Sweet peppers and a creamy cashew sauce, filled with cilantro, dill, scallions, & parsley, make my Vegan Pasta Primavera perfect for spring!

April 20, 2021 Updated May 15, 2021 Jump to Recipe
Sweet peppers and a creamy cashew sauce, filled with cilantro, dill, scallions, & parsley, make my Vegan Pasta Primavera perfect for spring!
Pasta primavera is the perfect spring dish.
The title literally translates to “spring pasta.” So you know it’s good.
Pasta primavera also sounds so quintessentially Italian, doesn’t it?
Well, turns out, it’s not.
Shocking!!!
I was so surprised to discover that pasta primavera is an American dish, invented in the 1970s. In fact, it’s considered one of the hallmark American dishes created in the decade.
Pretty cool.
I’ve been meaning to create my own vegan pasta primavera for a few years now, ever since I enjoyed the best pasta primavera of my life at Clint Eastwood’s gorgeous Carmel restaurant, Mission Ranch.
You may know that my husband Andrew and I go to Carmel each year for Doris Day’s annual birthday celebration.
Read all about the time I talked to Doris on the phone here. Yep, still can’t believe that happened. What a lifelong dream come true!
OR
Read about the time I shared a blanket with legendary tap dancer and choreographer, Miriam Nelson, at Doris’ birthday here. Or take a look at some pics of Andrew and I with the amazing people we’ve met at Doris’ celebrations over the years, such as comedian Rich Little, TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, and Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall.
Anyway, when not attending one of the many amazing events the Doris Day Animal Foundation puts together for each day of the birthday festivities, Andrew and I explore Carmel and the Monterey Peninsula. We’ve got our favorite bakeries, museums, and restaurants in the area, and officially added Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch to our list after being blown away by the delicious food and gorgeous environment.
In addition to the pasta primavera, Mission Ranch had amazing garlic bread (which I’ll soon try to recreate) and bread pudding. Even their French fries were out of this world.
But back to pasta.
I finally got around to creating my own vegan pasta primavera. And I’m excited to say that my dish is not only incredibly easy to make, it’s also utterly delicious.
The slightly caramelized sweet mini bell peppers retain a bit of their bite and firmness after a few minutes of sautéing in the skillet. Coupled with the creamy, cashew-based sauce that’s loaded with fresh herbs—cilantro, parsley, scallions, and dill—my Vegan Pasta Primavera just about screams SPRING.
So enjoy this gorgeous season with my Vegan Pasta Primavera. Next time you’re in the mood for pasta, I’m sure this dish will hit the spot.
If you’re ok with making this a vegetarian rather than a vegan pasta, you can substitute the nutritional yeast in my recipe with Parmesan. The dish will be just as delicious.
But if you do use nutritional yeast, you’ll get a wonderful, cheesy, nutty flavor, and some additional protein.
Nutritional yeast is packed with it. Even just the 2 Tbsps I put in this recipe adds 4-5 grams of protein to the sauce, depending on the brand of nutritional yeast you use.
You can find my favorite nutritional yeast here on Amazon [aff. link].
This Post Has 6 Comments
What a fun post! I was actually born in Carmel, and I love that whole area. My husband and I were in Carmel years ago – I just had to show it to him – and we went to Clint’s pub in town. It was magical. But this place in Carmel Valley must be incredible. I have always been a fan of Doris Day, especially her advocacy for animals. How lucky you are! Oh, and this pasta looks fabulous! I’ve only had cashew milk in Indian dishes, and I know how good it is! Such pretty photos. Love the heroines as well!
Thanks Mimi! And that’s amazing, I love Carmel so much, you are so lucky! Isn’t Doris the best? Such an amazing lady. ♥️
Sounds like you’ve had some great adventures! And this primavera sounds like springtime in a bowl!
Thanks Jeff! Oh that’s the perfect description!
Wow! The first thing I noticed about this recipe is the beautiful preparation – well done, Shannon! That looks like something that would be served in a restaurant…Mission Ranch, perhaps? 🙂 The recipe itself sounds delicious. I love all of the fresh ingredients in there. After a long winter here in upstate NY, I am craving bright, flavorful food like this! And who knew that pasta primavera was an American creation? Interesting!
Thanks David! Haha I know, I was so shocked to learn pasta primavera was created here in the US. It’s always seemed so quintessentially Italian to me. Definitely the perfect dish for spring!