Pasta Salad with Creamy Basil Sauce
For the Creamy Sauce
1- In a blender, pulverize
1 cup raw cashew nuts*
1 cup water
3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Zest 1/4 lemon
Juice 1 lemon
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp miso paste
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Pepper
For the Salad
1- In a bowl, mix
8 cups cooked short whole-grain pasta of your choosing**
1 cup frozen green peas***
1 cup frozen edamames, shelled***
1/2 english cucumber, in small cubes
2- Add amount of creamy sauce desired
3- Serve (to taste) with
Kalamata Olives ****
Fresh Basil
Roasted pine nuts
Pepper
*If you do not own a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain, prior to blending.
** Wait for them to be cold, or run under cold water to cool before mixing.
*** To thaw the green peas and the edamames, submerge them under boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then drain before adding to the salad.
**** I recommend rinsing the olives to get rid of the excess salt :).
This salad is absolutely amazing! The sauce is unctuous. It’s impossible not to smile when detecting the basil and the hint of zesty lemon.. Let’s just say it doesn’t last long in our house :). If you do have some left, it is really good when heated up as well. This salad is perfect for picnics: It tastes like summer ;)!
I wish you all the happiness in the world,
Marie-Chose