The younger one has a penchant for pasta in “white-sauce”. This is what we made for dinner last night and the little one didn’t miss any dairy whatsoever .Definitely a win!
Ingredients
- (Serves 1-2)
- Boiled macaroni / penne / fusilli – 150 grams
- Olive oil – 20-30 ml.
- Chopped onions – 30 grams
- Chopped garlic – 10 grams
- Chopped basil – 10 grams
- Sliced mushrooms / any other vegetable as per preference – 70 grams
- All purpose flour / whole wheat flour – 5-7 grams
- Plant milk (soy / nut) – 200 ml.
- Salt – 10-20 grams
- Pepper – 5-10 grams
- Nutritional yeast – 10 grams
Method
1. Set a pan full of water on heat to boil your pasta. When the water is starting to boil, add your un-boiled pasta to the hot water. Add in a tea spoon of salt and some oil. The salt will ensure that your pasta is seasoned as it boils and the oil will coat the pasta and prevent it from sticking. It is generally best to boil your pasta al-dente or till it is still firm when bitten. This ensures that the pasta can be cooked for a while in the accompanying sauce and does not get soggy. Once your pasta reaches the al-dente stage, drain it in a colander and run it under room temperature water till such time that it is cool to touch. This is important to make sure that the pasta does not keep cooking in its residual heat. Smear some oil on the pasta if you feel that its getting sticky.
2. While the pasta is cooking start on your sauce. Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic and onions in it till they are transparent. Add sliced mushrooms and allow them to cook. Once the mushrooms have browned and just before they release water, add the flour and stir gently to cook the flour for about 2 -3 minutes on a medium flame. Take care to not brown the flour.
3. Once the flour is cooked (this is your roux) remove your pan from heat and slowly add in the plant milk, all the while stirring to avoid forming lumps. Your milk should be at room temperature. Add about 100 ml. of your milk and reserve the rest for later.
4. Once the flour and milk have completely emulsified, return the pan to a low flame. Cook the mix till it starts to thicken. Stir constantly. Add the remaining milk to thin your sauce. Your Alfredo sauce is now ready.
5. Add your boiled pasta, seasoning, chopped basil and nutritional yeast to the Alfredo sauce in the pan.
6. If your sauce thickens too much thin it with plant milk or some water.
7. Cook the pasta in the sauce till it is done as per your liking, Serve hot !
Notes: We suggest the use of water to thin your sauce to sometimes neutralize the taste of plant milk. We made this recipe with soy milk and water. The kids could not tell!
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