I have generally been underwhelmed by vegan pasta salads, I always find them either too dry or too bland or both! To make the pasta sauce creamy but not too oily I have used a combination of cashews and plain coconut yogurt. To add tons of flavour I have used salty capers which goes so well with fresh dill, creating the perfect silky sauce for a fresh summer salad! I particularly love using orecchiette pasta for this recipe as I find they absorb better the sauce but fusilli is another great option. This pasta salad will last few days in the fridge perfect for lunch boxes or picnic!

Ingredients:

Serves 3-4 people 

About 300gr of cherry tomatoes – sliced in half

1/2 jar of good quality olives – cut in slices

1 red onion – peeled and finely sliced 

1 small cucumber or 1/2 a large one – cut into small cubes 

A small handful of dill – finely chopped 

A small handful of basil – finely chopped 

Optional: a small handful of capers or caper berries

Pasta of your choice – I have used orecchiette but fusilli will work as well

Salt to taste 

A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 

For the sauce:

1/4 cup of cashews – soaked in some boiling water for 30 minutes 

1 tbsp of lemon juice

1 tbsp of capers 

1 tbsp of fresh dill – roughly chopped 

2 tbsp of plain coconut yogurt ( I have used Coconut Collab)

1/2 tsp of yellow mustard 

1 tbsp of nutritional yeast 

2 tbsp of unsweetened plant milk ( I have used oat) or more for a runnier consistency 

Start by making the sauce, simply place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add an extra dash of milk if the consistency is too thick. Cook the pasta according to  the cooking instructions. Drain and rinsed it with cold water to prevent the pasta from keep cooking. Transfer it to a large bowl and add a drizzle of oil to prevent from sticking. Add in all the chopped veggies, dill and basil and pour over the sauce. Give everything a really good mix and enjoy! Store the pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for few days.