Does anybody else crave loads of lemon during the summer? I sure do and that was the inspiration for this recipe. This pasta sauce is loaded with fresh lemon juice. In other words, if you don’t like lemon, then skip this recipe, hahaha. It’s tangy, creamy, smooth and with a good kick of black pepper. Remember, I’m a lemon pepper fan….this dressing is one of my favorites.
This recipe comes together in a flash too. Super simple with just 7 ingredients and ready in about 30 minutes! Nothing complicated.
I was recently contacted by Explore Cuisine when they asked if I’d be willing to try out and review their organic edamame pasta. I don’t do these types of product posts very often since I’m super picky about what I post, but hey, it’s pasta, lol. And the only ingredient is soybeans, no other weird additives, so I was eager to try it.
Things I love about the Explore Cuisine Edamame Pasta:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Organic
- non-GMO
- Kosher
- Just one ingredient
- 25g or protein and 11g of fiber in just 2 oz (tell me again you need meat for protein??)
- Cooks in 3-5 minutes
This gorgeous pot they sent me came with an amazing strainer that made cooking the pasta SO much easier. It will be an awesome lifesaver for me. Check out the details of it in my video below!
Also, a total surprise, they sent me this gorgeous personalized cutting board. Is that incredibly nice and sweet or what?!
GLUTEN FREE EDAMAME PASTA
It seriously amazed me how fast it cooked. All you do is bring some water to a boil, add the pasta, turn the heat down and simmer 3-5 minutes. I took mine out right at 3 minutes so it wouldn’t get mushy. It was aldente.
So, how did it taste?
Well, as you know, I am always 100% real with you on products.
I loved the texture. It does have a strong bean taste, so don’t expect this to taste like traditional wheat pasta. It is completely different and the bean taste is noticeable, so keep this in mind. I usually use wheat or brown rice noodles, so it was very different than I was used to. You need a strong sauce to really offset the taste in my opinion. I know many people love bean pastas. This was my first try ever at one though, so it was quite different than I was used to. I think a Thai style sauce would be really good with this since Thai or curry sauces are very strong in flavor.
With that said, I think it’s a fabulous pasta and so natural and high in protein, it’s a great healthy gluten-free choice for people who can’t have traditional wheat.
This recipe is super easy and fast to whip up. You only need 7 ingredients (+salt/pepper and water):
- lite coconut milk
- lemon juice
- cashews or gold potato
- onion
- garlic
- fresh basil
- pasta
Thank you so much to Explore Cuisine for sponsoring this post and the giveaway below. It was an absolute pleasure to try their products! Please enter the giveaway below the recipe for a chance to win a year’s supply of Edamame Pasta (1 case of 6 boxes a month, so 72 boxes). Yes, a year’s supply…whaaaat.
They are also allowing me to share a code 20EXPLORE with my awesome readers for purchases through their website. This code is good for 20% off purchases at Explore Cuisine (excluding flash sale items).
Check out my video below…I had the most fun ever making this video!
Vegan Lemon Sauce with Basil and Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 packed cup 80g finely chopped yellow onion
- 4 large cloves garlic minced (15g)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 13.5 oz can "lite" coconut milk See Note
- 3 tablespoons 45g fresh lemon juice (this imparts a strong lemon flavor, use less if preferred)
- 1/2 teaspoon 3g fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup raw cashews or use 1/2 cup mashed cooked/peeled gold potato for nut-free, SEE DIRECTIONS
- 8 cups water for pasta plus salt
- 8 oz pasta of choice I used Explore Cuisine Edamame Pasta
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Note: This is meant to be a thin sauce so that it can really soak up the pasta. HOWEVER, if you want it thicker after blending, use the extra 1/4 cup cashews. I would be careful about adding too much extra potato though, if doing that version, as it can get glue-y when blending. Since I love rich and creamy, I preferred the cashew version. Although, the potato version was still delicious. If you do the potato version, it will have more of a potato soup texture, but still good.
Note 2: I recommend the lite canned coconut milk for best results. It imparts no coconut flavor and is the richest/creamiest of plant milks. Do not use light milks like almond, oat, rice, etc. or you will end up with a bland thin sauce. You could try cashew or possibly soy, but you will likely need extra cashews and I have NOT tested these so I cannot vouch for the results!
Instructions
- If using the cashew version, soak your cashews overnight if you don't have a high-powered blender. Otherwise, you don't need to soak them.
- To a large pan, add the onions, garlic and the 1/2 cup water and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes until tender and all the water has evaporated.
- While the onions are cooking, boil your water for your pasta. Make sure to salt your water well or your pasta will taste very bland and make you whole dish taste bland and nasty. If making the Explore Cuisine Edamame pasta, please note the directions on the box, as the pasta cooks in 3-5 minutes, unlike regular pasta.
