Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo

A simple yet delicious pasta dish, sautéed mushrooms and onions blended with cashews transform into a silky alfredo sauce that you would swear is made with heaps of dairy. Toss the sauce in a pan with some noodles, a little more sautéed mushrooms, a… — A simple yet delicious pasta dish, sautéed mushrooms and onions blended with cashews transform into a silky alfredo sauce that you would swear is made with heaps of dairy. Toss the sauce in a pan with some noodles, a little more sautéed mushrooms, and a few basil leaves and you have yourself an easy home-run bowl of pasta. (Photo source: Jennifer Hutzel)

| Yield: 4 servings | Time: 35 minutes |

Ingredients

Pasta

12 ounces dry fettuccine noodles

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

sea salt

1 pound baby portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced (shiitake, bella, crimini, or any other mushroom you prefer would also work)

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Mushroom alfredo sauce

half of the sautéed mushrooms and onions

1/2 cup cashews, cooked in boiling water for 10 minutes

1 tablespoon miso paste or 2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast flakes, plus more for sprinkling

water as needed

1 pinch ground nutmeg (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

For serving

Extra parmesan or nutritional yeast flakes

basil leaves, lightly torn

Preparation

For the pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook fettuccine according to the package specification until al dente. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

As the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until translucent.

Add the mushrooms and another pinch of salt. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, adding the garlic about halfway through, until all the liquid released by the mushrooms evaporates. Reserve half the cooked mushrooms

For the mushroom alfredo sauce

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add the cashews. Boil the cashews for 10 minutes or until very soft.

Drain the cashews and combine them in a blender with the rest of the ingredients for the sauce and half the mushroom mixture. Blend until smooth, adding water as needed to create a good consistency. The sauce shouldn't be too thick or too runny, aim for the sweet spot in between. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For serving

Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce and add in the rest of the mushrooms and onions.

Garnish with nutritional yeast and basil, as desired.

Zero-waste tips

• You could also substitute in spaghetti, linguine, rigatoni, or any other dried pasta you have on hand to help clean out the cupboard with this dish.

• Try adding carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, or veggies into the pan, it’ll just be that much more delicious!