Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

Serves 4 to 6

Gluten-free (with GF pasta)

Special Equipment: Blender

Vegan fettuccine alfredo? Yes! You might find it hard to believe that with a blender and a few pantry ingredients you can create a luscious, plant-powered Alfredo-style fettuccine dinner, but it’s true! Canned artichoke hearts, white beans, and cashews blend beautifully to create a creamy-dreamy sauce you can use for pasta, spiralized vegetables, or even as a dip!

Beans and peas provide a hearty dose of protein and fiber for this vegan fettuccine alfredo. Cashews deliver healthy fat and important minerals. And canned artichoke hearts bring vitamin C and even more fiber to the party. Fiber is important for heart and digestive health but most people don’t get close to the recommended 40 grams a day.

Nutritional yeast is a magical ingredient, found in the baking or "healthy-eating" aisle in many grocery stores. This yellow, flaky powder is simply dried, inactive yeast. Use nutritional yeast to add a cheesy flavor–without the cheese–to salads, popcorn, pasta, and soup.

If you crave different textures, try tossing in chopped hearts of palm, the tender, inner stalks of young palm trees (grown and harvested for this purpose). Find them in the aisle with the canned vegetables. It's a simple but luxurious dish and I think you should make it, if not today, then soon.

INGREDIENTS

1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans with liquid

1 (14.5-ounce) can or jar of artichoke hearts in brine, drained

½ cup raw cashews

⅓ cup nutritional yeast

3 large cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt, taste before adding and adjust as desired

Ground black pepper, to taste

1 pound fettuccine or pasta of your choice

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen green peas

Optional Add-Ins

1 (14.5) ounce can hearts of palm, drained, rinsed, and roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the sauce, empty the can of beans with liquid, artichokes, cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in the blender. Blend until velvety and smooth.

2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the peas during the last couple of minutes of cooking. When the pasta is done, drain, reserving about ½ cup of the cooking water. Return pasta to pot or transfer to a large bowl.

3. Gently mix in the hearts of palm.

4. Pour about two-thirds of the sauce over the pasta and toss until everything is well-coated. Add the reserved pasta water to thin, if desired. If you like it saucy, add the remaining sauce or store extra in the refrigerator for up to a week. The sauce can also be frozen for several months.

5. Garnish with more freshly ground black pepper on top.