It’s safe to say that almost all kids (and adults) love pasta! It’s an easy meal and makes the perfect vehicle for hiding those pesky vegetables. Particularly if your little ones are fussy eaters with an adversity to healthy food! At Prinos Farm&Deli, we want to make sure the food you eat is as tasty and well-balanced as possible. From our premium stock of high-end groceries, to the recipes we share here each month.  And for July 2021 Prinos Farm&Deli Recipe Blog is a healthy summer twist on everyone’s favourite comfort food. With a delicious vegan lemony summer pasta packed full of courgette and fresh greens, blended through with plant-based cashew cream ricotta to give that morish creamy texture.

Not only is this tasty recipe completely plant-based, but it is also filled with vegetables, making a healthy summer lunch or dinner for the whole family. The main vegetable ingredient here is courgette, and the trick is to grate it into the sauce. This means that it’s both hidden from kids who won’t eat their greens, but also blends beautifully in with the nutty cashew cream. Also known as zucchini, the courgette is packed full of nutrients, free radical fighting antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds. The vegetable is a great source of Vitamin A – especially when cooked – which is great for the skin, eyes and immune system. It also contains Vitamin C, iron, fibre, calcium, zinc, and several B vitamins.

Next up is the cashew cream ricotta which is the real star of this dish. The cashews do need to be soaked for a significant period of time before you begin. So Prinos suggest leaving them in a bowl of water in the fridge overnight to save time. Small yet mighty, the cashew nut is also a nutritional powerhouse, full of Vitamin K, thiamin and vitamin B6, as well as magnesium, copper and manganese, zinc and iron – important for energy production, bone and brain health, and immunity. They are also a fantastic source of the all-important Omega fatty acids.

Add the fresh greens into the mix and you’ve got a perfectly balanced recipe. Chives are a great source of Vitamin K and folate. They are also full of beneficial plant compounds that can help reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases. In addition, chives contain Choline which is good for the brain and memory. And then there is spinach which was Popeyes favourite food for a reason. Spinach is packed full of iron, protein, antioxidants and Vitamins A, C, K and B.

Furthermore, this recipe can be easily adapted to add in either fresh local seasonal vegetables from Prinos Farm& Deli. Or if you really can’t go without the meat and dairy, try substituting the cashew cream soft cheese from our deli counter or premium meats from our butchery such as diced bacon. Delicious served either hot and fresh out of the pot or cold as a pasta salad, this dish also makes a great option for a light snack at the beach. Just drizzle with olive oil, pop it in a Tupperware and keep it in the fridge until you go!

So now that you have all the facts, let’s get on with the recipe itself. This is a great, quick and easy summer meal that will be enjoyed by the whole family. Read on to find the ingredients with links to our online e-shop, as well as a step by step guide of how to make a delicious vegan lemony summer pasta with cashew cream ricotta, courgette and fresh greens.

INGREDIENTS

• Regular or gluten-free pasta of your choice
• 200g cashew nuts soaked overnight
• 1 large yellow onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 large courgettes
• 1 large lemon
• Olive oil
• 1 pack of Alion fresh chives
• 1 pack of Alion fresh baby spinach
• Oregano
• Basil
• Sea salt
• Ground black pepper

 METHOD

1. First prepare the cashew cream ricotta by adding the soaked cashews into a blender together with the juice of half a lemon as well as a grating of zest, 1/2 a cup of olive oil, a sprinkle or salt and pepper and 2 cloves. Blend until smooth and set aside.
2. Next put a pot of water on the hob to boil for the pasta. While the water is boiling, finely chop the onion and add to a pan drizzled with oil. Fry over a medium heat for around 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Now add in the crushed garlic and stir for two minutes before adding in the courgette and cooking for another 5 minutes.
3. Once the vegetables are nicely softened, lower the heat and spoon in the cashew cream ricotta, stirring all the time. Add oil and juice from the other half of the lemon if the sauce needs thinning.
4. By now your pasta must be ready, remove from the heat and drain the water, before drizzling with olive oil and adding to the pan with the sauce.
5. Now add in the fresh chives and fresh spinach, stir together well letting the spinach wilt before grating some lemon zest on top and serve up!

All that’s left now is to go for a visit to Prinos Farm&Deli in Nicosia or Larnaca or shop online at our premium e-shop today to have the ingredients delivered to your doorstep. We hope you enjoy experimenting, and don’t forget to post your results to social media with Prinos tagged!