It was trying the recipe for roasted garlic, spinach and cashew sauce that I fell in love with its flavor and versatility instantly. When you don't know what to serve it with, or what to pair it with from bread to pasta, meats or fish... This sauce is definitely the solution!
One of the stars at appetizer nights is the spread board. It must include hummus, some cream cheese, assorted pâtés and baba ganush. And since I tried the roasted garlic pesto recipe, this sauce has taken a prominent place on the board.
Aside from being a spread, it has also become a go-to sauce for the days we eat pasta. If it turns out a bit thick, I add a little more lemon juice and olive oil, or thin it with some of the pasta cooking water. It's also a sauce you can use to brighten up a dish of griddle-cooked fish, or meat on the grill. Either way it's very tasty and I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to leave a little leftover sauce in a ramekin in the middle of the table, to finish the meal by dipping a bit of bread in it.
The combination of all its ingredients is a hit, and not only because of its taste! Besides the benefits of spinach, this cream includes those of the cashew, which is one of the healthiest nuts and an important source of fatty acids as beneficial for the cardiovascular system as extra virgin olive oil.
If we add that a food processor like the KitchenAidP2 food processor makes it as easily as a pesto, you'll see how quickly it's ready. To make and enjoy it, here's the recipe and a step-by-step video.
Ingredients
- 25 g fresh basil leaves
- 1 head of garlic
- 200 g raw cashews
- 100 g fresh baby spinach
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
- The first thing to do is roast the garlic. You can see how to do it here (it's very easy; basically you bake the garlic, in a mini cocotte or wrapped in plastic wrap, in the oven at 190 °C for about 35-40 minutes). Once roasted and soft, let them cool. (If you had roasted garlic prepared beforehand, take it out of the fridge and let all the oil drain at room temperature).
- Squeeze the roasted garlic to extract the paste from each clove and put that paste into the bowl of the KitchenAid processor, along with half of the cashews. Process at low speed to chop them slightly, into large pieces.
- Add the spinach and process again at low speed, until you see the spinach is well chopped. Use a spatula to bring down the ingredients from the sides of the processor bowl.
- Put the basil in the bowl and chop at low speed until you see a paste starting to form with the ingredients.
- Without increasing the processor speed, add the lemon juice and salt through the 2-in-1 chute. Then pour the olive oil in a thin stream, little by little. Blend until all the ingredients are well combined and the texture is homogeneous.
- Finally, add the remaining cashews and press the "pulse" button 4 or 5 times, until they are chopped into large pieces and the sauce has a thicker texture.
- Pour the cream into a bowl and serve it with vegetable crudités, regañás, or slices of toasted bread.
Notes
- If you used previously made roasted garlic stored in oil, you can use that oil in this recipe. The sauce will have an incredible flavor.
- As I always say, feel free to adapt the recipe to your tastes, make changes and try other ingredients. The original recipe is not untouchable—make it your own!
