Spicy Cashew Tomato Sauce

This easy-to-make, flavorsome tomato sauce tastes just like any restaurant style vodka sauce without all the heavy ingredients and guilt! Serve over your favorite pasta, roasted vegetables, grains, etc. making it extremely versatile!

Ingredients

• ½ medium onion, finely chopped

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ tsp red pepper chili flakes

• ¼ cup tomato paste

• 2 cups or 1 small can (15 oz) whole peeled or crushed tomatoes - preferably San Marzano

• ½ cup water

• ½ cup raw cashews

• ¼ cup nutritional yeast

• 1 cup fresh basil + more to garnish

• Salt & pepper to taste

• 1 box favorite grain or gluten-free pasta

Preparation

1. Place a medium sized pot on medium heat and add in the olive oil.

2. Add in the onions and carrots along and season with salt & pepper. Saute for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add in the garlic and chili flakes and saute for another minute. Add in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. NOTE: Cooking out the tomato paste brings a greater depth of flavor to the dish.

3. Add in the tomatoes, water, cashews, nutritional yeast, and season with salt to taste. Once it begins to bubble, lower the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Transfer the sauce to a high speed blender and blend until a smooth texture is achieved. NOTE: If your blender cannot handle hot liquids, let cool before blending.

5. Transfer the sauce back to the pot, add half of the basil, and adjust for seasoning.

6. Cook your pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water to mix into the sauce.

7. Place the sauce back on low and add in the pasta water. Add in your drained pasta and toss to combine. Garnish with more fresh basil.