A quick Weeknight pasta – Penne and Broccoli in Doritos cream sauce. No store bought Doritos were used in this recipe. Just some spices and flavors together and voila!
And why did I make this? Well, the big food corps, apart from putting in humongous amounts of money into creating shelf stable products with weird amounts of chemicals, they Also put the money into finding tastes and combinations that tickle your tastebuds, make you addicted to things and keep you coming back to the product! Now, since they have already figured out the tastes that work, we can just reproduce it the natural way and say ahhhh yummm! and not worry about the processed chemicals!
The Doritos Spice mix has since been featured on Oprah.com blog section and on TheKitchn’s dedicated post!
Its been a long while since I munched on any highly processed chippi things. They just dont feel good in the tummy anymore. Disclaimer: It really has been a long time, since I tasted a Doritos chip :). So really. Just adjust the flavors to your taste, just in case my taste buds are off. I’d love to hear from a Doritos Connoisseur for adjustments!:) Also, you can change up the flavors to your preferred Doritos flavors. Add Daiya cheddar, yellow mustard powder, chili/black pepper, lemon zest/vinegar for the cheddar/lemony ranch/ spicy etc variations. And then once you find your fave spice combination, sprinkle it on Kale chips, Corn chips, cracker, burgers, nuts, quinoa or anything and everything!
This pasta is easily made glutenfree. In case you missed the previous post on Tiramisu cookies, here is the link!:)
For lots more Pasta/weeknight meal options check out the Collection here. Red bell pepper alfredo, Swiss Chard pesto, breaded Brussels Sprouts pasta and more!
Penne and Broccoli in Doritos cream sauce, topped with Doritos spiced bread crumbs.
No store bought Doritos were used in this recipe. Just some spices and flavors together and voila!
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 612kcal
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 cups (168.75 g) cooked Whole grain Penne or any pasto of choice
- 1.5 cups (136.5 g) broccoli florets blanched
For the cream sauce:
- 1/3 cup (43 g) raw cashews soaked in water for atleast half an hour
- 1/3 cup (83.33 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt or to taste
- few teaspoons evoo
Doritos Spice Mix: Gluten-free
- 1-1.5 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) nutritional Yeast
- 2 teaspoons dried onion flakes or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) cayenne
- 1 teaspooon paprika to taste/color
- a generous pinch of salt
- a generous pinch Rock salt/Kala namak optional, if using lemon juice for wet uses. Not optional for dry spice since it does help add the sour. you can try lemon zest instead
- You can add Daiya cheddar or yellow mustard powder for cheddar lemon zest, dried parsley for ranch, red chili/black pepper for the spicy variations.
Topping Crumbs:
- Toasted Bread Crumbs or Toasted Oats and rice flakes coarsely ground.(1.5-2 Tablespoons)
Instructions
- Mix the doritos spice mix or blend in grinder to get a well blended mix. Taste test and adjust.
- Cook the Penne per instructions. Blanch the broccoli(cook 3-4 minutes in boiling water, then rinse in cold water).
- Blend the soaked cashews with enough water to make a smooth cream.
- Add lemon juice, salt to taste and half of the Doritos spice mix to the cashew cream.
- You can just toss the pasta and broccoli and serve at this point. I usually like to heat everything a bit so the spice taste comes out more and cashew cream doesnt taste raw.
- In a pan, add 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, heat on medium.
- Add the broccoli and toss for a few seconds.
- Add the pasta and the cashew cream. Mix well. Cover and let it start to bubble on low heat. (1-2 minutes).
- Taste test and adjust spices and salt and take off heat.
- Mix some of the Doritos spice with bread crumbs or crumbs of toasted Oats and rice flakes.
- Sprinkle the crumbs on hot pasta right before serving!
Notes
Nutritional values based on one serving
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Penne and Broccoli in Doritos cream sauce, topped with Doritos spiced bread crumbs.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 612 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 504mg22%
Potassium 512mg15%
Carbohydrates 133g44%
Fiber 17g71%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 880IU18%
Vitamin C 67.1mg81%
Calcium 53mg5%
Iron 2.8mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
An infographic about Why a Salad is more expensive than a big mac or meat in general. Makes you wonder, doesnt it.
Also, Dr Vandana Shiva narrates this short video about how your backyard garden is a solution to so many current world problems.
