Fettuccine “Alfredo”
with Peas and Crisp Shiitakes
Everyone craves something indulgent once in a while, and this creamy sauce is just that. Made from silken tofu, it blends to a beautiful consistency in the food processor with the addition of tart lemon and savory nutritional yeast. While you’re making the sauce, the shiitake mushrooms will be crisping up in the oven; if you smell them roasting, take a peek and turn the pan if necessary to ensure even cooking. Here we use only half of the silken tofu, but we hope you can pop the rest into a smoothie in the morning for a creamy protein boost, or cook it up in some olive oil and use as a salad topper.
INGREDIENTS
- Salt*
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil*
- Salt and pepper*
- 1 onion
- Garlic**
- 1 lemon
- 1 package soft silken tofu
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 pound fettuccine
- Fresh parsley
- 1 cup peas
- *not included
- **one head of garlic included in one of the meal bags
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 400ºF. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Clean the mushrooms by rubbing them with a damp towel. Trim and discard the stems; slice the caps and put them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Trim, peel, and chop the onion and 4 garlic cloves. Rinse and halve the lemon; juice it into a small bowl.
Roast the mushrooms until they’re slightly crisped on one side, about 10 minutes. Turn them and continue roasting until they’re crisp on both sides, another 3 to 5 minutes.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the onions and garlic and cook until they’re softened, 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer them to a food processor and add the tofu, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the nutritional yeast, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes total.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and and stir occasionally. Start tasting it after 7 minutes; it should be tender but not mushy. When it’s done, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta into a colander. Rinse and dry the parsley; trim the toughest stems and chop the leaves.
Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the tofu mixture, pasta, peas, and the reserved cooking water and stir until it’s warmed through. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice if you’d like. Serve the pasta topped with the crisped shiitakes and chopped parsley.
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