Bright and zesty and wonderfully fresh-tasting, a good peak-season basil pesto is a no-fail dinner choice for fussy families and surprise guests alike. But incorporating a lemony cream sauce? Bam! You're a dinner hero.
Don't forget to soak the cashews if you don't have any frozen or chilled soaked cashews on hand!
Chef's notes
Suggested adult serving: 2½ cups
Store any leftover mac & cheez in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
RECIPE TIPS
Soaked Cashews: Soak cashews in very hot water for 15 minutes, drain the water, then rinse the nuts. You can also soak them in batches to save time, place portions in airtight containers, then chill in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutritional Yeast: Popular in plant-based cooking for its “cheesy” flavor, nutritional yeast comes in both flaked and powdered form. If you buy powdered, use ⅓ cup for every 1 cup of flakes specified in a recipe.
Arrowroot Powder: If arrowroot is unfamiliar or unavailable to you, you can substitute cornstarch or tapioca starch. If using cornstarch, be sure to boil the mixture for 1 minute to eliminate the starch taste. If using tapioca, double the quantity for similar thickening results.
Cayenne Pepper: Warning: Spicy! Consider omitting the cayenne pepper if you are serving to children.
Unflavored Plant Milk: Plant milk is the term we use to describe the plant-based milk of your choice. Rice, oat, hemp, almond, and soy milk are all varieties of plant milk. Look for unsweetened, unflavored plant milks.
Steps
1
Make the Dish
Ingredients
9 oz whole-grain elbow macaroni
7 1⁄2 oz cherry tomatoes halved (≈1 1⁄2 cups)
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
FOR THE PESTO
3⁄4 cup fresh basil
1⁄4 cup nutritional yeast
3 cloves garlic, halved
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
FOR THE LEMONY CREAM SAUCE
1⁄2 cup raw, unsalted cashews soaked (see tip)
1 1⁄2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 dash cayenne pepper
COOK PASTA
Cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain well. Return to pot to keep warm.
MAKE PESTO
Meanwhile, in a food processor (or high-powered blender), process basil, nutritional yeast, and garlic until mostly smooth, gradually adding vegetable broth. Pour into a bowl.
MAKE LEMONY CREAM SAUCE
In the same food processor (or high-powered blender), process soaked cashews, lemon juice, arrowroot, Dijon mustard, and cayenne until smooth, gradually adding plant milk.
SAUCE MACARONI
Add lemony cream sauce to macaroni and heat over medium heat until thickened, 2 minutes.
FINISH PESTO MAC & CHEEZ
Stir in pesto and tomatoes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.
