2teaspoonneutral vegetable oilsuch as avocado oil (omit if you're oil-free)
1small yellow onion, minced
3tablespoonThai red curry paste
½teaspoonsalt
¼ teaspoonpepper
2cupswater, divided
.75cupunsalted raw cashews, soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, drained
13ozcan unsweetened coconut milk
Pasta
16 ozsmall pastaI used gluten free
Garnish
chopped roasted peanuts
fresh Thai basil, or chopped fresh cilantro
red pepper flakes
lime wedges for serving
Instructions
To make the sauce:
In a skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil.
Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the curry paste, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Stir in 1 cup (240 ml) of water and remove the skillet from the heat.
In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews and remaining 1 cup (240 ml) of water. Blend until completely smooth. Add the curry mixture and blend again until smooth. Set aside.
To make the pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well and return it to pot.
To finish:
Stir in the curry sauce and coconut milk. Place the pot over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes to heat through and thicken the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning, as needed.
Transfer to a large serving dish and serve hot, sprinkled with peanuts, basil, and red pepper flakes (if using), with lime wedges on the side for squeezing.
Notes
*Robin suggests adding some veggies to make the mac and cheese to make it more colorful and nutritious. While the pasta was cooking, I stir fried some chopped red bell pepper and shredded carrots for a few minutes. Once the pasta and sauce were combined, I added the veggies. *This recipe makes 6 servings. Nutrition info is for just the pasta - not the veggies. By adding in those veggies, you'll add more fiber as well as more vitamins into your meal!