Subtitle: Adventures in Cauliflower Sauce!
I was describing the Chickpeas, Potatoes and Green Beans in Cauliflower Sauce to some friends when it hit me that Cauliflower Sauce could be the best thing to happen to fatfree cooking since the invention of non-stick pans. A sauce made from cauliflower could be flavored in any number of ways, not just with Indian seasonings. And a good, creamy sauce with no fat, no soy, no gluten, no “bad carbs,” and all cruciferous vegetable could be a very handy and healthy addition to many different types of recipes.
I decided to test out this theory last night. I cooked the cauliflower as I had before, but this time I used less water (the potatoes in the last recipe provided substantial thickening that I needed to compensate for) and instead of curry leaves, coriander, ginger, and garam masala, I cooked the cauliflower with garlic, oregano, and basil. After the sauce was blended and seasoned to my liking, I tossed it with some fettuccine and broccoli and topped the whole thing with some sautéed mushrooms.
Folks, we have a winner! At least to my family. My daughter E. was heading out the door to a friend’s house, but she couldn’t resist the sight of pasta simmering on the stove. I dished her up a plate, and she wolfed it down in record time. I had to promise her that there would be plenty of leftovers when she got back–and that I would add it to her Kid-Friendly list.
Fettuccine No-Fredo with Broccoli and Sautéed Mushrooms
The pureed cauliflower forms a light yet creamy sauce that moistens the pasta and broccoli, while the sautéed mushrooms add chewy texture and earthy flavor. Besides being a great way to sneak a vegetable into a meal, this just tastes good. Try it with your favorite blend of spices and let me know your results.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
- 2-4 cups water (use less if your cauliflower is small, more for extra-large cauliflowers)
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 to 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch cayenne pepper
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 large Portabella mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/8 cup wine (I used white, but red will do)
- salt to taste
- 1 pound fettuccine
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
Instructions
- Sauce: Using the lesser amounts of each seasoning, place the cauliflower and next 8 ingredients into a large saucepan and cook, covered, until the cauliflower is very soft, about 15 minutes. When it’s completely tender, use a blender to puree the cauliflower and water to a smooth sauce. (If you have a good hand blender, I recommend you do this in the pot.) Check the seasoning of the sauce, and add more to taste; add the nutritional yeast. Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered and thicken while you prepare the mushrooms and pasta.
- Sautéed Mushrooms: Heat a non-stick skillet brushed or sprayed with a little olive oil. Add the 2 cloves garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms begin to exude their juices. You can prevent them from drying out by keeping the skillet covered between stirrings. When the mushrooms get juicy, add the wine and salt to taste. Cook just until the wine is absorbed and then set aside, covered, until ready to serve.
- Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the fettuccine and salt, if desired, and set a timer for 3 minutes less than the amount of time indicated on the package. When the timer goes off, add the broccoli and cook for three minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. (For my fettuccine, this meant I cooked it for 9 minutes, added the broccoli, and cooked it for 3 more.) Drain the pasta and broccoli and return it to the pan. Stir in the cauliflower sauce and serve topped with sautéed mushrooms.
Cooking time (duration): 45
Number of servings (yield): 8
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 288 calories, 13 calories from fat, 1.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 67.8mg sodium, 865.5mg potassium, 56.9g carbohydrates, 6.7g fiber, 4.6g sugar, 13.7g protein, 5.1 points.
Copyright © Susan Voisin 2006. All rights reserved. Please do not repost recipes or photos to other websites.
Jana
Hello! I’m new to your recipes and this is a good one. I had a few substitutions and a small problem. I didn’t make sure the cauliflower was mushy before I blended it in the food processor so it didn’t come out creamy but I kept boiling it so it’s fine; I had too much water, so I needed some to evaporate. I didn’t have nutritional yeast, so I added about a quarter cup of quinoa flour which helped it to thicken a bit. Since I’ve got some fresh parsley, I tossed that in too. I added a diced and sauteed onion (they go with everything and I like flavor) and since I I only had about a small handful of baby broccoli, I added some peas. I also sprinkled a bit of daiya cheez (just a sprinkle because it’s all fat) and some sea salt on top just before I dug in. Yummy! Next time, I will use vegetable broth and low calorie almond milk instead of water with the cauliflower…and,hopefully, Ill remember to check the cauliflower before pureeing it. Thank you, Jana
Sandi
Susan, this was very good, but the cauliflower mixture didn’t become a sauce; rather, it was just blended cauliflower in water. What did I do wrong, and how could I make it more of a sauce instead of just chopped up cauliflower?
Sandi
Susan, this was very good, but the cauliflower mixture didn’t become a sauce; rather, it was just blended cauliflower in water. What did I do wrong, and how could I make it more of a sauce instead of just chopped up cauliflower?
Jeff
so my wife and I are starting …sort of a vegan diet. Sort of because we are just starting out, but my wife has a brain injury, then developed a seizure disorder 18 years after the initial injury, then developed fibromyalgia symptoms as well as TMJ symptoms. We have been primarily vegan for the past 3 weeks. She has had remarkable success and I can only tell that she is complaining far less about her previously consistent/constant aches and pains. after about a week of fairly diligent vegan eating I watched her bit into this carrot purchased at local farmers market. My jaw dropped 14 days earlier we were smashing or blending her food just so she could get it down. All she said about the large diameter carrot was “uhm this is so good’ So thrilled to see her delight in food and life again. We still have a long way to go and I’m a pretty hardcore carnivore, but going meatless is much easier due to sites and recipes like yours.
Made this recipe tonight for Friday night dinner and it is not alfredo sauce, but it is awesome, amazing, and in many ways better tasting than alfredo. Problem is I ate double the portion, but really I feel that is your fault not mine. After dinner I looked at nutritional facts and realized I had forgotten the nutritional yeast. So I went back and just sprinkled it on top of my second half of pasta and it was even more amazing.
I have 2 questions if you have time to respond. 1)we are not wine drinkers ( I will drink it if it is in the house) do you think we could get away with using rice wine vinegar? or something else? 2) we heard something about possibly getting too much vitamin B-12 from nutritional yeast. We both like it on popcorn, and for me clearly more was better on this recipe. do you know if I have to worry about over doing it with nutritional yeast? Thanks again you are helping to change our lives for a much healthier way, and if that is true for us I’m sure it is true for many others. Peace.
Jeff