1/4cupsun-dried tomatoesoil-packed (40 g) drained (or dried ones, see below)
1tbspnutritional yeast
1handfulbasil leaves (fresh)plus oregano or parsley if you have them
1tspsea salt(omit for low-sodium diet)
4ouncesbrown rice pastarotini
Instructions
Cover the cashews with filtered water while you're making the pasta.
Wash the basil or other herb and roll it up in a kitchen towel.
Put on the water for pasta, salting it generously. When it comes to a rolling boil, add your favorite pasta. I use Trader Joe's brown rice rotini a LOT. Set the timer for 10 minutes (or whatever your package says), stirring every few minutes to keep it from sticking.
When you have 3 minutes left on the timer, measure out the sun-dried tomatoes, reserving a few for the top.
Put the drained cashews in the blender with the tomatoes, the nutritional yeast, and about a cup of pasta water. Blend until smooth.
Drain the pasta, add to bowls, top with sauce, reserved tomatoes, and snipped fresh basil or other herbs. Dinner is served!
Notes
Per serving:
381 calories
15 g fat
3 g saturated fat
7 g monounsaturated fat
2 g polyunsaturated fat
0 g trans fat
0 g cholesterol
1270 mg sodium (146 mg sodium with salt omitted)
237 mg potassium
54 g carbohydrate
7 g fiber
6 g sugars
11 g protein
10 Weight Watchers Points Plus
Follow the package directions to cook your pasta, starting the sauce about 3 minutes before it's finished. You can use dry sun-dried tomatoes to lighten this dish, but you'll need to pre-soak them for at least 30 minutes—preferably one hour—before blending. For low-sodium diets, you'll need to find unsalted sun-dried tomatoes.