Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato and Hemp Seed Sauce

The other day I was searching recipes to make kale chips and I came across this recipe from Eat the Rainbow where the author makes "Cheezy" Pizza Hemp Kale Chips. I loved the idea for the sauce and used it to make a pasta dish today. This blog had lots of great recipes and I can't wait to try more, plus she didn't mind me using her sauce as a base for this recipe. Awesome, right?

This sauce is amazing.... like life-changing. I want to put it on everything! I also want to blend hemp seeds with all kinds of other things and see what else I can do with them. They are packed with nutrition, high in protein, super healthy, and making me quite happy.

I was aware of the use of cashew cream in similar recipes, but my son is allergic to both peanuts and tree nuts so I have been on the hunt for a similar ingredient to give that luxurious flavor and mouth feel....and now I found it :)

I hope you love this as much as I do!

Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato and Hemp Seed Sauce

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (I drained mine and reserved 2 tbsp of the oil and added it back in)
1/2 cup shelled hemp seeds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
dash of cayenne pepper
2 tbsp black olives
16 oz dried pasta

Directions:

Boil salted water to cook the pasta and cook it according to the package directions. I opted for orzo pasta today, but this would work with any shape you have on hand.

While the pasta is cooking start to prepare the sauce. It is super easy. You just put all the other ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste for consistency and thin with water if needed. It should be a fairly thick sauce kind of like the consistency of hummus. When your pasta is al dente just drain it, toss it with the sauce and serve warm. Although, my husband and I both had some later right out of the fridge and it was good cold, too.

I served this dish with steamed broccoli and pan fried seitan for a very satisfying meal. Thank you to Eat the Rainbow for this awesome sauce....

For 8 servings
Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 106 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 280 Calories from Fat 96

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 10.6g 16%

Saturated Fat 1.3g 7%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 41mg 14%

Sodium 196mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates 35.3g 12%

Dietary Fiber 2.0g 8%

Protein 12.6g

Vitamin A 2% • Vitamin C 8% Calcium 2% • Iron 22%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet