Hippie Lane’s Taline Gabriel has a little secret weapon when it comes to the ultimate no-cheese pasta sauce, and it’s going to fool even the toughest of critics.
The ingredient in question? Nutritional yeast.
“Believe it or not, creating a creamy cheese sauce can be as easy as a quick blend of some common vegetables, a few herbs and spices, cashews, plant-based milk and a generous addition of nutritional yeast,” says Taline.
“Nutritional yeast, also known as savoury yeast, has a naturally strong cheesy flavour, making it the perfect cheese substitute. In this recipe, it really helps lift the flavour of the vegetable-based sauce, and turns it into a cheese lover’s dream,” she adds.
“Toss through some gluten-free pasta, pan-fried thyme mushrooms and toasted pine nuts and you have yourself a winner.”
No-Cheese Creamy Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 medium-size potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1⁄2 onion, roughly chopped
- 1⁄2 cup (75g) cashews (pre-soaked in hot water 30 mins)
- 1⁄2 cup (120ml) Califia Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1⁄2 cup (120ml) filtered water
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1⁄2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- Pinch paprika
- Pinch black pepper
- Light squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
- 2 cups (170g) swiss mushrooms, cut in half
- 1 tbsp non-dairy butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Few springs thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
- Pinch salt and pepper
- 250g gluten free fettuccine, cooked al dente
Method
- Place potatoes and carrots in a medium saucepan with water over medium heat and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for approx 10 mins or until carrots and potatoes have softened and are cooked.
- Strain and add vegetables to blender with onion, soaked and drained cashews, almond milk, water, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, paprika and pepper. – Blend on high till smooth and creamy. Add lemon juice (optional).
- In a medium fry pan, heat butter and oil, then add mushrooms and toss to coat.
- Continue cooking, moving mushrooms so that they cook evenly, until they start to Add salt, pepper and fresh thyme.
- When you are ready to serve, lightly oil pasta with olive oil, pour over warm cheesy sauce, fold through mushrooms, top with pine nuts and enjoy.
