Creamy Cashew Alfredo with Vegan Pancetta and Peas
Nothing says comfort food like this Creamy Cashew Alfredo with Vegan Pancetta & Peas. Get your fix with this cream vegan pasta recipe.
Ingredients
Vegan Pancetta
- ~4 oz Lion's Mane mushrooms wiped clean of dirt and roughly chopped; see Recipe Notes
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp safflower oil or other high-heat tolerant cooking oil
Creamy Cashew Alfredo Sauce
- 1 cup cashew pieces soaked in hot water for at least 30 minutes
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
Pasta & Peas
- 1 lb fettuccini cooked in accordance with the package directions
- 1 cup frozen peas defrostedin hot water
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce for the vegan pancetta by combining the tamari, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar & smoked paprika in a small bowl.
- Make a cornstarch slurry, by combining the cornstarch and water in a separate bowl. Mix thoroughly and add the slurry to the pancetta marinade.
- Heat the safflower oil in a large skillet until hot. Add the Lion’s Mane mushrooms and pan fry until golden brown. 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vegan pancetta sauce and cook on high heat until the sauce is reduced. The mushrooms should be sticky and crispy. Set aside.
- Add the cooked fettuccini and cooked peas to a large bowl.
- Combine the soaked cashews,¾ cup water, garlic, nutritional yeast, fresh lemon juice and salt in a high-speed blender and blend until creamy and hot. See Recipe Notes.
- Add the cashew alfredo sauce to the pasta and peas and gently toss the pasta to coat.
- Plate the pasta and peas and then top with the vegan pancetta. Season with fresh ground pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
- Lately, I’ve been having a blast trying out new mushroom varietals. I picked Lion’s Mane mushrooms for this recipe because they have a meaty texture, which I thought would be a great pancetta substitute. Feel free to swap Lion’s Mane mushrooms out for a different variety. I have also tried this with simple buttons mushrooms as well as shiitake mushrooms. Just note that the cook time for a different type of mushroom may vary.
- The best way to heat up cashew alfredo sauce is to blend it in a high-speed blender. This will make the sauce hot and help to avoid it becoming dried out, as it might in a saucepan and definitely would in the microwave.
- If you’re not planning on serving this dish immediately, don’t add the cashew alfredo sauce. Wait until just before serving and reheat the cashew alfredo sauce in a high-speed blender and then serve as described in the Directions.
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