Oil Free Broccoli “Cheddar” Pasta

Posted on by llbalanced
Oil Free Broccoli "Cheddar" Pasta
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    [post_date] => 2018-02-01 10:19:13
    [post_date_gmt] => 2018-02-01 16:19:13
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    [post_title] => Oil Free Broccoli "Cheddar" Pasta
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    [post_modified] => 2018-04-19 16:18:51
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02.01

What a happy accident this was! That seems to be a theme of my recipes in the last few months: I find a handful of scraps in my kitchen and challenge myself to turn them into something special.

In this case, I had a sweet potato, half an onion, 2 flimsy-looking carrots and half crown of broccoli. I'd also recently ordered a case of Banza Pasta from Thrive Market, and I was eager to start making a dent.

Less than an hour later, I had these absolutely dreamy-creamy vegan broccoli shells!

I'm not sure I could articulate exactly what makes noodles + "cheesy" sauces + broccoli an incomparable trio, but I sure can enjoy it! Especially when you're also getting a mega dose of nutrition.

This pasta dish is full of goodies like Vitamins A, B, C and E, fiber, beta-carotene, folate and sulforaphane, the compound in broccoli with potential cancer-fighting properties. As a result, consuming this delectable dish may help improve digestion, fight inflammation and promote focus and mental clarity. Sounds like a win-win to me!

This recipe makes A LOT of food, so feel free to halve it, if you like. Or go ahead and make the whole batch, then freeze part of it. You can also use my "cheddar cheese" sauce as a dip for a whole host of veggies or chips or drizzled over a baked potato (YES). Potato on potato = happiness. You can also certainly add other toppings or sources of protein: chicken sausage, chickpeas, grilled shrimp...whatever sounds good!

If you give this recipe a try, please tag me on Instagram @lauraleabalanced #llbalanced, so I can see your beautiful creations!

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TOTAL TIME :45minutes
8servings
INGREDIENTS
  • Optional: 1/3 cup raw cashews
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 16 ounces pasta of choice (I like Banza shells; linked below)
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled & diced into 1" pcs (approx 2 rounded cups)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled & diced into 1" pcs (approx 1 cup)
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced into 1" pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond or cashew milk
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon mellow white or sweet miso paste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 head broccoli, chopped into 1" florets (approx 12 ounces)
DIRECTIONS
  1. Add cashews to a bowl of hot tap water and soak 30 minutes - 1 hour. Fill two pots 3/4 way full of water and bring to a boil. One pot should be at least 4 quarts and the other should be at least 6 quarts. Add 1/4 teaspoon sea salt to each pot.
  2. To the smaller pot, add diced sweet potato and carrots, then bring down to a simmer. To the other pot, add pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions, MINUS 1-2 minutes, so noodles are slightly al dente. When pasta is drained and rinsed, set aside. *Note: if using Banza shells, like I did, I boiled them for 8 minutes. Now check your sweet potatoes and carrots—they should be knife-tender. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
  3. Refill your 6 quart pot 1/2 way and bring to a boil again. Add broccoli florets and allow to boil 1 minute, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. To a high powered blender, add cashews, sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, mustard, nutritional yeast, nut milk, miso (if using), 1 teaspoon sea salt, lemon juice and black pepper. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Taste for more salt and/or nutritional yeast. I personally add an extra 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
  4. Chop broccoli florets into small 1/2” pieces (you can leave them larger, but I really love the texture of small broccoli pieces). Add broccoli, pasta, and as much “cheddar cheese” sauce as you like to the same 6 quart pot you’ve been using. Turn heat to low and cook, stirring, until pasta is warmed through. Serve! Pasta will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or 2 months frozen.
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