Description
This dairy free chicken sausage and broccoli pasta is an easy dinner recipe idea made with a cashew cream sauce and lots of green veggies! Super flavorful and ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- Hot water for soaking cashews
- 12 ounces gluten free pasta
- 3 1/2 cups broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 12 oz package fully cooked chicken sausage, thinly sliced
- Big pinch of chili flakes (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- A few big handfuls of baby spinach
- Parsley, to garnish (optional)
- Dairy free parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the cashews. Before you start cooking – in a heat proof bowl, cover raw cashews with just boiled water for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. If you’re in a hurry you can simmer the cashews on the stove top for about 10 minutes until they are pale and plump.
- Cook the pasta and broccoli. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until underdone by about 3 minutes – it will continue to cook with the sauce later in the recipe. Two minutes before draining the pasta add the broccoli florets. Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving about 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Set aside.
- Cook chicken sausage. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add sliced chicken sausages in a single layer and cook until nicely caramelized – for 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook another minute or so on the other side.
- Add garlic and a big pinch of chili flakes, and cook another minute, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Make cashew cream sauce. Drain soaked cashews and add to the blender with broth, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Blend on high for at least a minute – until entirely smooth and creamy.
- Combine all pasta ingredients in skillet. Return skillet to the stove top over medium low heat. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the skillet along with the cashew sauce and a few big handfuls of baby spinach. Warm pasta, tossing occasionally, until heated through and spinach is wilted. Add reserved pasta water a little bit at a time as needed – simmering in between additions. The more liquid you add the softer and creamier the sauce will be.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with dairy free parmesan and parsley if desired.
Notes
The dairy free parmesan I used in these pictures is by Violife and it’s amazing – shreds just like the real thing! Our recipe for Dairy Free Cashew Parmesan would also be delicious.
Storage: This dairy free pasta with chicken will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in a sealed container.
Freezing: I would not recommend freezing this pasta. I haven’t tried but I think that the texture of the pasta and sauce would not hold up well when thawed.
To re-heat: The cashew cream sauce will thicken as it sits in the refrigerator. To re-heat, warm the pasta on low in a skillet or the microwave, and add water to the sauce a little bit at a time, stirring in between, until desired consistency is reached. Re-season with salt if needed.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: american