Italian Nut Sauce over Roasted Veggies

A standard go-to dinner at our house looks like this..

1. roast or saute whatever veggies we have around
2. cook a grain (or use leftover) — we typically have whole grains for the week in the fridge
3. throw in cooked or canned beans
4. top with some kind of delish sauce or dressing

We love this equation because we end up with a hearty and healthy meal AND the end result looks different every time. It also doesn’t require much thought… just use what you have!

This typical meal has inspired many recipes, including our whole-grains for the week and multiple yummy sauces: Easy Tahini Sauce, Thai Peanut Sauce, Sunflower Butter Dressing, Balsamic Dressing, Sesame Citrus Dressing

If the grains and sauce are made beforehand (you could even roast veggies in advance too), talk about an easy meal!

This sauce offers a mix of nuts & seeds with an Italian twist. The cashews, walnuts and sunflower seeds (*affiliate links) offer a smooth and creamy sauce once blended. Be sure to go for raw nuts and seeds, as roasted often = added oil.

Turmeric (*affiliate link) gives this sauce a bold color. Not to mention, it’s a spice that packs a punch when it comes to nutrition! Check out our post about this pantry favorite.

Nutritional yeast is another must-have ingredient. You can find it in the health food section of most grocery stores or online (*affiliate link).

Make this dish your own! Use your favorite veggies, whatever you have around or what’s in season. Just remember – a mix of color means a mix of nutrients! ????? Serve over a cooked whole grain and/or chopped leafy greens and enjoy!

We used this food processor (*affiliate link) to whip up the sauce.

Plant-Based Italian Nut Sauce over Roasted Veggies

A flavorful, oil-free Italian sauce made with a mix of nuts and seeds, perfect for drizzling over veggies.

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Oil-Free Sauce, Plant-Based Sauce, Roasted Vegetables, Whole Grain

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Equipment

• Food Processor

Ingredients

Roasted Veggies

• 1 sweet potato, cubed
• 1 red onion, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1 yellow squash, cubed
• 1 zucchini, cubed
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed or 1 1/2 cup cooked

Italian Nut Sauce

• 1/4 cup cashews, raw
• 1/4 cup walnuts, raw
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, raw
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 1 T basil, dried
• 1/2 tsp thyme, dried
• 2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp minced
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Roasted Veggies & Chickpeas

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Spread veggies and chickpeas on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cook for 25 minutes, or until soft.

Sauce

• While veggies are cooking, add all ingredients to a food processor. Blend for 2 minutes, or until smooth.
• Once veggies are cooked, serve topped with sauce.

Notes

This dish is great served over a cooked whole grain and/or chopped leafy greens. 

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