Serves 4 to 6
This Alfredo sauce blends cashews and cooked cauliflower for a creamy sauce that only tastes indulgent. I like to add sweet grape tomatoes, salty olives, and a fresh herb for extra color, texture, and flavor. If olives aren’t your thing, leave them out. You can also include more veggies if you like such as cooked broccoli florets or asparagus, or thawed frozen green peas (added when you add the tomatoes). To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
Gluten-Free Option
Soy Free
1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound pasta of choice
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1 cup hot vegetable broth
Salt
1/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
4 scallions, chopped
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup white wine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley, basil, or chives
Steam the cauliflower until just tender. Remove from the heat, uncover, and set aside.
Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain well and return to the pot.
While the pasta is cooking, drain the soaked cashews and transfer to a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the 1 cup of hot broth, and process until smooth and creamy. Add 2 cups of the steamed cauliflower, almond milk, scallions, nutritional yeast, wine, lemon juice, garlic powder, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and blend until very smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
For a thicker sauce, add more cauliflower. For a thinner sauce, add more almond milk. Add the sauce to the cooked, drained pasta.
Add the tomatoes, any remaining cauliflower, and the olives, and toss gently to combine. Serve hot sprinkled with parsley.