YUMmmmy!

It has been a long while since I posted anything but this new recipe is too good not to share. I've made it twice in the last few weeks and I just can't get enough of it. It is creamy and nutty and utterly scrumptious. The creaminess comes from the cashews, not cream. I've rediscovered cashews recently. They are amazing!

It's from Vegetarian Times and actually it's a vegan recipe so all of you non-dairy types can enjoy it as well.  Now, those of you who know how I cook know that I use a recipe mostly as a guide, a starting point, a suggestion, so I altered it a bit as I went. I also don't measure my ingredients so I wasn't very precise and it was absolutely delicious.

Anyway, here it is:

Black Pepper Fettuccine with Chardonnay Sauce
Serves 2
Sauce:
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup Chardonnay wine
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast (I use vegetable broth powder, this is where the sauce gets its salt)
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Pasta:
3 oz uncooked fettuccine (or any other kind of pasta, I used spinach linguine the first time, whole wheat penne the second)
1 cup baby spinach (I used more like 2 cups)
6 asparagus spears (the second time I made it I used broccolini simply because that's what I had on hand)
1/4 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I skipped this)

1. To make Sauce: Blend cashews and 1 cup water in blender or food processor until smooth. Strain out solids using fine mesh strainer; discard solids (I used the solids as well, they added the tiniest bit of nutty crunch but make sure the mixture gets nice and smooth first.)
2. Simmer Chardonnay in a small saucepan over medium heat 7 to 10 minutes, or until reduced to about 1/3 cup liquid. Stir in cashew mixture, nutritional yeast (or vegetable broth powder), lemon juice, and ground black pepper. Keep warm.
3. To make Pasta: cook in boiling salted water according to package directions.
4. Meanwhile, bring 1/4 cup water to a simmer in a small skillet. Add spinach, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted. Keep warm.
5. Heat grill pan over medium heat. Grill asparagus 7 minutes, turning once. Grill bell pepper 2 - 3 minutes (if you're using them) until wilted. Keep warm.
6. Drain pasta, and return to pot. Toss with Sauce, and divide between 2 plates. Top each serving with wilted spinach, asparagus, and bell pepper strips.

Here's a photo of my first finished product.

The second time I made I deviated a little more and added sauteed mushrooms for a nice meaty vegetable. Still delicious. Whatever you do, whichever vegetables you choose to use, enjoy it. And try not to eat all the sauce before you put it on the pasta!

Enjoy!

P.S. For anyone who is interested, here is the nutritional value per Vegetarian Times:
per serving: calories: 386; protein: 15g; total fat: 16g; saturated fat: 3g; carbohydrates: 49g; cholesterol: 0; sodium: 184mg; fiber: 5g; sugar: 6g.