Day 2 Dinner: Creamy Garlic Pasta

Ingredients:

• 3 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 10 ounces whole wheat pasta (such as penne, linguini or fettuccine | Use less if you want a higher sauce:pasta ratio)
• Olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, diced
• 8 large cloves garlic, minced/grated
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 3-4 Tbsp unbleached all purpose flour (or another thickener of choice)*
• 2.5 cups unsweetened plain almond milk  (you could also sub up to 1 cup with veggie stock)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and toss tomatoes in a bit of olive oil and sea salt. Place cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish. Then set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. When done, drain, cover and set aside.
3. In the meantime, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and the garlic and shallot. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper and stir frequently, cooking for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
4. Stir in 3-4 Tbsp flour (or other thickener of choice – see notes) and mix with a whisk. Once combined, slowly whisk in the almond milk a little at a time so clumps don’t form. Add another healthy pinch of salt and black pepper, bring to a simmer and continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes to thicken. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. (Optional: You can also add a few shakes of vegan parmesan for extra flavor at this time if you wish.)
5. If you want an ultra creamy sauce, transfer sauce to a blender (or use an immersion blender) to blend the sauce until creamy and smooth. Place back in pan and reduce heat to a low simmer until desired thickness is reached.
6. Once the sauce is to your desired thickness, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Then add pasta and roasted tomatoes and stir.
7. Serve immediately and garnish with extra black pepper, fresh basil and/or vegan parmesan cheese ( see below)

Vegan Parmesan Cheese:
Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and mix/pulse until a fine meal is achieved. Store in the refrigerator to keep fresh. Lasts for several weeks.

RECIPE: minimalistbaker.com