Soak the cashews, drain and rinse them briefly. This makes the sauce easier to blend smoothly later.
Cook the wholewheat linguine in salted water until al dente. Save a little of the pasta water before draining.
Blend the cashews with the nutritional yeast, garlic and lemon juice into a smooth sauce. Add a little water if needed, until it looks creamy and silky.
Put the linguine in a frying pan and toss with the cashew sauce over a medium heat. Stir in a little pasta water until the sauce coats the pasta evenly.
Let everything come together briefly, stirring gently. The sauce should stay warm and creamy without sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Serve the cashew Alfredo pasta straight away, with fresh herbs, a little lemon juice or freshly ground pepper, if you like.
Good to know
This pasta is creamy without being heavy. It looks simple but tastes surprisingly rounded and full. Exactly the kind of food that hits the spot without much effort.
Swaps
Cashews → blanched almonds (a little more vitamin E). Wholewheat linguine → wholewheat spaghetti (similar fibre content). Lemon juice → lime juice (also adds acidity and a little vitamin C). Nutritional yeast → a little white miso paste (more umami; contains soya).
Allergens
Contains tree nuts (cashews) and gluten (wholewheat linguine); depending on the nutritional yeast, there may be traces of other allergens. For children, it's easy to keep mild; in pregnancy it's generally fine with good kitchen hygiene and fresh ingredients.
