CREAMY CAULIFLOWER ALFREDO

Creamy pasta sauces made with nuts or tofu are high in fat, even if some of the fats are "good fats.” No need to worry about fat when the sauce is made with cauliflower. Using frozen riced cauliflower made this recipe even easier. Definitely adding this to my "go-to" recipes since the pasta and vegetables can be changed to create different versions. I reduced the salt in half since really it is best to let each person salt individually depending on their preference and medical concerns.

The recipe can be found at “Whole Living Lauren”: CREAMY CAULIFLOWER ALFREDO. I removed the oil.

Ingredients

5-6 heaping cups cauliflower florets-1 medium cauliflower (I used a 1 pound bag of riced cauliflower which was 4 1/2 cups)

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (Do not use)

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice

1 cup vegetable broth (Mine was reduced sodium)

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1 Tablespoon lemon juice (Use fresh juice)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt)

1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste

1 package of whole grain fettuccine pasta or pasta of choice (I used spirals)

1 (8 oz) package of white mushrooms, sliced (I used baby bella/cremini mushrooms)

1 bunch of asparagus, chopped with woody ends discarded

1/2 cup frozen peas

For serving, optional:

Fresh minced parsley

Red pepper flakes

Instructions

Add Cauliflower florets in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a low boil. Once boiling, cook for another 3-5 minutes until fork tender, then drain.
Meanwhile, add the oil into a skillet and saute the minced garlic over low hear for ~5 minutes until softened and fragrant, but not browned.
In a high speed blender, add the cauliflower, sauteed garlic, almond milk, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until very smooth. May need to let it blend for a minute or so to get a very smooth consistency.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain and cover to prevent drying.
In the same skillet you used for the garlic, add a touch of olive oil over medium high heat and add mushrooms. Saute mushrooms for 4-5 minutes until mushrooms are lightly browned. Add the asparagus and peas. Cover and cook for another 5-8 minutes, or until asparagus is tender.
Add cauliflower sauce and sauteed vegetables into the pot with the cooked noodles.
Serve with fresh minced parsley and red pepper flakes.

What I did differently:

-Cooked a 1 pound bag of frozen riced cauliflower in the microwave for 7 minutes and used instead of cooking cauliflower florets

-Dry sautéed the garlic, using a splash of water as needed so it would not stick.

-Did not use any oil

-Dry sautéed the mushrooms and cooked until all the liquid evaporated and the mushrooms browned slightly. Once I added the asparagus and frozen peas, cooked another 8 minutes, stirring frequently.

-Since I made the sauce in advance, I added the sauce to my pot of vegetables and warmed it up, then added the drained pasta.