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Many moons ago we used to have a pasta with vodka, tomato sauce in the wider rotation. It was something we might serve once in awhile if guests were over or at a family event. Known as penne alla vodka, this vegan take on the classic replaces the heavy cream with cashew cream. Roasted tomatoes and light spicing allows the dish to pop in your mouth without competing flavours. It’s so simple to put together because most of the time spent making it is just waiting around. Now that we have this plant based version of the original we’ll definitely be adding it back into the mix. I think if you try it, you’ll do the same.

Penne in Cashew, Tomato, Vodka Sauce
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Penne in Cashew, Tomato, Vodka Sauce

Course: DinnerCuisine: Vegan, gluten free, vegetarianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 
Total time

1

hour 

20

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 kg of cherry tomatoes

  • 2 or 3 Tbsp of olive oil

  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 1 small onion or regular sized shallot, finely chopped

  • 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes

  • 3/4 cup of raw cashews

  • 1 cup of water

  • 1/2 cup of vodka

  • Salt and pepper

  • 500 g of pasta

  • Fresh basil (optional)

Directions

  • Soak the 3/4 cup of cashews in a bowl of hot water for 4 hours.
  • Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F)
  • Line a baking pan with parchment and place the tomatoes on the pan. Toss with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and bake for about 45 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and start to brown.
  • When the tomatoes are cooked, remove from the oven and add them to a blender.
  • Heat a frying pan over medium and add a dash of olive oil. When the pan is hot add the onion/shallot and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and fragrant.
  • Add the onion, garlic mixture to the blender along with the red pepper flakes and a 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper.
  • Drain the cashews and add them to the blender along with a cup of water and 1/2 cup of vodka and blend the mixture until creamy.
  • Prepare your pasta as per instructions on the package.
  • When the pasta is ready, rinse and add it back to the pot along with the sauce and heat through.
  • Serve as is or topped with fresh basil.

Notes

    Penne in Cashew, Tomato, Vodka Sauce
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