OMG. Pasta lovers, you may never want to eat anything else again. Consider yourself warned.
Let me explain something: most people don’t know this, but there was a time in my life where I was the physical incarnation of the “dairy queen.” No, not the actual ice cream chain, just a girl who ate so much cream and cheese at every opportunity that a personal dairy cow should have been awarded. When I stopped consuming dairy products 15 years ago (for health and environmental reasons, if you’re curious), I thought that dairy would be huge gaping hole when it came to my cravings department. Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Substituting dairy for plant-based alternatives has been embarrassingly easy from the beginning — there’s so many options! One of my favorites is actually nuts … in particular cashews. I’m telling you, cashews make such a good milk/cream, that I honestly believe it’s more delicious than the “real” animal-based thing. And remember, this is coming from the dairy queen herself.
I often showcase the wonders of cashew-based creams method via cooked vegetables and pasta. (Who can turn down an offer of warm fettuccini? NO ONE.) So recently, after I got suckered into buying multiple heads of colored cauliflower at the farmer’s market (one of each color because … because!), my go-to idea was to wrap them amongst a decadently creamy pasta that was cholesterol-free and gluten-fee (although you can certainly make this with any type of pasta). It was incredible: heavy on veggies (just the way I like it!), and fully of the most deluxe, heavenly smooth sauce that’s secretly mineral-rich and full of protein. Who needs “cheat days” when healthy food tastes this great?
Extra Creamy Lemon Fettuccini
This is the kind of pasta you just want to engulf yourself in – full of creamy sauce that’s highlighted with lemon flavor and tender cauliflower. The dish becomes extra colorful by using colored cauliflower, but you can also use the regular variety (it won’t effect the flavor).
Serves 4
2½ cups water
2 tablespoons miso paste
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¾ cup raw cashews
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large leek, white and light green part sliced thin
6 cups finely chopped purple or orange cauliflower
8 ounces whole grain or gluten-free fettuccine
¼ cup hemp seeds
Minced fresh parsley, for garnish
In a blender, puree together the water, miso paste, lemon juice, cashews, salt, and black pepper.
In a large pot, warm the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté for 3-4 minutes until leeks are softened. Stir in the cauliflower, and the blended mixture. Bring to a simmer, then cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.
While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Once the sauce and cauliflower are finished cooking, remove lid and stir well. Cook for a minute or two longer to thicken, if needed, or remove from heat. Toss the sauce and cauliflower with the cooked pasta. Divide onto serving plates, top generously with hemp seeds, and sprinkle with parsley.
