This recipe was a pleasant surprise for me. It wasn’t on our list of recipes to make this month, but I am so happy it happened.
Last night, I walked into the kitchen to see our dear friends and housemates, Jon and his daughter Mika, whipping up something special. It smelled amazing and it’s not far from your classic Italian pasta night. It has a little twist, but again, it’s very easy to make and oh, so satisfying. I have a feeling after you read the recipe and gander at these beautiful pics, you’ll be making it for dinner real soon.
Let me tell you, the past seven days of daily recipe sharing has already had it’s highs and lows. There is a learning curve, and it is taking more time out of our day than we thought. On top of our already packed schedule, this has been quite an undertaking. However, we feel so passionate about making yummy food and sharing quality content that we feel an excitement and joy for the process of creating it.
We knew there would be struggles and challenges but really didn’t know what that would look like. We designated roles so each person knew how they would contribute and that helped make things more clear. It’s certainly taken teamwork and each of our unique gifts we have in the making of these posts.
Broccolini is a really nice touch as a complementary ingredient.
Red Lentil Penne w/ Cashew Vodka Sauce
Ingredients
In order of appearance…
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup water
• 2 boxes of red lentil pasta or pasta of your choice
• 1 jar of marinara sauce
Side Suggestions:
• Steamed or sautéed Broccolini (pictured)
• Simple Salad - we made one with mixed greens, cucumber, and blueberries (surprisingly really good as a side to this meal)
• Field Roast brand sausage (we had this sautéed with garlic and onion)
• Peas (traditional in vodka sauce)
• Garlic bread
Method
Combine cashews and water and allow to soak for about 45-60 minutes
Place two pots on the stove, a large one with water for the pasta, and a second medium sized pot for the marinara
Once the water for the pasta is boiling, add your favorite pasta and allow to cook for 7-9 minutes
Heat marinara until hot
While things are cooking on the stove, place the soaked cashews with water in a high speed blender and blend until you get a smooth sauce
Add the cashew sauce to the hot marinara and stir together until well mixed
And you know the last step - marry the sauce and pasta together and serve!
Oh yeah, and enjoy it :)
Time
Pre-prep: 45-60 minutes (soaking cashews. You can get around it, but it just makes it a smoother consistency)
Cook time: 7-10 minutes
Total: 55-70 minutes
When we re-served it the following day, we added the peas. Also served with Field Roast sausage and a mixed green salad with blueberries and black tahini dressing.
Results
Filling, healthy, easy, simple, and yes, delicious! Makes great leftovers that are just as good as the night before.
Final Spiel
We hope you’re enjoying these posts and if you have suggestions for recipes or even the blog in general, we’d love the feedback. You can stay in touch via email with any questions or comments at aloha@spacenlight.com.
We have had a few friends and followers make our seasoned chickpeas, tahini miso dressing, and quinoa stir fry with great reviews which makes us so happy! (You can find those recipes below this one)
If you make this dish, let us know! Tag us @spacenlight on Instagram or Facebook or holler at us direct. We’d love to see what you’re doing.
See you soon! Like say, tomorrow?