Caitlin says
February 29, 2012 at 8:53 pmoh my god. i am making that dorito mix and sprinkling it on top of my dinner tonight. i’m writing down the recipe as we speak!
and bravo for recreating tastiness the natural, vegan, healthful way!
Richa says
February 29, 2012 at 11:17 pmthat was superquick Caitlin!:) yes make some and sprinkle the doritos spice fairy dust everywhere:) let me know how the taste works out!
Sudha says
February 29, 2012 at 10:32 pmAwesome!! I AM HUNGRY NOW!!!!! 🙂
Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes says
February 29, 2012 at 11:16 pmOh my you have out done yourself again; cracking the code to the neon orange doritos flavors! Please tell me it turns your fingers orange too 🙂
I am absolutely making this on my week off starting next week- this looks sooo good Richa!
Pretty photos too!
Richa says
February 29, 2012 at 11:19 pmThanks Heather!.. its the paprika and cayenne giving that orange color.. i did not try rubbing it on my fingers, so i dont know..:D
Anu says
February 29, 2012 at 11:24 pmDrooling here. makes me hungry
Char @ www.charskitchen.ca says
February 29, 2012 at 11:40 pmomg…just, wow. I have no words. Already pinned! I love the sound of these flavours together, and I’m pretty excited because all I need to go buy is the broccoli! 😀 Amazing, Richa!
Richa says
March 2, 2012 at 6:46 pmawesome.. let me know how it turns out!:)
Bobbie {the vegan crew} says
March 1, 2012 at 12:12 amWho would have thought that “doritos” could look so fresh and healthful!? 🙂 This looks pretty amazing and I’m excited to try it!
Julia says
March 1, 2012 at 12:13 amOh wow, this looks incredible! I actually have cashew cheese in the fridge right now and I wanted to turn it into a sauce. SCORE! Can’t wait to try this!
Princy Vinoth says
March 1, 2012 at 6:18 amDEFINITELY trying this!
Deeps @ Naughty Curry says
March 1, 2012 at 9:17 amhmmm, i could eat pasta day & night, looks yummy
dassana @ veg recipes of india says
March 1, 2012 at 10:15 ami agree with the video of having your own backyard garden and how it can overcome the problems which we are facing.
in fact in our apartment we have a small balcony garden where we grow our own herbs.
and the pasta looks yummy….
Richa says
March 2, 2012 at 6:47 pmThanks dassana, its too cold for herbs, but we will be planting a lot of stuff this summer!
Priyanka says
March 1, 2012 at 11:34 amAwesome recipe…making me drool
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
March 1, 2012 at 6:34 pmYummy! That sounds awesome! I’m totally trying your Doritos spice mix some time 😀
Alpana says
March 1, 2012 at 6:42 pmAwesome………I am at a looss for words.
Richgail says
March 1, 2012 at 6:59 pmMy must try recipes from you are piling up.
Anonymous says
March 1, 2012 at 7:30 pmDo you mean “tid-bits”?
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
March 1, 2012 at 11:17 pmSeriously, this is amazing. Totally tops my cheetos crusted chicken haha.
the actor's diet says
March 2, 2012 at 1:18 amyou genius!
Cadry says
March 2, 2012 at 1:32 amGreat idea! What a wonderful mixture of creamy, salty, crunchy, and spicy flavors. For whatever reason I don’t eat a lot of pasta dishes, but this one sounds down right craveable!
Ambika says
March 2, 2012 at 2:18 amThe pasta looks so heart and delicious!! Loved the dorito spice mix powder recipe.
MyFudo™ says
March 2, 2012 at 3:48 amThe dorito spice mix powder is a sure winning treat! Love this post!
kankana says
March 2, 2012 at 4:54 amI love pasta and keep trying new sauce with it. This sauce you used is absolutely new to me and sounds delicious.
healthierhappierjeffie says
March 2, 2012 at 4:10 pmMmmmm, penne and broccoli; the “dorito” sauce is very easy on the eyes as well 😉
Richa says
March 2, 2012 at 6:48 pmits a fun way to hide them veggies:)
Virtually Vegan Mama says
March 2, 2012 at 4:16 pmdid someone just say dorito spice vegan cream sauce???? I’m so in…so are my kids…perfect =)
Jen
Richa says
March 2, 2012 at 6:50 pmThanks Jen.. i was quite finicky while growing up.. so the idea is rooted from how my mom would get creative to disguise dishes to get us to eat more veggies!:)
Jessica @Vegbooks says
March 4, 2012 at 6:11 pmMy kiddo is insanely excited for me to make this. We got the ingredients today – yum yum!
