Watch the video to see how I made this delicious but very healthy and low-fat pasta sauce! The written recipe & ingredients list is down below.
Who doesn’t love a deliciously cheesy and creamy pasta…? I know I do! The problem with the creaminess and the cheesiness is that a) if it’s actual cheese, well, that ain’t ethical! So obviously, that’s out of the question and b) if it’s super creamy, usually it means it’s very high in fat. Now luckily for us, there are definite ways of making creamy and comforting pasta sauce that is high in nutrients, low in fat/calories and still delicious!
I’ve used cauliflower as an ingredient to make “creamy” sauces and bases for a while but I’ve never actually made a super yellow, cheesy type of pasta. It’s obviously all very similar ingredients, just a little more nooch (nutritional yeast) and a little more turmeric to add more colour. You can also add in some optional ingredients I didn’t have on hand which I think would make the sauce more “cheesy”.
So try out this super easy recipe and let me know what your thoughts are? It’s not going to taste exactly like cheese but I think it’s a super delicious and healthy alternative to it. I’ve made the “alfredo” sauce version of this many times and you can find the recipe here:
Vegan Low-Fat Cheesy Pasta Sauce Recipe
Ingredients (2-3 servings)
- 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into smaller pieces
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp tahini (optional but will make your sauce a bit creamier/thicker)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (more if you want more of a cheesy flavour)
- 1/2 veggie stock cube (you can season with salt if you prefer)
- 1 tsp turmeric (or less if you want a less intense turmeric taste)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dijon mustard (optional but will help give a “tangy” flavour)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (again, optional – you may not need it if you already added dijon mustard and vice versa)
Instructions:
- In a medium-sized pot or sauce-pan, heat a little oil (or just water if you prefer to keep this oil-free) on medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and cook for a couple of minutes then add garlic and cook for another minute or so.
- Then add cauliflower and water. Close the lid and let it boil for about 10-15 minutes or until the cauliflower is very soft and a fork goes in smoothly.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, you can boil your pasta and get the rest of your ingredients ready.
- Once the cauliflower is done, add the whole mixture into a food processor or a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Mix into cooked pasta, add in your favourite vegetables and/or plant-based protein and you are ready to devour!
OPTIONAL!
Make this into a comforting soup…. All you need is to take the sauce and add some non-dairy milk! Depending on how thick you want it, you can add as much as you wish. I added about 1 cup to half of the cream sauce that I made…
I also swirled some sriracha on top because I’m fancy!
