Mouthwatering vegan Delight | Cashew Pesto Pasta with Roasted Veggies

A simple vegan dish by roasting vegetables, cooking pasta, and preparing a pesto sauce. You can easily make it all in one roast tray. For the pesto sauce, I use sun-dried tomatoes as the main ingredient, which are easy to find and store. Blend them with balsamic vinegar for a flavorful punch that complements the roasted vegetables and pasta. Instead of using cheese, I opt for cashew nuts without nutritional yeast making it both easy and budget-friendly. hope you like it.

Ingredients:

➡️For the roasted vegetables:

• 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 aubergine, cut into cubes
• 1 courgette, cut into cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• A sprig of thyme
• Rapeseed oil
• Ground rock salt
• Ground black pepper

➡️For the sauce:

• 4 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 70g cashew nuts
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• Salt and pepper to taste

➡️Other:

• 150g rigatoni pasta
• Chopped chives for garnish

Serves 2

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-assisted).
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped vegetables (red onion, aubergine, courgette, red bell pepper) with crushed garlic, dried oregano, thyme leaves, a drizzle of rapeseed oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well to coat the vegetables evenly.
3. Transfer the seasoned vegetables to a roasting pan and roast in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned.
4. While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the cashew pesto sauce. In a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, cashew nuts, olive oil, and garlic clove. Blitz until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
5. Cook the rigatoni pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
6. Once the roasted vegetables are done, mix them together with the cooked rigatoni pasta and the prepared cashew pesto sauce until well combined.
7. Garnish the pasta with chopped chives before serving.
8. Enjoy your delicious roasted vegetable pasta with cashew pesto!