Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup raw cashews
- ½ cup water
- ¾ teaspoon salt (divided)
- 16 ounces rigatoni (or your preferred pasta)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare the Cashew Cream: Place the raw cashews in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for about 60 minutes until tender. Once soft, drain the cashews and transfer them to a blender with ½ cup of fresh water and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook according to package instructions, but cook it about 2-3 minutes less than the recommended time to achieve al dente pasta. Reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it darkens in color, about 2 minutes. Then, add the diced tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until it thickens and deepens in color, about 10 minutes.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked pasta, cashew cream, and the remaining 1 cup of pasta water to the sauce. Toss everything together until the sauce coats the pasta evenly.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.