Pasta Felese
When I was in high school, my family would often go to a neighborhood Italian restaurant in Denver called The Cherry Tomato. I got the same dish every time: Pasta Felese - farfalle in a rich cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and peas. Sadly, not only do I not live in Denver anymore, but I don’t consume dairy so I’ve missed this dish for a long time. I finally revisited their menu to look for clues about ingredients (pesto, white wine, cream sauce) and attempted to recreate it. I am pleased to announce that, not only does it taste exactly how I remember it, but because there is no dairy, I also feel a lot lighter after eating it this way!
The sauce has a cashew cream base and is flavored with garlic, vegan pesto, and white wine. None of the flavors shout, yet it is distinctly different from any other cream sauce I’ve ever had.
If you’re looking to indulge in some creamy, dreamy pasta or enjoy a special dinner with a glass of wine and a loved one (or yourself), this is the dish for you! This would also be a great meal to make to impress guests.
I recently noticed that Barilla makes a ‘protein pasta’. It is not gluten free; semolina is still the first ingredient but it includes additional ingredients like lentil and chickpea protein. It works wonderfully for this dish because it tastes like regular white pasta but obviously has more protein which is always a bonus! I notice when I eat this or 100% chickpea pasta (like Banza) rather than regular pasta, I feel much better (i.e. more even energy, better digestion).
Here are some healthier pasta options that I love and would work well for this dish:
the recipe
Pasta Felese
Ingredients
Instructions
- Soak cashews in boiling water for at least 30 minutes. Drain cashews.
- In a high powered blender, blend cashews with oat milk until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to the package's instructions. Drain and set aside (toss with a bit of olive oil if you're not ready to stir it into the sauce right away).
- In a large frying pan, heat olive oil on low heat and cook minced garlic until golden, 1-2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Stir in the pesto and the cashew/oat milk cream. Season with salt and pepper.
- Continue to cook on medium-low for a few minutes. Stir in the artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and peas.
- Stir in the pasta making sure it's all well coated and heated through. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
