This is a quick and easy recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes. The sauce is so delicious (and healthy) that you will find lots of uses for it.

Serves 3-4 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dry pasta (such as fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti)
• Olive oil spray
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (such as cremini, shiitake, portobellos, or wild mushroom mix)

Creamy Artichoke Sauce Ingredients

• 1 jar or can artichoke hearts in water (10–12 ounces … about 1 1/2 cups), drained (or use frozen)
• 3/4 cup veggie broth, more to thin as needed
• ¼ cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds (or raw cashews soaked in boiling water for 5-10 minutes)
• 10 fresh sage leaves (or sub 1/4 cup Italian parsley, or fresh basil, or 1 ½ tsp dried thyme), extra for garnish if desired
• 1–2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, use to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta.  Bring big pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente.
2. Optional: pan-fry fresh herbs for garnish.  Spray a large skillet with oil spray or add a thin layer of oil and heat over medium heat. Add fresh herb leaves (this works best for sage or parsley). Fry gently until crisped and set aside.
3. Cook the mushrooms.  While water is boiling, spray the same skillet with oil spray and sauté the mushrooms over medium-high heat. Set aside.
4. Make the artichoke sauce.  Drain the artichoke hearts and place them in a blender (don’t use a food processor, it will not get this sauce creamy enough).  Add broth, sunflower seeds, herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. (Feel free to add a little more broth if needed to blend.) Blend on high speed until creamy and silky smooth.  Add lemon juice, a bit at a time, to taste, for a little brightness of flavor.
5. Combine ingredients.  Add the cooked, drained pasta (do not rinse) to the cooked mushrooms in the sauté pan. Toss with the artichoke sauce and heat gently, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve topped with crisped (or freshly chopped) herbs.