- 1 cup roasted unsalted cashews
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved, or another seasonal vegetable–asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ¾ cup of water
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes*
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 6 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 12 ounces whole-wheat penne (or your favorite pasta)
At least 8 hours ahead: soak cashews in plenty of water.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bacon on a baking sheet. Place cherry tomatoes on a separate baking sheet. Drizzle tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast both pans for about 20 minutes until bacon is cooked to your liking and tomatoes have a nice char, and then set aside. Snip the bacon into bits when it’s cool enough to handle.
Make the sauce by blending the drained cashews, water, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¾ teaspoon salt, garlic, lemon juice, yellow onion, yeast flakes, and rosemary in a food processor or blender.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add spinach and cook briefly, until just wilted. Add sauce and warm it through over low heat.
Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to skillet along with roasted tomatoes and bacon. Stir and serve immediately.
Serves 4.
*Nutritional yeast flakes can be found in health food stores, at many grocery stores, and online.