Richa says
March 4, 2012 at 8:17 pmAwesome! let me know how you all like it.. the decision rests on doritos munching kids. i am scared:) hope your kid give it a thumbs up!:)
Swathi Iyer says
March 2, 2012 at 6:03 pmPasta with dorito cream looks delicious. Thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop.
Richgail says
March 2, 2012 at 7:30 pmHi Richa,
I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Your site is one of my faves! http://astigvegan.com/2012/03/02/the-versatile-blogger-award/
Richa says
March 3, 2012 at 6:34 amThank you so much for passing on the VBA!:)
[email protected] says
March 2, 2012 at 10:35 pmThis looks really good, definitely want to try…. if anything can convert my chip-loving teen to broccoli, this will.
Lizzy says
March 3, 2012 at 2:26 amOh, I love the idea of a Doritos spice mix! I haven’t eaten Doritos in decades, but I did love them back in the day! Great pasta dish~
KT says
March 3, 2012 at 8:07 pmSilly question – what is “nutritional yeast”? Same as regular old yeast?
Richa says
March 3, 2012 at 8:19 pmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutritional_yeast
Its deactivated yeast, a good source of protein and complex vitamins. It is also usually fortified with vit b12. Active yeast used in baking breads etc is active. You cant eat active yeast as it might get activated inside you and produce lots of gas.
KT says
March 4, 2012 at 1:20 amYikes! Good to know. Good thing I asked! LOL!
Anonymous says
March 4, 2012 at 4:07 pmWhat do you soak the Cashews in?
Richa says
March 4, 2012 at 7:19 pmIn water. i’ll put it in the recipe.. do let me know when you try it.
Jessica @Vegbooks says
March 5, 2012 at 12:12 amWe had this tonight – thank you for the recipe. My husband went gaga for the spiced breadcrumbs. 🙂
Richa says
March 5, 2012 at 1:24 amThats awesome:) hope your kiddo liked it too! Thanks for trying it out!
Laura says
March 5, 2012 at 5:23 amRicha,
Another fantastic recipe!! I love the addition of cashews to this pasta dish. Thank you so much for sharing your great recipe on Allergy-Free Wednesdays! Be sure to check back next week for recipe highlights (including the top 3 reader choice submissions and hostess favorites).
Be Well!
Veganosaurus says
March 5, 2012 at 8:37 amYou’re so creative, Richa! The spice mix sounds delish.
I know what you mean about fried junk foods not feeling nice in the tummy once you’ve kept away from them for a long time. I experience that too! Of course, I don’t have as much discipline as you do, I do have the occasional chip and bajji here and there but thanks to the bad tummy feeling, I have very small quantities when I do.
Richa says
March 10, 2012 at 3:11 amThanks Sus! Its mostly the over processed junk stuff.. home fried things are still better:) though i did change my chickpea flour and now i get bob’s red mill instead of unmarked no date ones form the indian store..that made a lot of difference in how my tummy feels.
mightyvegan says
March 5, 2012 at 11:59 amI am so excited about this doritos mix! I LOVE doritos and I think I’m going to mix these spices up and keep them in their own little container for putting on everything in site! 🙂 including your recipe. Thanks!
Richa says
March 10, 2012 at 3:09 amThanks.. hope you like it!
Dana says
May 14, 2012 at 7:25 pmHow much Daiya cheddar would you recommend to make the Dorito Dust taste like cheesy Doritos?
Richa says
May 15, 2012 at 1:36 amDana, the nutritional yeast adds a good cheesy flavor, so you might not need much Daiya. it depends on where you are using the Doritos mix, on chips or in pastas etc.
Unknown says
May 20, 2012 at 4:04 pmWhich seasoning do you use to make cool ranch
Richa says
May 22, 2012 at 1:40 amyou can add some coriander powder, celery seed, garlic and onion powders and some apple cider vinegar if wet, or if keeping it dry then some lemon zest and rock salt . Taste and adjust!
Sarah says
November 5, 2012 at 6:01 amI really want to make this it looks so amazing but I can not find raw cashews near me to save my life. Could I use roasted unsalted?
Richa says
November 5, 2012 at 6:16 amyou can use raw almonds if you can find them. roasted will taste very different, though you might like that taste as well. Or you can use a few Tablespoons of regular flour mixed in with non dairy milk for the sauce like an alfredo sauce.
