Creamy vegetable pasta that is so delicious, you wouldn't believe it has no cream in it! This is a loaded plant based protein-rich pasta with a vegan garlic sauce, colorful veggies and sweet roasted tomatoes.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F). Spread out the cherry tomatoes on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and roast for 20 minutes. They can also be roasted on the stovetop in a saute pan with 1 teaspoon oil for about 20 minutes.
Cook the dried chickpeas, if using
Soak them overnight or 6 hours minimum. Drain and place in the pressure cooker or instant pot with 2 cups water. Cook for 6 whistles and turn off the flame. Let the pressure release naturally.For instant pot, cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. Drain and keep aside.
Cook the pasta
Boil a large pot of water, add the pasta and cook al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta, toss with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and keep aside.
Make vegan garlic sauce
Soak the cashews in 1/4 cup of water for 15 minutes and blend into a smooth paste.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet, add minced garlic and chilies and saute on medium heat for a couple of minutes.
Add the almond milk, cashew paste and Italian seasoning. Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil on medium flame. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until you get the desired consistency (when the sauce coats the back of a spoon).
Creamy vegetable pasta
Mix in spinach and grated carrots, chickpeas. Add salt and pepper as required. Simmer for 5 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a few tablespoons of water drained from the cooked chickpeas. Adjust the consistency of the sauce according to your preference. Turn off the flame.
Add pasta and roasted cherry tomatoes and toss. Serve and enjoy!
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Notes
1/2 cup of Sun dried tomatoes can be used in place of roasted cherry tomatoes.
If you don't have Italian seasoning, add 1/4 teaspoons each of dried basil, oregano, parsley and thyme.
Green chili gives a unique flavor to the creamy sauce. The spice gets balanced out by the chickpeas and the cashew sauce.
If you don't mind dairy, you can use whole milk instead of almond milk.
Reserve the water from cooking the chickpeas and the pasta. Either can be used to adjust thesauce, if it gets too thick. This also makes the sauce creamier.