- Add the milk, salt, pepper and lemon juice to the sauce pan mixture and heat through for just a minute.
- Add the sauce mixture to a blender with the cashews or potato and blend just until smooth. If using the potato, blend JUST enough until mixed. Blending potatoes too long can make them glue-ish. If you want it thicker, add more cashews OR briefly heat it back over the stove to thicken it more. The cashews will help to thicken the sauce over the stove, whisk until it thickens to desired consistency.
- Add the pasta to serving bowls and drizzle a good amount of sauce on them. Top with lots of fresh basil and extra pepper and lemon juice if desired. The basil really balances out the tartness from the lemon.
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:
You can find Explore Cuisine on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Hi! Im planning on making this recipe…. For step #4 I’m a little confused on where to add the milk… to the pasta or to the sauce mixture?! Thanks!
Hi! You are adding it to the sauce pan mixture 🙂
I made this tonight, and WOW – quick, easy, and flavorful! I am a huge lemon fan, so I can see this becoming a staple recipe in my regular rotation. Start to finish, I would say it took me 20 minutes. I followed the recipe for the sauce exactly (but paired it with gluten free pasta) and it came out perfect! The lemon, garlic, and basil pair so well together. I found the consistency to be just right, so did not add extra cashews. I topped it with dried basil because fresh basil is not in season. I cannot wait to try it with fresh basil!
I made this for dinner last night with red lentil pasta, it was SO AMAZING!!! Husband loves it too, we just kept looking at each other and saying how is this this good???? lol
So wonderful to hear that Jackie! Thank you so much for making it! Would you mind to please give it the star rating below the box, the ratings are really helpful for me, thank you!
Thank you for posting this recipe. I can ad this to my go to weekday recipes. I have been using Explore Cuisine for months and it’s the only pasta I use. When it’s on sale at our local grocery store, I buy two of each kind. And I have tried them all! So good!
Too bad I am from Canada, I don’t think I am eligible for the 1 year supply draw! 😥 It’s okay, my pantry is full of it right now! 😁
Thank you so much for the nut free version! My adjustments for nut-free never seem to hit the mark so this is really wonderful to find! …now I’ll have to go through your entire website …and buy your cookbook …and move next door to you … 😉
Looks so delicious and creamy! I love Explore Cuisine noodles…so good!
Thank you so much Nadia! It was really creamy!
I am trying to make this and I did not soak the cashews and it turned very watery and not creamy at all so what is it that you do to make it creamy cuz this is okay but needs the creamy
Hi Jean, that is why I have noted to soak the cashews overnight because unless you have a strong blender like a vitamix, then it won’t 100% puree the cashews and therefore, there would still be bits of cashew making the sauce more runny. Did you use the coconut milk? Did you cook the onion/garlic with the 1/2 cup water until all the water is gone? This sauce isn’t very thick to begin with to allow for it to mix well with the pasta, but it IS creamy and not watery at all. The coconut milk alone makes it very creamy. I’ve also noted in step 5 that if you want the sauce thicker, you can add more cashews or the sauce back to the stove and heat it up and the cashew cause the sauce to thicken some. However, if your cashews are not totally pulverized, it will have more difficulty. I’ve had many people make this and theirs all turned out creamy so I hope these questions help troubleshoot. Let me know!
I like using the shell shapes! I eat whole wheat organic because it’s healthier. =)
I LOVE this edamame pasta! We always make it for people when they come over, usually with a basil pesto. We’ve also been big fans of black bean and chickpea pastas. I love the taste of beans, so for me a light sauce is perfect! This one is kind of nutty, which is nice. It’s also the perfect length to twirl on a fork 😉
I’ve been craving lemon, too! I’m so excited to try this sauce recipe. Thanks!
I’ve never tried edamame pasta but I really like nibbling on edamame so I’d totally be up for trying it! Your sauce seems divine.
Oops! I forgot to mention that we eat Trader Joe’s whole wheat pasta. Much more flavorful then white pasta.
Love lemon with creamy sauces! And I just went through a few of these boxes myself for the recipe I’m making with them! I agree with you too, since it has a bean taste you’ll need something to either go with that or something that covers it up. But I love how fast it cooks and it’s good when mixed with regular spaghetti for an extra protein boost without much bean taste!
I Love this pasta. They had it at Costco so I bought it and tried it and it’s my new favorite pasta. Plus, you can’t beat the protein count. Ah-mazing!
This looks delicious! Perfect for a summer dinner!
I love their black bean noodles and lentil lasagna sheets.