Make Chickpea Alfredo

Fettuccine alfredo is a classic Italian dish that tosses pasta with a rich creamy sauce. While the dish is a favorite for many, it's loaded with so many calories and grams of fat that you wind up feeling guilty every time you have a plate. Whether you want a lighter version of alfredo sauce or vegan recipe with no animal products, using chickpea flour and cashews to make the dish gives a delicious cream sauce without any of the guilt. Boil up a pot of fettuccine or your favorite vegan noodles, and you won't be missing the original version of fettuccine alfredo at all.

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup (50 g) unsalted raw cashews
• Boiling water
• 1 ¼ cups (296 ml) water
• ¼ cup (25 g) chickpea flour
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon (2 g) freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons (5 g) snipped fresh basil
• 12 ounces (330 g) dried whole grain fettuccine

Steps

Soaking the Nuts

1. Cover the cashews with water. Place ⅓ cup (50 g) of unsalted raw cashews in a small bowl. Pour enough boiling water over the nuts to cover them completely.
   • Make sure that the water is boiling so it’s hot enough to soften the cashews.
2. Soak the cashews. Once the cashews are covered with the hot water, place a small plate over the bowl to cover it. Allow the nuts to soak for 20 minutes so they have time to soften.
3. Drain and rinse the cashews. When the cashews are finished soaking, pour the hot water out of the bowl. Rinse the nuts in cool water and drain them again. Pat them dry with a clean towel, and set aside the nuts for the moment.
   • Drain and dry the cashews as well as you can so there’s no excess moisture when you mix them into the sauce.

Mixing Up the Sauce

1. Mix the water and flour in a saucepan. Add 1 ¼ cups (296 ml) of water and ¼ cup (25 g) chickpea flour to a small saucepan. Whisk the two together until the mixture is completely smooth.
   • It’s normal for the flour and water mixture to be slightly foamy.
   • Chickpea flour, also known as garbanzo flour, is usually sold at natural grocery stores, health food stores, and Indian and Middle Eastern markets.
2. Cook the flour mixture until it’s bubbly. Once the water and flour are combined, heat the mixture on medium heat. Continue to cook it until it just begins to bubble, which should take approximately 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool for a a minute.
   • Stir the mixture constantly as you heat it.
3. Combine the cashews, flour mixture, lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the soaked cashews, the flour mixture, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of lemon juice, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of olive oil, 2 minced cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon (3 g) of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon (2 g) of freshly ground black pepper to a blender. Pulse the mixture 2 to 3 time so the ingredients are just combined.
   • If you don’t have a blender, you can use a food processor to make the sauce.
   • If you prefer a stronger garlic flavor, you can add more cloves to the sauce.
4. Blend the mixture until it’s smooth. When the sauce ingredients are just combined, puree the mixture for 5 minutes. You’ll know that it’s ready when it is completely smooth and has a thick, creamy texture.
5. Stir in the basil. Once the sauce is completely smooth, add 2 tablespoons (5 g) of snipped fresh basil. Mix it into the sauce until it is fully incorporated.
   • You can substitute parsley for the basil if you prefer. You can also use a combination of the two herbs.

Tossing the Sauce with Pasta

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Fill a large pot approximately ⅔’s full with cool water. Cover it, and place it on the stove. Heat the water over medium-high to high heat until the water comes to a full boil, which should take approximately 10 minutes.
   • Use a pot that holds at least 4 quarts (3.8 l).
   • For the best flavor, add a pinch or two of salt to the water before you bring it to a boil.
2. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Once the water has come to a boil, add 12 ounces (330 g) of dried whole grain fettuccine to the pot. Allow the pasta to cook according to the package instructions until it’s al dente, which usually takes 8 to 12 minutes.
   • You can substitute brown rice fettuccine for the whole grain pasta if you prefer.
   • Stir the pasta briefly when you first add it to the water.
   • Allow the pasta to cook uncovered.
   • If you’d like to add some veggies to your chickpea alfredo, you can add a cup (125 g) of chopped asparagus to the boiling water when the pasta has 3 minutes left to cook. You can also add ½ cup (75 g) of slightly thawed frozen peas and/or 2 cups (450 g) fresh spinach when the pasta has just a minute left to cook.
3. Drain the pasta and place it in a serving bowl. When the fettuccine is finished cooking, pour it into a colander. Shake it well to ensure that it’s completely drained and transfer it to a large serving bowl.
4. Drizzle the sauce over the pasta and toss. Once the pasta is in the serving bowl, pour the prepared chickpea sauce over the fettuccine. Use a wooden spoon to toss the sauce and pasta together so all of the noodles are coated. Top the pasta with some freshly ground black pepper and serve while it’s still warm.
   • If you like, you can also top the chickpea alfredo with shaved parmesan cheese.

Things You’ll Need

• Small bowl
• Towel
• Small saucepan
• Whisk
• Blender
• Wooden spoon
• Large pot with lid
• Colander
• Serving bowl

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Vegan Pancakes
• Make Oregano and Thyme Pasta Sauce
• Veganize Recipes
• Make Nasturtium Pesto
• Make a Vegan Bread and Butter Pudding
• Make Vegan Crème Brûlée
• Have a Vegan Seder Meal
• Make Vegan Fish Sauce
• Make Tofu Cream
• Make Seitan Goulash

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