Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Tomtao Basil Cream Pasta with Course Cracked Pepper

When it’s summer, I can’t get enough of recipes that use up fresh tomatoes and basil.  But no matter what time of year, I’m always down with quick recipes.  You can make this sauce in the time it takes to boil the pasta.  My whole wheat pasta cooks in 9 minutes, so this simple sauce makes a 9 minute summer meal that’s hard to beat.

I wanted to make a dish similar to this one, but not using tofutti cream cheese. I decided to replace it with cashews. Cashews are the base of most of my favorite vegan cream sauces because they’re very rich tasting and blend easily, allowing you to create a velvety smooth sauce in your blender.

Tomtao Basil Cream Pasta with Coarse Cracked Pepper

Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
Serves Two

1 Large, ripe tomato (2 cups roughly chopped, 1 1/2 cups blended)
1/2 Cup Raw Cashews
1 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Water

2 Tbs Olive Oil
2-4 Cloves Garlic, minced, optional
6 Ounces (ish) Whole Wheat Spaghetti
1 tsp Salt (edit: upped from 3/4!)
2-3 Tbs Wine or Water, optional
1-2 tsp Freshly Cracked, Coarse Black Pepper
1 Large Handful Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.

Core the tomato, then roughly chop it. Add it to your blender, seeds, skin and all. Add cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend until very smooth.

Add olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn. Once water is boiling, add pasta. Pour sauce from the blender into the saute pan and bring to a simmer. Add salt and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If desired add wine/water to thin out the sauce. Taste and season more if necessary. Let simmer until pasta is finished cooking. Once pasta is cooked, drain. Add pasta to the saute pan with black pepper and freshly chopped basil leaves. Toss to coat. Serve immediately, garnishing with more pepper and basil.

Enjoy!  And stay tuned this week for a big, happy announcement.

Tomtao Basil Cream Pasta with Coarse Cracked Pepper

187 comments

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  2. becky s.

    I cooked this for dinner for my family on the day my sister came home from the hospital with her new baby. It was probably our first sit-down family dinner in over 10 years. Even more amazing is that I never cook. It was a very special day. Thanks so much for the delicious recipe!

  3. Carrie

    OMG…this has become my favorite dish….everyone loves it, vegans and carnavoires alike….I have only made it with red wine, and it’s superb…thank you for positng..I love you!!!…lol

  4. Ana

    I made this today. It was good, but not great..
    The flavor of the nut did not come out when you ate it.. It seems that adding it was a waste of an ingredient.. I also had to add more liquid :/
    I’ve made and eaten better tomato based spaghetti sauces before.. but over all it was good :]
    I give it 3 out of 5 stars

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  35. Kristin Sullivan

    This has quickly become a staple in my kitchen for a quick dinner – THANK YOU! :) …also, I usually add sun dried tomatoes and/or broccoli sauteed with a little garlic and that’s rad too.

  36. Felicia

    delicious! the whole family loved it. I used the recipe exactly but then added a bit of seasonings to make it more like my sauce. love the cashew cream effect! thank you!

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