Inspired by Gathered Nutrition

| Yield: 4-6 servings | Time: 40 minutes |

Ingredients

1 pound pasta of choice

Parsley, as garnish

Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup tahini

2 cups cauliflower (~1/2 head, save other half for roasting)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of ~2 lemons)

1 cup plant milk

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder (optional)

1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon capers (optional, for that sharp cheddar taste!)

toasted breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup breadcrumbs, homemade or store-bought

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

For the pasta: Fill a large pot with water and a couple generous pinches of salt. Set over high heat.

Fill another pot with an inch or two of water along with a steamer basket. Set over high heat.

Chop the head of cauliflower into florets and rinse. Place 2 cups of the florets in the steamer basket, and cover to steam for 15 minutes, until very soft. Roast the rest at 425 F for serving on top of the finished dish, if desired, or save for another recipe.

Once cauliflower is fully soft, add to a blender along with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Blend until very creamy, adding a bit of extra water if necessary.

The pasta water should be boiling by now. Add pasta and cook until al dente—still a bit firm to the bite. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water, and return to the pot along with the sauce and 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Cook over medium heat until the sauce loosens and thickens a bit, adding more pasta water if necessary to coat the pasta. It should be super creamy!

Toast the breadcrumbs for topping. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and salt, stirring occasionally until nice and crispy, about 5 minutes

Serve the pasta topped with toasted breadcrumbs, roasted cauliflower (if desired), and parsley.

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