This vegan and gluten free pasta dish never fails to impress my dinner guests whether they are plant based or not. It’s rich, packed with flavor, and ultra creamy. If you are someone exploring a dairy-free lifestyle this dish will open a whole new world to cheeseless – but tasty possibilities. This recipe has become a date night favorite for my boyfriend and I and I hope you love it as much as we do! Keep reading to discover why you might want to consider dairy-free cooking for glowing skin benefits, get the recipe and a spotlight on some of its ingredients.

Dairy and your skin:

You might have heard that “Dairy causes acne”, but not many people understand why. Dairy doesn’t simply break down and digest. It sits and rots in your gut and is highly mucus forming. Dairy feeds pathogens and allows acne causing streptococcus bacteria and other skin symptom troublemakers to thrive in the small intestinal tract and colon, slowing down the absorption and assimilation of healing foods such as fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and herbs. These foods hold healing nutrients that get caught up in dairy’s film and lose their vitality and value.

Lymphatic vessels also can become clogged with dairy products. These toxic pathogens stimulate your blood vessels and tissue to form mucus-like fluid that clogs your lymphatic system. Dairy products get in the way of natural killer cells of the immune system, allowing strep bacteria to thrive and create poisons that stimulate blood vessels and tissue to produce mucus. Dairy products can leave you puffy and inflamed because of built up waste that has no place else to go but through your skin. It also smothers critical oxygen flow to the skin which is so important for skin healing. Dairy can generally take 3 months to cleanse from your liver, but pathogens can feed off old deposits of dairy in the digestive system long after new dairy sources have been cut off. When you want your body in a state of healing, it could be best to avoid dairy. Learn more in Anthony William, Medical Medium’s best selling books. 
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Dairy Products are: Animal based milks, butter, cream, milk powders, cheese, yogurt, whey, and hidden in many restaurant cooking, take-out, condiments, packaged or frozen snacks, sweets, foods and beverages.

Ingredients:

½ cup to ¾ cup raw soaked cashews in water 2 hours or over night
1 cup water (or enough to blend smoothly in your blender)
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 jar or package of sundried tomatoes
1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes 
1 lemon juiced + lemon zest
½ cup of loosely packed fresh basil + some to garnish
1 to 2 cups of loosely packed baby spinach
Red pepper flakes (to taste)
Ground pepper
Dash of olive oil (optional)
Celtic salt or sea salt of choice (optional)

Instructions:

Chop cherry tomatoes in half and sauté on medium-low heat alongside a quarter of your sundried tomatoes (sliced into smaller pieces if they are whole sized) and save the rest for your sauce. Optional is to use olive oil, or a splash of water if you prefer an oil-free recipe, but keep in mind the juices from your cherry tomatoes will lubricate your pan too. Stir constantly and turn to low heat when needed. Mince 4 pieces of garlic, and chopped basil (saving some for garnish) and add to the cooking pan. Add red pepper flakes, ground pepper, and sea salt of choice (if using). This will be mouth watering and very aromatic and you’ll notice your fresh cherry tomatoes starting to soften. Add the zest of 1 whole lemon (be sure only the yellow skin gets in and avoid over grating your lemon).

Boil your pasta according to instructions. I usually prefer penne for this recipe and my favorite gluten free penne right now is Bionaturae’s 100% Organic Gluten Free Rice & Lentil Pasta Penne.

In the meantime prepare your creamy sauce. Add your soaked, rinsed and drained cashews to a high speed blender with about 1 cup of water, the remainder of your sundried tomatoes, juice of a half a lemon, 2 garlic cloves, and sea salt of choice (optional). Your sauce should be thick and creamy, not too liquidy and not grainy – start with less water and add more as needed if this is your first time making a cashew based cream sauce. Set aside.

When your pasta is done cooking, strain and either add your pasta to the saute pan ingredients or the contents of your pan into your pasta pot depending on the sizes of each. You will need enough room to thoroughly mix and stir everything together. Before stirring, add your spinach and the other half of your juiced lemon. The steam from your pasta will wilt your spinach leaves. Add your blended sundried tomato garlic cashew cream sauce and gently stir everything together. Garnish with fresh basil, optional to add more red pepper flakes or ground pepper to your liking. Serve with a crisp fresh leafy green salad and enjoy!

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Skin food ingredient spotlight:

Cashews are highly beneficial for  strengthening bones, and promoting healthy skin and hair. They are excellent for the nervous system and are a rich source of B vitamins and essential minerals like iron, zinc, and selenium. Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts and contain a high amount of oleic acid which great for the cardiovascular system.

Tomatoes harness critical micronutrients, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals to support many functions of the liver. Lycopene is an antioxidant and pigment that is a nutrient that the liver uses to shield itself from cell damage. Rejuvenate your liver = rejuvenate your skin.

Basil is an antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-inflammatory herb known to benefit the stomach during digestion.

Garlic is antibacterial, antifungal, anti-mold, provides powerful immune support and helps extract heavy metals from the colon.

Spinach helps expel toxins from the lymphatic system. Leafy greens contain mineral salts and electrolytes that will help boost hydration and overall glow of the skin. Leafy greens also have the most bioavailable and assimilable proteins you can find, easily available for your body to take up.

Conclusion: Going dairy free for your skin, or any reason, does not have to be tasteless or full of processed store bought vegan cheeses. There are so many more flavors beyond cheese and butter to explore in your herbs, spices, and vegetable pairings to explore and fall in love with!

The information provided on this site is for general informational purposes only, to include blog postings and any linked material. The information is not intended to be a substitute for professional health or medical advice or treatment, nor should it be relied upon for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of any health consideration. Consult with a licensed health care practitioner before altering or discontinuing any medications, treatment or care, skin care products or starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program. The content of this blog and any linked material does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mindful Beauty facesbykatey and is not guaranteed to be correct, complete, or up to date.