Creamy, dreamy pasta sauce made with cauliflower, cashews and a few simple flavourings.
Isn't it funny how vegetables we've previously ignored, or at least paid no great attention to, can suddenly capture our imagination?
Cauliflower has been enjoying its renaissance for a while as a versatile ingredient for pizza crusts, mash, rice and the rest. I'm totally on board with it and have been really enjoying cauliflower roasted and added to salads, made into soup, and one of my absolute make again and again favourites is this Kung Pao Cauliflower recipe from The Circus Gardener.
Today I've used cauliflower as the base of a silky smooth, creamy-with-no-cream, alfredo-style pasta sauce. Its mild and slightly sweet flavour is just perfect here.
Versatile cauliflower sauce
The basic creamy cauliflower sauce recipe makes a plain white sauce that is very tasty, slightly cheesy, and incredibly versatile. Cashews make it extra creamy and boost the protein and healthy fats.
I've used this cauliflower sauce in place of bechamel in a baked pasta dish, and it would also be great on pizza.
The cheesiness comes from nutritional yeast, which is high in vitamin B12 and great for adding an umami, non-dairy cheese flavour. If you don't have it, leave it out, and if you love it, add more (hello vegan macaroni cheese!).
And hey if you eat cheese, go ahead and add a handful of parmesan. Even if you're not vegan this is a delicious and healthy sauce that sneaks a few extra serves of vegetables into a meal.
Mix up the flavours
I've added chargrilled capsicums (bell peppers) before to make a brightly coloured and flavoured sauce (brilliant on gnocchi tossed with a handful of baby spinach). You could also add lots of fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes or curry powder to the blender.
Get a batch of this sauce into your fridge or freezer and you've got an easy, delicious and very fast meal or two on hand. This recipe makes about five cups of sauce, for my family that's about right to dress two family-sized pasta meals.
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INGREDIENTS
- 600 g cauliflower (about half a cauliflower or 4-5 cups of small florets)
- ½ cup cashews soaked in cold water overnight (or minimum four hours) and drained
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional, or add more if you like it)
- Pinch of nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Good grind of black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add cauliflower and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, heat olive oil in a frypan (skillet). Add onion and garlic and cook over a low to medium heat until golden and soft, but not browned.
- Drain cauliflower and add to your blender, along with cooked onion and garlic mixture, drained cashews, vegetable stock, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Blend until completely smooth.
- Return to saucepan and bring back up to heat if serving immediately, or pop it in the fridge or freezer for a meal later on.
Iris
How long can the sauce freeze for?
Mayra
Hey! Quick question....Why do the cashews have to be soaked? Just curious
Amber
Hi Mayra, it's not essential (especially if you have a really good blender), but it makes them softer and allows them to blend smoothly into the sauce 🙂
cmilleer
I didn't add any cheese or nutritional yeast, just a bit of sriracha, and it was still delicious! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Amber
Yum, sounds great!
Emma
Hi! I have a nut allergy, do you think white beans would work?
Amber
Hi Emma, I haven't tried using white beans in this sauce but yes I think it would work. It may just lack a bit of the rich creaminess that comes from the cashews (and their fat content). If you try it let me know how it goes 🙂
Shiela
I loved this so much! As a cheese-addict trying to become vegan I'm really happy with this recipe as a replacement for cheese sauce. For that extra cheese flavor I doubled the amount of nutritional yeast and salt and I added some oregano.
Thank you so much!
Amber
Awesome Shiela! I'm so glad you like it. I hear you on the cheese addiction!
Sally Tristram
AMAZING!!!! Didn't even have time to cook the pasta, I devoured it on its own?
Amber
Haha, that's fantastic! Glad you loved it!
Ashley
Have you ever tried swapping walnuts for the cashews? Would any of the instructions for the recipe change?
Amber
Hi Ashley, I haven't tried it sorry. I doubt walnuts would provide the same mild/neutral taste for the creamy sauce, but that might not be a bad thing. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Anaïs
Thank you for the recipe! I've just made it and turned faboulous!! I've added one tablespoon more of nutritional yeast because I like that cheesy flavour 🙂
Amber
That's great, I'm glad you liked it! I love it too 🙂
Dorita Milano
Can I use frozen rice cauliflower?
Amber
Hi Dorita, I'm not sure what you mean by frozen rice cauliflower?
Pam
Wow! It came out great and am glad to be able to freeze some for next time
Amber
Glad you liked it Pam!
[email protected]
thanks!! I loved your recipe 🙂
[email protected]
heyyy, didnt you forget to add cashews in your instruction? in what time i can add them to the dish?
Amber
Haha, yes you’re right! Thanks for letting me know, I’ve now updated the recipe.