Baked Shells with White sauce, Spinach, Red peppers and Mushrooms

Baked Shells with White sauce, Spinach, Red peppers and Mushrooms

Oh my goodness, this is so good I am embarrassed to say how much of it I ate! Tender pasta shells are coated in a creamy, slightly spicy cashew sauce reminiscent of Alfredo sauce, then tossed with juicy mushrooms, red peppers and spinach..yum yum. The baking part is optional, it's really so that everything gets nice and hot – but if you just can't wait you can pour the sauce right over the pasta and vegetables and dig in – the sauce will be a little thinner in consistency then if you had baked it, but extremely delicious nonetheless.

Baked Shells with White sauce, Spinach, Red peppers and Mushrooms

• 12 oz box of Small pasta shells

• 1 cup raw Cashews
• 2 cups Water
• 2 tsp Sea salt, plus more to taste, if desired
• 2 tsp Mustard powder
• ¼ tsp Black pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh Lemon juice

• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 3 large Garlic cloves. pressed
• 3 cups Mushrooms, thinly sliced
• ½ small Red pepper, diced ( ½ cup)
• 1 tsp Rosemary
• ½ tsp Red pepper flakes (¼ tsp for a less spicy version)
• 1 bunch Spinach, stems removed and thinly sliced

-Cook pasta shells according to directions on the package. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F and have ready an 8 inch square baking dish.

-Make the sauce: Combine the cashews, water, salt, mustard powder, pepper and lemon juice in a blender and blend a few minutes until completely smooth.

-Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic, and let it sizzle for about 20 seconds. Add mushrooms, red peppers, rosemary and red pepper flakes, cook and stir 3 more minutes, until mushrooms are soft and have released their juices. Finally, add spinach and cook and stir for 1-2 minutes, until wilted.

-In a large bowl or in the pot the pasta was cooking in, combine the pasta shells with the sauce and spinach mixture and mix well. Taste for salt and seasonings and transfer to your baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes until heated through. The sauce may have settled to the bottom during baking time so briefly mix the pasta right in the pan before serving. Serve immediately