Creamy veggie pasta for two

While restaurants are fully booked this Valentine’s day, take the opportunity to cook a romantic dinner for two and make it cosy at home. This easy, yet delicious creamy pasta is the perfect combination of hearty, comforting, yet good for the gut and for the soul.

Source of fibre and protein, as well as healthy fats and complex carbohydrates, this dish will leave you not only physically full, but also emotionally satisfied.

Ingredients:

1. 180g red lentil fusilli pasta
2. 280g cherry tomatoes
3. 115g or ½ can of drained chickpeas
4. 30g cashews
5. 100ml cashew or oat milk
6. 3 cloves of garlic, minced
7. 40g baby spinach
8. 70g carrot, grated
9. 10g spring onion
10. ½ lemon, juiced
11. 1 tbsp olive oil
12. Pinch of salt and black pepper

Instructions:

1. First, soak the cashews for 15-20 min. Once soaked, blend until smooth together with 100ml cashew or oat milk. 
2. To make the creamy sauce, heat a pan to medium heat, add ½ tbsp of olive oil and minced garlic. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the cashew cream. Don’t worry about the garlic on a date night, the soft cashew cream tunes it down and only leaves a hint of the flavour.
3. Next, add the cherry tomatoes, spring onion, grated carrot and spinach to the sauce. Add the rest of the plant milk. You may need to add more, depending on the desired consistency. Cover and simmer for 5-8min until the cherry tomatoes are soft, spinach wilted and carrots cooked. 
4. In the meantime boil the pasta al dente.
5. Add the chickpeas to the sauce, as well as the lemon juice and stir. Let it simmer for another couple of minutes. 
6. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and mix into the sauce.
7. Serve garnished with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
   
   

Looking for even more gut-loving inspiration? Take a look at our favourite romantic ingredients for your Valentines dinner.