Recipe Background
The World's Best Penne Florentine earns its title by being both the tastiest and the healthiest! This is a completely vegan take on the classic dish, and it certainly doesn't taste vegan! It uses the creaminess of homemade cashew butter to achieve a rich, tangy, inviting sauce! And that sauce enhances everything, from the garden freshness of the spinach to the tenderness of the whole-wheat pasta to the crunch of the breadcrumbs. World's Best Penne Florentine is a warm and exciting example of just how good home-cooking can be!
The World's Best Penne Florentine earns its title by being both the tastiest and the healthiest! This is a completely vegan take on the classic dish, and it certainly doesn't taste vegan! It uses the creaminess of homemade cashew butter to achieve a rich, tangy, inviting sauce! And that sauce enhances everything, from the garden freshness of the spinach to the tenderness of the whole-wheat pasta to the crunch of the breadcrumbs. World's Best Penne Florentine is a warm and exciting example of just how good home-cooking can be!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried multigrain or whole wheat penne pasta
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach thawed and well-drained
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 3/4 cups water divided
- 1 (15-16-ounce) can Great Northern beans navy beans, or white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup soft whole-wheat breadcrumbs
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta and return it to the hot pot.
- Add the spinach to the pasta and toss to combine.
- Spoon the mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.
- In a small saucepan combine the broth, the onion, and the garlic.
- Bring the broth mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the saucepan from the heat.
- Place the cashews in a food processor, cover, and process until they are finely ground.
- Add 1/2 of the water to the cashews and blend until it is smooth.
- Add the broth mixture, the beans, the lemon juice, the mustard, the salt, and the pepper to the cashew mixture, cover, and process until it is smooth.
- Transfer the cashew mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the remaining water.
- Taste the cashew mixture for flavor and seasoning.
- Stir the cashew mixture into the pasta mixture in the casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the top of the Florentine with the breadcrumbs.
- Bake until the breadcrumbs are toasted, about 30 minutes.
- Let the bake stand for 10 minutes.
- Serve.
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