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It’s been too long since I’ve posted a pasta recipe. And you know, pasta is my favorite food in the world. It’s so versatile and comforting… and cheap people! Now, my Cauliflower Cream is going to become your new favorite pasta sauce. Easy to create and delicious to eat paired with tagliatelle, peas and mushrooms. You simply have to try my Tagliatelle with Roasted Mushrooms and Cauliflower Cream. Yum.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Before I became a vegetarian I didn’t actually like creamy foods. Yes, I’ll admit this is partly because I was terrified of getting fat (giant eye-roll at myself). But also because no matter how yummy the dish looked I was always left feeling heavy and bloated afterwards.
Since giving up meat I find myself craving creamy foods. But that doesn’t mean I want to eat something with no nutritional value and a tone of calories just because it tastes good. This whole veggie thing I’m doing is all about being kind to my body (after so many years of not).
This means eating yummy stuff that makes me feel happy, is easy on my digestion, nourishes my insides – you get the picture.
Cauliflower is a wonderful source of Vitamin C, folate and B6. The cashews are full of good fats and protein. Together they become a lovely, pale, creamy sauce that tastes so good with pasta. And don’t worry, this isn’t some obscure, tricky recipe that only appeals to adults. The kid loves the stuff.
Paired with the deep, earthy flavours of roasted mushrooms and the bright pop of baby peas, this pasta dish will have them coming back for seconds. Give it a go for dinner this week and let me know what you think.
Tagliatelle with Roasted Mushrooms and Cauliflower Cream
Serves 2
125g tagliatelle egg noodles
1/2 cup cauliflower cream
1/2 cup frozen baby peas (thawed)
2 cups button mushrooms (sliced)
cracked pepper to finish (optional)
For the Cauliflower Cream:
1/4 head cauliflower (cut into florets)
1/3 cup raw cashews (soaked in warm water for at least 1 hour)
2 cloves garlic (roasted)
1 tsp onion flakes
1 tbs butter
pinch of salt
Method:
To make your Cauliflower Cream:
- Start by soaking your cashews. Put 1/3 cup of raw cashews into a small bowl and cover with hot water from the kettle. Leave them to soak for at least an hour.
- Now roast your garlic. Pre-heat your oven to 200C. Put 2 cloves of garlic into a little square of foil. Drizzle a little olive oil onto the garlic and wrap it in the foil like a present. Pop the foil-wrapped garlic into the oven for around 15 minutes.
- Place your cauliflower florets into a stove-top steamer. Let them cook for around 8-10 minutes.
- Time to make your cream sauce. Drain the water from the cashews and put them into a food processor. Now add your steamed cauliflower, roasted garlic (squeeze them out of their skins), onion flakes, butter, and pinch of salt. Blitz on high until you have a lovely, creamy consistency. You may need to scrape the sides down a few times during the process.
For the Pasta Dish:
- Pre-heat your oven to 200C. Toss your sliced mushrooms with some olive oil and spread them out evenly onto an oven tray lined with baking paper. Season generously with salt and pepper. Put your mushrooms in the oven to roast for around 20 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Set aside while you make your pasta dish.
- Put a large pot of water on the stove. Bring to the boil. Once the water has come to a rolling boil add two heaped teaspoons of salt into your pasta water (you won’t be eating all that salt, it’s just there to flavour the pasta water).
- Add your tagliatelle nests to the water and gently break them up with a fork. Follow packet instructions for cooking times.
- When the pasta is AL detente, save one cup of water then drain the rest by emptying your pot of pasta into a colander in the sink. Quickly put your pasta back into the pot and add your cauliflower cream and the peas. Gently mix through, adding small amounts of pasta water at a time if the sauce is too thick.
- Divide your pasta between two plates and top them off with the roasted mushrooms and some cracked pepper. So good!
