Vegan Alfredo Sauce

I'm not going to say that this is a perfect match to the cream laced alfredo sauce that we all know, but I will say that it is:

Dairy Free

Packed with protein and fiber

YUMMY!

We made ours into a Baked Penne Florentine, but it would also be wonderful with any noodle or baked with layers of potatoes like an au gratin dish.  If you experiment with it, let me know how it goes. : )

Vegan Alfredo Sauce (adapted from hearthealthyonline.com)

• 1/4  cup vegetable or chicken (if you aren't going strictly vegan) broth
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 4  cloves garlic, minced (plus more to taste)
• 1/2  cup raw cashews
• 3/4  cups water
• 1  15- to 16-ounce can white beans, any variety, rinsed and drained
• 2  teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/4  teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine broth, onion, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add more broth if needed to keep veggies moist during the cooking process. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place cashews in a food processor. Cover and process until finely ground. Add the water; blend until smooth. Add onion mixture, beans, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper. Cover and process until smooth. Taste your sauce.  When I did, I felt there was too much nut flavor so I added 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and 1/2 tsp Italian Seasonings and blended again.  If you think your sauce is too thick, you can add up to 1 cup more water and blend at this point as well.  Next time I plan to add some sun dried tomatoes as well for a bit of punch.

At this point I added my sauce to whole wheat pasta and about 1/2 bag of chopped baby spinach.  I mixed them together and baked them for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.