Unknown says
January 14, 2013 at 2:17 amStumbled on this older thread as I was searching the web, once again, for a Doritos seasoning recipe. I wanted to mix some up to put in cheese soup. There is something I can’t put my finger on about the taste combination that I just love, but so far I haven’t found the right combination of spices. Until I found this recipe! I see many posts about people wanting to make it but not so many from people who actually DID make it, so wanted to report back that this is really one quite amazing taste sensation you have come up with right here. I quadrupled the recipe (for leftovers) and while I wasn’t knocked about by the taste of the dry seasoning, there is something quite magical that happens when it is stirred into the cashew cream. The sweetness of the cashews, mixed with the tang of the lemon juice, mixed with the seasoning powder is really quite sublime. And Doritoish. For the topping we mixed some of the seasoning with some whole grain cracker crumbs that we happened to have on hand. I can tell you that this will be a much used recipe going forward, thanks so much!
Richa says
January 15, 2013 at 8:16 pmI keep forgetting to reply to old comments.. Yay.. thank you so much for the feedback. i know right. i totally loves it with the sauce. i think it would be more delicious to use the sauce on the chips instead of just the spice:))
Thanks once again!
christine says
April 1, 2013 at 2:38 pmpasta and broccoli, yay:) must try raw cashews as a creamy sauce – I’ve never eaten doritos!!!! I only like plain salted chips, cos of the dairy products used to carry the flavours (usually whey powders) – however, I’ll happily try your version:)
Anonymous says
June 7, 2013 at 1:41 amI just made this dish this evening. I’m not sure if I did it correctly, but we did not like it very much. However – the spice mix is excellent on popcorn!
Richa says
June 7, 2013 at 1:52 amgreat that it worked on popcorn! the sauce is a fusion taste so i can understand that it might or might not be a hit:) Thank you for letting me know.
paxmonger says
July 1, 2013 at 4:26 amI’m looking around your site and everything looks good. I’m from a typically “mundane” family eating wise (although we do try to avoid fast food,) and trying to get them to try new things it has to not taste too “weird.”
I did wonder though – for the lemon or “zesty” flavor, is it possible all you need is some “true lemon” lemon powder? I use it for all kinds of things, not the least is that it gives my iced tea a wonderful fresh flavor. It’s good stuff. Maybe that’s why it tastes better in the sauce than plain dry? With the powdered lemon you can get that flavor dry too!
I’m gonna try making this Doritos mix – the guys love chips, and if i can make the spice without all the chemicals that they like, they’ll let me keep experimenting on them. LOL
Thanks!!
Anonymous says
June 17, 2014 at 6:49 pmDo you have any suggestions for a substitute for the cashews as well as other tree nuts as my boyfriend is allergic?
Richa says
June 17, 2014 at 7:28 pmyou can use seeds and coconut milk. or you can make it with my cauliflower alfredo sauce which is nut-free. http://www.veganricha.com/2014/05/cauliflower-alfredo-spinach-artichoke.html
Nina says
February 27, 2015 at 7:08 amMade this for daughter’s lunch. Left off nut’l yeast & whole batch of spice mix & xtra lemon & Kala Namak to bring cheesiness. Brings back memories of Doritos! Clever…thx!
Nina says
February 27, 2015 at 7:10 amLeft off nutritonal yeast but USED whole batch of spice mix with xtra lemon and Kala Namak salt! Most important part:) Daughter was so happy to feel like she was eating junk food like rest of friends.
Richa says
February 27, 2015 at 10:26 amyay! so glad she liked it!
Nina says
July 8, 2017 at 4:46 pmHi Richa! Wanted to let you know daughter home from college and she asked me to make this so she could share with a friend at a pool party. She had her portion already and loved it. I added some of the broccoli water and some of the boiling hot pasta boiling water for the 1/3rd cup water to add to the cashew sauce – didn’t cook the sauce. Shhh…don’t tell her though. She did say it tasted cheesier than she remembered it and really enjoyed that. It was a hit each time we make it. Such a clever sauce – she put loads more broccoli on it because she said it was so good with the sauce. Thanks again!
Richa says
July 8, 2017 at 6:57 pmI definitely need to repost a newer version of this since many people dont see this old post. It is such a fun sauce!
Nina says
July 8, 2017 at 8:11 pmYes!! Great idea..it is sooooooo goooooood!