Creamy Vegan Lemon Orzo Pasta with Spinach
If there is one type of recipe I love to explore on a weekly basis, it’s pasta! Typically you envision that pasta is paired with either a red or white sauce and you call it a day. However, there is so much room for diversity when it comes to pasta! Whether it’s the type of pasta, the sauce or the veggies, the options are endless and you’ll never find yourself getting bored. That, is a win my friends!
When it comes to types of pastas, I gravitate towards angel hair, rigatoni, or penne. However, there is one type that always caught my eye that I strangely never worked with, orzo! I used to get it at restaurants as a cold pasta salad, but that was nearly 20 years ago. Fast forward to today, it was time to rekindle that love for orzo! There is something that is unique about this pasta. Whether it be aesthetically or the texture, or the creaminess it creates with dishes, it’s just so good!
What’s great about this pasta dish? Everything! It’s quick, easy, cheesy, features minimal ingredients, has a rich lemon flavor, but notes of garlic and white wine, you can skip the wine if needed, it’s packed with spinach, features a cashew cream that requires only 1/2 cup, it packs protein with the cashews making it more filling, it can easily be made in bulk, perfect for any season, you can pair with a protein or enjoy just by itself, and it’s just hands down, my new obsession!
If you love all things lemon or just crave effortless pasta dishes, you have to try this new creamy vegan Lemon Orzo Pasta with Spinach!
Why this recipe is great:Â
Quick
Easy
Affordable
Packed with spinachÂ
Packs protein from the cashews
Packs tons of lemon flavorÂ
Perfect for any seasonÂ
Can easily be made in bulk
Creamy Vegan Lemon Orzo Pasta with Spinach
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 16oz package Orzo pasta
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, juiced (divided)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 2/3 cup almond milk
- 5 oz fresh spinach
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place cashews in boiling water. Set aside.
- In a large pan add the butter and olive oil. Now add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, lemon zest and cook for an additional 2 mins. Add the lemon juice (1/2), and white wine, and cook for 2-3 until slightly reduced.
- Now add the dry orzo pasta cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and cover, bring to a low simmer. Stir periodically to ensure it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick.
- In a blender combine the soaked cashews and almond milk. Blend until smooth.
- Once orzo is reduced, about 5 mins, now add the cashew cream. Season generously with salt and pepper and top with the juice from remaining 1/2 lemon.
- Remove from heat and stir in the fresh spinach until slightly wilted. Serve warm. Once it cools it may slightly thicken, simply throw on some more almond milk about a tbsp or so at a time to bring back a smoother texture!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
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