So indulgent, yet so healthy, this pasta dish is the proof that you can take the cream out of creamy without compromising on flavour nor richness. Filling, but not heavy, this makes a great lunch or dinner for big and small.
What you need:
400g wholegrain pasta of choice
400g cauliflower – florets only
100g cashews – soaked in boiled water for 15mins
2tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion - finely chopped
350g button mushrooms – washed and sliced or quartered
350g leek – washed and finely sliced
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder (optional)
0.5 tsp nutmeg
2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste
How you do it:
Boil a large pan of lightly salted water for your pasta and another one for the cauliflower.
Soak the cashew nuts in boiled water for 15mins.
Simmer the cauliflower until it’s very soft, then spoon into a food processor, holding on to the stock.
Add the drained cashews and start blending, adding cauliflower stock until you get the right consistency (think béchamel).
Add garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg and nutritional yeast and blend for another 30 seconds.
Salt to taste and put aside.
While your pasta is cooking heat up the rapeseed oil in frying pan and fry the mushrooms on high heat stirring frequently.
Once evenly browned put them aside and give the pan a quick rinse.
Add a little more oil to the pan and fry the onion together with the leek on medium heat until the leek is soft and creamy.
Add the cauliflower- cashew sauce to the leek pan, before mixing in the pasta and the mushrooms.
Heat up until piping hot, season to taste and serve with a sprinkle of black pepper (for those who like it).
* A little short of cauliflower? If all you wanted to do is using up half a cauliflower you found in the back of your fridge, but it isn’t quite enough, add half a tin of butterbeans to make up for the difference. Adds extra bean power on top of it!
