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Creamy Garlic Sunflower Pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  • 16 oz short pasta (penne, bowtie, fusilli, elbows, shells)
  • 5 cups chopped veggies* (cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, carrot, fennel, etc…)
  • ⅓ cup sunflower seeds, soaked overnight**
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds
  • 2 tbsp mellow white miso paste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ cup pasta water
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 6 cups loosely packed spinach (optional)
  • *My favorite veggie to use is cauliflower, but you can use a combo or any other veggie. I find cauliflower creates a creamier sauce.
  • **For a quick soaking method, add sunflower seeds to a small pot and cover with water. Simmer for 10 minutes, then drain and transfer to the blender.

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

  • Prep 5 cups chopped veggies
  • Soak ⅓ cup sunflower seeds

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and season generously with salt (about 4 quarts of water, 2 tablespoons salt). Add your veggies and boil/blanch them until tender, about 5 minutes. Use a fine mesh strainer or tongs to remove the veggies from the pot and transfer to a high-speed blender.
  • Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions. Add spinach in when the pasta has about 1 minute left to cook, submerging it in the water. Reserve about ½ cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.
  • Into the blender with the veggies, add sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, miso, oil, lemon (start with 2 tablespoons), ¼ cup pasta water, salt , nutmeg, and garlic. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt or lemon, if needed. If too thick, blend in more pasta water (or tap water).
  • Transfer pasta pack to the pot, add the sunflower sauce, and toss to coat. If there is extra sauce, save it for topping leftovers.

Notes

Substitutions:

  • To make gluten-free, use gluten-free noodles (Jovial Foods is my favorite).
  • Try substituting pumpkin seeds for the sunflower seeds
  • If you don’t have miso paste, substitute with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. 
  • You could add in chopped kale in place of spinach. 

Storage:

  • Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Save extra sauce for topping/adding to leftovers. 

Leftovers + Repurposing:

  • Add some extra sauce to the leftover pasta (when pasta sits in the fridge, it absorbs sauce, so you’ll want more. Warm up in the microwave until warmed through. 
  • Top with a squeeze of lemon and black pepper.
  • Stir in some chopped up tomatoes and fresh basil.