Vegan Pimento Cream Sauce
Vegan Pimento Cream Sauce that is so rich, creamy and oil-free! Made with pimentos, fire-roasted tomatoes and smoked paprika, it is the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150g) raw cashews (see NOTE below for low-fat version)
- 5 tablespoons (90g) water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (23g) fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 packed cup (120g) of drained diced jarred pimentos
- 1/2 cup (120g) fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (use 1 teaspoon for a stronger flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon salt (I used a heaping 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 16 oz pasta of choice
Instructions
- If you have a Vitamix, no need to soak the cashews. If you do not have a high-powered blender, then you will need to soak your cashews overnight, drain and then rinse. Otherwise, your sauce will be gritty. I find a food processor makes sauces creamier when using soaked cashews, versus a standard blender (in situations of not having a Vitamix).
- Add the cashews, water, lemon juice, pimentos, fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic cloves, smoked paprika, dry mustard, salt and pepper to the blender and process until 100% smooth and no bits of nuts remain. Scrape the sides a couple of times during as needed. Taste and if you want more salt or pepper, add another pinch. With my Vitamix, I blend the sauce until it gets hot, so no need to warm it up before adding to the pasta. The pasta will be hot anyways.
- Make the pasta according to the package directions and serve as much sauce as desired over pasta. Top with Oil-free Smoky Chipotle Chickpeas, green onions or any veggies you like!
Notes
For a low-fat version, you can sub half of the cashews with 1/2 cup (75g) of white great Northern beans. So, you would add 75g of cashews and 75g of beans in this low-fat version. I tested this version and it was still yummy. Although, it does make it slightly less creamy and a very mild bean taste. It is not very detectable over pasta though. If you are concerned of a bean taste, use all cashews.