Hi friends! Here’s an easy recipe that is extremely kid-friendly… most pasta and cheesy dishes are. But this one in particular has a boost in protein and iron with the addition of chickpea and cashew cheese swirl. It comes together fast… which is another big selling point.
I usually have extra sauce on hand (I make large batches of my gravy recipe and freeze for things like this) but if you don’t have a sauce ready, jarred works just as wonderfully. You could also sub white beans in the cashew sauce instead of chickpeas if that is what you have. This is a very forgiving recipe!
If you really want to up the iron, you could even use red lentil or chickpea pasta. Endless variations. I hope that you and your family enjoy it as much as we do. x
Recipe
You will need:
- 1 lb of pasta (your choice – we like elbows or shells but below I used a mix!)
- Your choice pasta sauce (I use my gravy recipe)
- 1/2 cup chickpeas
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup water (more or less for consistency)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Vegan cheese shreds (we like Violife)
To make:
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Prepare pasta according to package.
- If you need to make sauce, make that now. If you have a jar, take that out.
- Add chickpeas, cashews, water, garlic, and salt to a blender. Run until smooth.
- When everything is ready, add pasta and sauce to a casserole dish. Swirl in your cashew/chickpea sauce and sprinkle vegan cheese on top.
- Cover with foil and place in 375 F oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, take foil off and let bake uncovered for 15 more minutes.
- Serve warm!
