Pasta with broccoli and lemon cashew-cream sauce

400g (14 oz) dried wholemeal (whole-wheat) spaghetti
300g (10½ oz) broccoli florets (about 1 head)
½ cup (10g/¼ oz) small basil leaves
1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon rind
lemon cashew-cream sauce
1 cup (150g/5¼ oz) raw cashews
2 cups (500ml/17 fl oz) boiling water
1 cup (250ml/8½ fl oz) good-quality vegetable stock
¼ cup (60ml/2 fl oz) lemon juice
sea salt and cracked black pepper  

To make the lemon cashew-cream sauce, place the cashews in a medium heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water. Allow to stand for 30 minutes. Drain the cashews well and place them in a blender. Add the stock, lemon juice, salt and pepper and blend until very smooth. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 6 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for a further 4 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is just tender. Drain the pasta and broccoli and immediately return to the warm saucepan. Add the cashew-cream sauce and toss to combine. Divide the pasta between serving bowls and top with the basil and lemon rind to serve. Serves 4

Donna's note:

You can finish this pasta with finely grated parmesan and some extra cracked black pepper – they’re great flavours with the creamy lemon sauce. If the cashew-cream sauce is too thick, just add some extra vegie stock (or a little of the pasta’s cooking water) to thin it to a creamy consistency.