We don't eat much dairy in our home and this tangy, umami, pasta sauce (some would call it a vegan Mac and Cheese) is a great weeknight dinner. It comes together pretty quickly and when served with broccoli or green beans you can have dinner on the table in less than an hour. The cashews give it protein and creaminess; the lentils add more protein; and the onions and carrots hiding in the sauce lend a subtle sweetness. While it’s not Mac and Cheese, it is a nice, full-flavoured pasta sauce.

Ingredients
  • ½ cup (95 g) dry split red lentils
  • 1 small yellow onion chopped coarsely
  • 1 medium carrot - peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup (65 g) cashews
  • 14 oz (400 g) dry pasta
  • 1 cup (475 ml) oat mylk
  • 1½ TBSP (11 g) tapioca flour
  • ½ cup (60 g) nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp (2 g) sweet paprika
  • 1 TBSP (5 g) vegetable stock powder (or veggie bouillon)
  • 4 medium garlic cloves chopped coarsely
  • 1 TBSP (15 ml) lemon juice
  • 1 TBSP (6 g) white miso paste
  • 1 rosemary sprig  - optional
  • 1/2 tsp salt 
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  •  2 TBSP (8 g) fresh parsley chopped as garnish
Instructions
  1. Rinse the lentils. 
  2. Add the onion, carrots, garlic and red lentils to a large pot of salted water. Cook for about 15 minutes (until you can pierce a carrot piece easily and the lentils are soft). Drain and set aside. 
  3. Cook the pasta to 2 minutes before the recommended time, drain, and reserve 3/4 cup of pasta water. 
  4. Transfer cooked onions, carrots, cashews, and lentils to a blender with oat milk, cashews, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, paprika, vegetable stock powder, lemon juice, miso paste, and a pinch of salt. Blend on high speed until perfectly smooth. 
  5. Transfer the sauce to a large pan (big enough to contain both the sauce and pasta) over  medium-low heat. Add the rosemary sprig, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly to thicken the sauce. 
  6. Add the pasta to the sauce and combine
  7. Add 3/4 cup pasta water to the pasta and sauce, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  8. Serve topped with fresh parsley, and if you like a bit of heat, some dried chilli flakes.