When it comes to vegan cooking, a handful of cashew nuts can go a long way. 

The sauce in this dish is a healthy, delicious twist on traditional cream-based alfredos; its creaminess comes instead from soaked cashew nuts. Combined with fresh herbs and earthy mushrooms, this really makes for a special lunch or dinner. You’ll see, you won’t ever use double cream again.

Vegan creamy mushroom pasta recipe

Prep time: 10 mins 

Cooking time: 15 mins 

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 shallots
• 250g mushrooms
• 200g cashews
• 150ml non-dairy milk
• zest and juice of 1 small lemon
• 2-3 handfuls of spinach
• 5g fresh oregano
• 5g fresh sage
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 150g spaghetti
• salt and black pepper to taste
• a sprinkling of chilli flakes (optional) 

Directions

Step 1: Place a large saucepan of salted water on a high heat and once boiling add the spaghetti.

Step 2: While waiting for the spaghetti water to boil, pop the cashew nuts in a small saucepan of water, enough to cover them, and boil for 15 minutes until soft.

Step 3: While the cashews and spaghetti cook, get cracking with the rest of the sauce. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying/sauce pan. Mince the garlic cloves and finely slice the shallot and add to the pan, frying over a medium-high heat until soft.

Step 4: Slice the mushrooms and add, frying for a further five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 5: When the cashews are soft remove from the heat and drain them. Blitz together with 150ml non-dairy milk in a food processor or using a stick blender until smooth.

Step 6: Turn the heat down a little under the mushrooms and stir in the cashew cream, nutritional yeast and the juice of the lemon. Simmer gently for as long as possible while the pasta finishes cooking.

Step 7: When the spaghetti has cooked, drain and mix into the sauce, stir in the chopped herbs, spinach and the zest of the lemon.

Step 8: If desired add some chilli flakes for extra kick, serve and enjoy!  

Recipe and picture by Vegan Apron. 

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