Vegan Walnut Cream Pasta Bowls with Bodacious Broccoli

Can you tell that I love broccoli? When I spotted this vegan walnut cream pasta recipe, complete with my favorite veggie, in Laura Theodore’s newest cookbook, I knew that it was going to happen in my kitchen.

The Jazzy Vegetarian’s Deliciously Vegan is a hefty, full-color collection with 175 Plant-Powered Recipes.

Laura Theodore’s recipes always focus on ease and simplicity. She shies away from lengthy ingredient lists, doesn’t hesitate to use shortcuts when they make sense, and likes to keep things doable for almost any household. Here’s a sample of the everyday recipes that you’ll find in Jazzy Vegetarian’s Deliciously Vegan:

• Baked Potato Tofu Scramble
• Green Julius Smoothie
• Golden Cashew Milk
• Chickpea Salad Dressing
• Tahini Nut-Cheeze
• Four-Ingredient Apricot Bars
• Colorful Coleslaw with a Kick
• Farm Stand Soup
• Zucchini Quiche Cups with Rustic Bread Crusts
• Spicy Seitan Lasagna
• Tortilla Pizza Pie
• Vegan Burritos with Tofu Queso Fresca
• Garam Masala Sweet Potato Bites
• Divine Chocolate Mousse Cake
• Beautiful Blueberry Tartlets

Please note that Laura does use soy as the staple protein in her recipes, and a good smattering of nuts are used throughout the book. This isn’t a gluten-free cookbook, either, but there many gluten-free options for experienced special diet cooks. In most, it’s as easy as swapping in gluten-free pasta, like I did in the Vegan Walnut Cream Pasta Recipe that follows.

Alisa’s Recipe Notes

• I halved the walnut cream sauce for our small household, and I believe it covered 6 or 8 ounces of pasta. Sorry, I lost my notes on this!
• Steamed broccoli goes over better in our household, so I steamed it in a separate pot instead of boiling. But Laura’s method should also work great!
• I skipped the sunflower seeds and didn’t have any parsley on hand, but I did use a garnish. Laura’s picture shows what looks like a few dashes of paprika. I liked that thought, but decided to up the spice ante with a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.
• The uniquely flavored ingredients had me curious. So I added the ingredients to the walnut cream base one at a time, and taste-tested as I went. The maple and tamari really melded well, but the blended raw Italian seasoning was just a little too strong for my tastes. In the future, I would either skip it, or saute it in a little oil and just stir it into the sauce. But you might really like the seasoning!
• I added salt to the cream sauce, to taste, rather than to the pasta. It was easier for me to adjust and test at that stage.

Special Diet Notes: Vegan Walnut Cream Pasta

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, peanut-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian. In my pictures, I used a gluten-free rice and corn pasta.

For a soy-free walnut cream pasta, you can try coconut aminos in place of the tamari. But I would reduce the maple syrup a smidgen,

5.0 from 1 reviews

Broccoli Pasta Bowls with Walnut Cream Sauce

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

27 mins

 

This creamy tasting pasta bowl comes together in about 20 minutes and makes an enticing weeknight meal or a casual party dish. Plus, the Walnut Cream Sauce does double duty as a delicious sauce for topping grains, salads, or veggies!

Author: Laura Theodore

Serves: Makes 2 to 3 servings

Ingredients

Pasta

• 8 ounces fusilli pasta (gluten-free, if needed)
• 4 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
• Sea salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon roasted or raw sunflower seeds, for garnish (optional)
• Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

Walnut Cream Sauce

• 1½ cups walnut halves
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons tamari (gluten-free, if needed)
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
• 1 medium clove garlic, chopped
• Several grinds of freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the fusilli. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Add the broccoli florets, stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the fusilli and broccoli are both cooked al dente.
2. While the fusilli and broccoli cook, put all of the Walnut Cream Sauce ingredients into a blender and process until very smooth and creamy. Taste and add more pepper, if desired.
3. Drain the fusilli and broccoli and transfer them to a large bowl. Stir in 1 to 1½ cups of the Walnut Cream Sauce. Gently combine, adding more walnut sauce, as needed, to thoroughly coat the fusilli. Season with sea salt, to taste.
4. Garnish with optional sunflower seeds and parsley, if desired. Spoon into pasta bowls and serve immediately, with extra walnut sauce offered on the side.

3.5.3229

Key Pantry Supplies: Vegan Walnut Cream Pasta

Cookbooks by the Jazzy Vegetarian, Laura Theodore