Baked Cashew Cheese Penne, Spinach, & Almond Puree

Almonds add an amazing touch to baked cashew cheese penne & spinach.

Who doesn't savor a great baked pasta dish?
Whole wheat penne is prepared with yummy spinach and an awesome almond puree given the walnut meat treatment with cumin and coriander flavors. Now I happened to have a huge bag of blanched and slivered almonds, but grinding whole almonds would probably be much more flavorful (gotta love that shell). Cashew cheese binds pasta, spinach, and almond puree together, bridging gaps with its beautiful alluringly seductive golden cream.
After it's topped with extra almonds and baked to a toasty perfection, one bite is bliss.

Baked Cashew Cheese Penne, Spinach, & Almond Puree Ingredients and Preparation

Almond Puree

1 cup slivered and blanched almonds
1 teaspoon Liquid Aminos
2 teaspoon Italian Seasonings
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 box whole wheat penne pasta
2 cup spinach, frozen

Cashew Cheese

2 cup cashews, soaked (save some of the water)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

extra slivered and blanched almonds

Prepare penne.
Add spinach within five minutes of final cooking time.
Strain.
Grind almonds as much as possible inside blender or food processor and add remaining ingredients.

Mix in almond puree with cooked penne and spinach.

Add 1/2 cup cashew cheese.

Pour into a greased oven safe dish.

Layer with an additional cup of cashew cheese and extra blanched almonds. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Browned and ready for immediate devouring.

Cashew cheese turns deliciously crumbly with the spinach- yes it becomes incredibly feta like.

A rich dish.....