Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Penne with Broccoli

Fi1508

8 ounces penne

¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (not the oil-packed kind)

¾ cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours

1.5 cups vegetable or mushroom broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion, quartered and thinly sliced

½ teaspoon salt, plus a pinch

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ sun-dried tomatoes (not the oil-packed kind), thinly sliced

½ cup vegetable broth [Matt's note: I used a no-salt-added variety]

⅓ cup dry red wine

Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper

4 cups broccoli florets and julienned stems

½ cup loosely packed fresh basil (about 15 leaves)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. When it comes to a full boil, cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain. Set aside, keeping warm.

subheading: Prepare the tomato cream:

Pulse the sun-dried tomatoes in a blender just to get them chopped up. Then drain the cashews and add them to the blender, along with the broth. Blend until very smooth. This could take anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes depending on the strength of your machine. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula now and again to make sure you get everything. Set aside.

subheading: Prepare everything else:

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat and add the oil. Saute the onion in the oil with a pinch of salt for about 3 minutes, until translucent. Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds or so.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes, broth, wine, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper, cover the pot, and turn the heat up to bring to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil, add the broccoli and cover the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes. No need to stir; you’re just braising the broccoli so that it cooks through but is still bright and crisp.

Once the broccoli is cooked, pour in the cashew mixture and stir in the basil. Let thicken for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may want to thin the sauce a little bit depending on how much of it reduced, so you can add up to 1 cup of water depending on how thick you like it. Taste for seasoning. Add the penne and toss to coat, making sure that plenty of sauce fills the pasta tubes. Serve right away!

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