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- Makes 8 cups
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The secret to a great pasta primavera is the right balance of vegetable flavors and textures, plus a killer sauce. This vegan pasta recipe fits the bill, with crisp-tender broccoli, sweet bell peppers, earthy mushrooms, and tangy tomatoes, all of which are topped with a creamy walnut-and-herb sauce that gets a spicy kick from sambal oelek, an Asian chile paste. Sambal oelek can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets, but you can also substitute a few drops of your favorite hot sauce. When blending the sauce, don’t worry about pre-chopping the parsley and cilantro. Simply trim away the larger stems before measuring the leaves, then place them directly in the food processor.
Recipe from drmcdougall.com
Ingredients
- 2 cups walnut pieces
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
- ⅓ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- ⅓ cup packed fresh parsley leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons sambal oelek chile paste or hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces dried rotini pasta
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups red and/or yellow bell pepper strips
- 16 ounces fresh mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Combine the walnuts, stock, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, garlic, chile paste, and salt (if using) in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Season with pepper.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and bell peppers; cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms; cook for 2 minutes more. Drain.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to a large bowl. Add the sauce, and toss to coat. Add the tomatoes; toss gently to combine. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
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Comments (3)
The sauce on this was bright and flavorful. It did need more salt and pepper. I sauteed the mushrooms and peppers in a little olive oil. Broccoli I threw in the pasta water.
This was sooo good…although next time I´ll do the vegetables apart so I don´t have to throw their vitamins with the water.
Such a lot of hard work obviously goes into these recipes and I’m sure you’d welcome more comments.
I made this exactly according to the recipe, except for substituting Cap Bon- type harissa + some olive oil to the sauce and it was delicious.
Next time, I might turn the veg for a minute or two in a pan before adding, but the main event was the sauce, which I feel works without any added nooch on account of the texture and flavour of the walnuts. Thank you.