Nothing is more comforting than a big bowl of pasta! This is a fantastic vegan version of our favourite classic Italian meat sauce. It’s hearty, very satisfying, and super easy to whip up.
INGREDIENTS :
- 2 large carrots, peeled & diced
- 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- 2 large celery ribs, diced
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 1/2 c. raw cashews
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 42 ounces canned tomatoes (crushed or crushed/diced mix)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1.5 c. cooked green or brown lentils (1 can drain)
- 1.5 c. cooked chickpeas (1 can drain)
- 1 pound long cut dry pasta, like linguini or spaghetti
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flake, for mild spice, optional
DIRECTIONS :
Step 1: Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. When done, drain, keeping a half cup of the pasta water.
Step 2: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, celery, and a tsp of salt to the pot. Saute for about 8 minutes until the veggies have softened. Add the garlic along with the pepper flakes and cook for a couple of minutes more.
Step 3: To the pot, add the tomatoes, oregano, thyme, and 2 tsp salt. Bring everything to a rolling simmer, then adjust the heat to medium-low or low. Cover the pot partially and gently simmer the mixture for 20 minutes or so, stirring often.
Step 4: To a mixing bowl, add the chickpeas and lentils. Mash the chickpeas and lentils with a potato masher, pastry cutter, or fork until you have a coarse mixture. Add this to the sauce once the sauce has simmered and continue to cook for additional 10 minutes.
Step 5: To make the cream, combine the cashews with half a cup of water. For this, you can use about 3/4 to 1 cup of your preferred cream. Turn off the heat once the sauce is done. Stir the cream in when the sauce is no longer bubbling. To taste, season with salt. Simmer the sauce again for about 5 to 10 minutes more, then toss in the pasta.
