Creamy Broccoli and Red Pepper Macaroni

Creamy Broccoli and Red Pepper Macaroni

Original Recipe by Heather Crosby

Adapted by Mariola Pratt

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. whole wheat macaroni noodles
  • 1 – 3 tablespoons water or vegetable stock divided
  • 1 large red pepper, ribs removed, seeded and diced
  • 1 cup broccoli florets (rounded)
  • Pinch of smoked sea salt
  • Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

FOR THE SAUCE:

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ¾ teaspoon pink Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

 

Directions:

  1. Soak cashews in a bowl of water for 4 to 6 hours. Rinse well.
  2. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.
  3. Blend together all sauce ingredients until smooth and set aside
  4. While noodles cook, place 1 tablespoon water or vegetable stock in a skillet heated to medium and add diced pepper. Stir often for 7 minutes.
  5. Add broccoli and remaining water or vegetable stock to skillet, stir, cover, and steam for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  6. Rinse cooked noodles. Then in a large pot, mix together noodles, veggies, and sauce over medium heat.  Season with more salt to taste, if necessary, and freshly ground pepper.  Enjoy warm.

TIPS:

You can skip the soaking step for cashews, but know that soaking helps digestion and assimilation of nutrients and adds a creamy texture to the sauce.

You can use ½ cup cashews and ½ cup sunflower seeds for the sauce or 1 cup sunflower seeds instead of cashews if you have an allergy.

Mariola’s tip: For a double batch, I used 1-2/3 cup cashews + 1//3 cup sunflower seeds for the sauce.