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Creamy Vegan Broccoli and Tempeh Bacon Pasta

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces broccoli florets
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + more to drizzle
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt + more to taste
  • pepper
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 6 hours (preferably overnight)
  • 1 package Lightlife Tempeh Bacon slices
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 8-ounce box rotini or penne
  • red pepper flakes to garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the broccoli. Drizzle with some olive oil and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss well to coat and lay out in the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes or until fork tender, shaking the pan every 10 minutes so the broccoli doesn’t burn.
  • While broccoli cooks, drain and rinse the cashews and place in a high-speed blender. Set aside.
  • Bring a medium pot filled halfway with water to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain into a colander.
  • As you wait for the water to boil, place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in the tempeh slices. Cook for 3to 5 minutes, flip, and cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until crispy. Using tongs, set aside on a plate. You may have to cook in batches. Immediately add the oil to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Once the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Turn off the heat, stir in the oregano, and transfer to the blender along with ¾ cup of water and the lemon juice, salt, and nutritional yeast.Season with pepper, blend until smooth, uncover, taste, and adjust with more salt if needed. Set aside.
  • After draining the pasta, add it back to the pot used to boil it. Add half of the cashew cream sauce, broccoli, and half of the bacon, breaking it up into pieces with your fingers (or scissors) as you add it to the pot. Stir the pasta well to combine. Reserve the cream sauce for future use or add more if you like more creaminess.
  • Divide the pasta into bowls and top with remaining bacon, breaking into pieces with your fingers. Garnish with red pepper flakes and serve.