Creamy Cashew Lemon Pasta with Basil
Rich, creamy, and completely dairy-free, this free Cashew Lemon Pasta recipe blends into a sauce so smooth you’d swear there’s cream in it. My daughter asks for it by name now, which is how I know it’s a keeper. Simple to whip up in the blender while your pasta cooks, and it’s ready in about 30 minutes
Why You’ll Love This Cashew Lemon Pasta
- It comes together fast. Soak your cashews, blend everything, toss with hot pasta — dinner’s ready before you’d expect.
- No dairy, and you genuinely can’t tell. Cashews blend into something so smooth it fools people every time. My daughter has no idea there’s no cream in it.
- Just a handful of ingredients. Cashews, lemon, garlic, olive oil, pasta water. Nothing you need to plan a grocery trip around.
- A sneaky boost of plant protein. Cashews aren’t just for creaminess — they add a solid dose of protein to a bowl of pasta that would otherwise be all carbs.
- An easy way to eat a little brighter. I’m not chasing any particular diet here — I just like that this one happens to be lighter without tasting like it.
Ingredients For This Recipe
- 1. Cashews: 1 cup, raw and unsalted. Soak in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain — skip this step entirely if you’re using a high-speed blender.
- 2. Garlic: 2 cloves, for the sauce.
- 3. Lemon: Zest of 1 lemon plus 3 tablespoons of fresh juice. The zest carries most of the flavor; the juice keeps the sauce from tasting flat.
- 4. Pasta water: ¾ cup, reserved from the pot before draining. It’s what makes the sauce actually cling to the noodles.
- 5. Olive oil: 2 tablespoons, for richness.
- 6. Salt and pepper: ½ teaspoon salt to start, more to taste, plus freshly cracked black pepper. There’s no cheese in this sauce to fall back on, so the salt matters more than usual.
- 7. Pasta: 12 oz of spaghetti or fettuccine.
- 8. Basil: Fresh, torn by hand rather than chopped, so it holds its color once it hits the hot pasta.
- 9. Optional finishing touches: Nutritional yeast for a cheesy edge, or a handful of toasted, chopped cashews on top for crunch.
How to Make This Cashew Lemon Pasta
- Cook the pasta, salt the water generously, bring it to a boil, and cook the pasta until just al dente. Before draining, scoop out and reserve ¾ cup of the starchy pasta water — you’ll need it for the sauce.
- Combine the cashews, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and the reserved pasta water in a blender. Run it on high for about 90 seconds, until completely smooth. If you taste any grit, stop, scrape down the sides, and blend for another 30 seconds — some blenders just need the second pass.
- Return the drained pasta to the pot over low heat. Pour in the sauce and toss, adding a splash more pasta water if it’s dragging instead of coating. It thickens more once it’s off the heat, so don’t chase a perfectly thick sauce in the pot.
- This is the part people skip and shouldn’t. More lemon if it’s flat, more salt if it’s still flat after that, more pasta water if it seized up on you.
- Basil torn over the top, not chopped — it holds its color better once it hits the hot pasta. A crack of black pepper, a squeeze of fresh lemon right before it hits the table, and it’s done.
Pro Tips for This Cashew Lemon Pasta
- Blender strength matters here. If yours is on the weaker side, the sauce might still have a little grit even after a good long blend. Stop, scrape the sides down, and run it again for another 30 seconds — that second pass is usually what gets it fully smooth.
- Don’t skip tasting before you plate. This is the step people rush past, and it’s the one that actually makes the difference. More lemon if it’s flat, more salt if it’s still flat, more pasta water if it seized up.
- Tear the basil, don’t chop it. It holds its color better once it hits the hot pasta, and it looks better in the bowl too.
- The sauce keeps thickening after you take it off the heat. Don’t chase a perfectly thick sauce in the pot — it finds its texture once it’s off the stove and in the bowl.
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Creamy Cashew Lemon Pasta with Basil
Rich, creamy, and completely dairy-free — this cashew lemon pasta blends into a sauce so smooth you'd swear there's cream in it. Ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lemon zested and juiced (about 3 tbsp juice)
- 3/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt more to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 12 oz spaghetti or fettuccine
- fresh basil torn, for topping
- nutritional yeast or toasted chopped cashews optional for topping
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in generously salted boiling water until just al dente. Before draining, scoop out and reserve 3/4 cup of the starchy pasta water.
- Combine the cashews, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and reserved pasta water in a blender. Blend on high for about 90 seconds until completely smooth. If you taste any grit, stop, scrape down the sides, and blend for another 30 seconds.
- Return the drained pasta to the pot over low heat. Pour in the sauce and toss, adding a splash more pasta water if it’s dragging instead of coating.
- Taste and adjust: more lemon if it’s flat, more salt if it’s still flat, more pasta water if it seized up.
- Top with torn basil, not chopped, so it holds its color once it hits the hot pasta. Finish with a crack of black pepper and a fresh squeeze of lemon right before serving.
Notes
Blender strength matters here. If yours is on the weaker side, the sauce might still have a little grit even after a good long blend. Stop, scrape the sides down, and run it again for another 30 seconds — that second pass is usually what gets it fully smooth.
Don’t skip tasting before you plate. This is the step people rush past, and it’s the one that actually makes the difference.
Tear the basil, don’t chop it. It holds its color better once it hits the hot pasta, and it looks better in the bowl too.
The sauce keeps thickening after you take it off the heat. Don’t chase a perfectly thick sauce in the pot — it finds its texture once it’s off the stove and in the bowl.