Ingredients:
200g Casarecce- or short pasta shape such as fusilli or penne
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 French onion- finely chopped
125g cremini mushrooms- thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves- finely chopped
½ cup smooth Cashew Butter
Juice from ½ a lemon
2 tbsp flat-leaf Parsley- finely chopped
1 tbsp dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Method:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water.
In the meantime, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped French onions & cremini mushrooms, season with salt and cook for 4 minutes or until the mushrooms are lightly brown. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
Combine the cashew butter and lemon juice in a small jar, and shake until smooth. Lower the heat to medium, and add the cashew cream to the pan. Add the chopped parsley and thyme, and stir until smooth and thick.
Add the cooked pasta and a tablespoon of the pasta cooking water to the sauce. Stir well until the sauce clings to the pasta. Add more pasta water to loosen the sauce if it is too thick. Taste, and season with salt to your liking.
In a separate pan, heat a small amount of oil on medium-high heat. Add the Italian Meetballs, and pan-fry for 3-5 minutes or until lightly golden. Add these to the pasta, sprinkle over with the nutritional yeast and gently combine.
Transfer the pasta onto serving plates, and garnish with some fresh parsley. Serve warm.
