white plate

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Penne with Basil Cashew Pesto, Asparagus and Red Bell Pepper

A super easy penne pasta dish made with basil cashew pesto, asparagus and red bell pepper. A great, quick meal for weeknights. Vegan Recipe.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: pasta and sauce, pasta main course, quick meal

Servings: people

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

1 cup penne cooked according to instructions
7-8 asparagus spears halved
1/2 red bell pepper sliced into rings
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
chopped tomatoes for garnish

For the basil cashew pesto

2 cups fresh basil
1/2 cup raw cashew
olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 green chili or dried red chili pepper (we like a bit of spice)
salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the pesto, wash the basil and add to blender and blend for a minute
In a small pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Keep at low heat and add garlic cloves and green chili. Let cook for a minute.
Add in the cashews and let cook for another minute or 2.
Add this mixture to the blender and blend. Keep adding olive oil to get a smooth paste. My blender always gets me a coarse paste, so I added a little water as well, since I was going to use up the pesto within the week, or freeze it in ice cubes! Adjust chilis, garlic and basil by taste. This pesto is very forgiving, so play with it!. For basil mint pesto, I use about half cup mint.
In a large pan, add regular oil and the halved/sliced asparagus(for quicker cooking) and saute for 5-8 minutes on medium low heat.
Add in the garlic and red bell pepper rings and olive oil and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
Add in the cooked penne or any pasta of choice and pesto and mix well.
Adjust for salt and pepper. We needed just a teeny bit of salt.
Let cook for a minute.
Serve hot topped with fresh chopped tomatoes!

Notes

Nutritional value is based on 1 serving

Nutrition

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