Recipe of the Week: Pasta in Creamy Alfredo with Mushrooms and Asparagus

So much is going on around here these days! Between my recent chocolate marathon, organizing Raw Freedom Community's First Anniversary Draw, the release of a new recipe ebook and the upcoming move, it's a wonder I find time to prepare food at all! Whenever it gets that busy, I always fall back on simple and easy dishes.

As Don picked up some lovely fresh asparagus at the local market today, I jumped on the opportunity to make the following recipe Rawbie posted a few weeks back on RFC. I was planning on using some pine nut parmesan I had sitting in the freezer, but completely forgot about it. No matter, this was absolutely delicious anyways!


Zucchini Pasta
1 - 2 medium zucchini squash per person, transformed into pasta using a spiral slicer (or hand shredder)

Creamy Alfredo with Mushrooms and Asparagus
By Cherie Soria of Living Light Institute

Yield: 1 1/3 cup (Serves 4)

6-8 crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon tamari
1 teaspoon olive oil
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1/2 cup pine nuts, soaked 2 hours, rinsed, and drained
1/2 cup cashews, soaked 2 hours, rinsed, and drained
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoon agave nectar
2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
2 teaspoon light miso
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt, or salt to taste
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of white pepper
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4 stalks asparagus, sliced on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons Pine Nut Parmesan, optional garnish (see recipe, below)

For the Marinated Mushrooms:
Toss the mushrooms, tamari, and olive oil together and set aside.

For the Alfredo Sauce:
Put the pine nuts, cashews, water, lemon juice, and agave in a blender and blend until creamy. If the mixture is too thick for the blender, add a very small amount of water (by the teaspoon – just enough to blend). When the mixture is smooth and creamy, add the nutritional yeast, miso, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, nutmeg, and pepper and blend briefly to mix.

Assembly:
To serve, squeeze out the excess liquid from the mushrooms. Toss the mushrooms, asparagus, and pasta together well.

Garnish with optional Pine Nut Parmesan. Store any leftover sauce in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Carmella's Notes: I marinated the asparagus along with the mushrooms and used part cashews and macadamia nuts for the sauce.


Pine Nut Cream or Pine Nut Parmesan

Yield: 3 cups cream or 1 1/2 cups parmesan

2 cups pine nuts, soaked in water for 4 hours
1 cup or more water
1 teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt
1/4 teaspoon probiotic powder

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender, adding more water, if necessary, to achieve a smooth, creamy texture. For Pine Nut Cream, use as is; for Pine Nut Parmesan, spread 2 cups of the batter evenly on a dehydrator tray lined with a non-stick sheet and dehydrate at 105 degrees for 12 -18 hours, or until crisp. Scrape the dried batter off the sheet and refrigerate in a glass jar for up to 1 month. Use as a topping for pastas and salads.

For more awesome pasta recipe ideas by Cherie Soria, click here!