In an effort to limit my dairy intake, (my ND actually wants me to stay away from it completely but I can't completely give up cheese!), I've been playing around with things like cashew cream. I saw this amazing recipe from Bon Apetit for a creamy fettuccine pasta with fresh vegetables and wanted to see if I could do it dairy and grain-free. The recipe for Creamy Pesto “Pasta” with Spring Vegetables follows.
I was so happy with the outcome of this dish. I lowered the amount of prosciutto the original recipe called for because it was a little too salty. You can leave it out completely for a fully vegan dish, and the sauce still tastes amazing. It is still a rich dish, but I love all of the fresh vegetables. In all of it's richness I would expect it to ring in at over 1,000 calories but to my surprise each serving is only 340 calories!
I just love all of the vibrant green colors of this dish as we're finally coming into Spring. Usually when I do a pasta dish, I use spaghetti squash, but since the dish already used so many green vegetables I thought zucchini noodles would compliment them well. If you've never made them before, they're super easy. I like to blanch them quickly to help them soften a bit, but you could totally eat them raw too. You can use one of these handy (and cheap!) julienne slicers or a super cool spiral slicer. Either way will work, but I love the spiral slicer because you get long continuous strands that really resemble noodles and it also automatically discards the center of the vegetable so you are left with virtually no seeds.
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom
I can’t wait to try this! Now it’s time to get my zucchini seeds and get them growing :-)! Looks like you’ve got some celery in there as well…?
Against All Grain
No celery. I think you may see the asparagus in the photo. It looks like it has ribs like celery for some reason in the photo!
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom
Oh – I’d like to ask which way you like to prepare the zucchini noodles. I would like a sturdy, quick way to do it. Do you have a spiral slicer that you like? Thanks in advance!
Against All Grain
Hi Adrienne – I used the little OXO julienne slicer for these and found them to be just fine! If you’re going to eat them raw, I’d recommend the spiral slicer. The one I linked to in the recipe seems to work just fine for me! It got great reviews on Amazon and was the most affordable. I know Jenni from Urban Poser loves her Vertical Spiral Slicer (it’s the green one on amazon) too. I don’t use mine as often as a Raw Foodie would so it does the trick for me!
Vicky
This is a great Spring time recipe! I would opt for your vegan option of course 🙂
Against All Grain
I hope you give it a try!
Amber
Hi Danielle,
Just gorgeous! I can’t wait to try this. I’ve attempted to make a cashew based fettucini alfredo sauce a few times, but I wasn’t thrilled with the results. This is perfect!
Hugs,
–Amber
Against All Grain
Thanks Amber! I hope you like it. I think the lemon juice is a nice touch to the sauce and I definitely like the prosciutto if you can eat it. I found a nitrate free one at Whole Foods. For dairy-eating folks, I would sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top but my husband is doing the Clean diet so I wanted to make sure it was dairy-free.
Amber
Hello Friend,
You’ve been tagged with the Liebster Blog award! I thank you for your wondering blog and your dedicated to health and healing! You’re an inspiration!
Hugs,
–Amber
https://www.thetastyalternative.com/2012/04/liebster-blog-award-sharing-our.html
Sabine
Soooo making this! Sometimes you need inspiration, and this is it! Thanks for posting!
Michele
I’m interested in this cashew-cream idea. My sister makes a cashew milk that she says has been the best alternative for a coffee creamer and this makes me think it’s worth a try… have you ever experimented with hazelnuts in that way? (More for the coffee thing than the pasta – though, thank you for the pasta recipe. It’s what my husband misses most from mainstream eating).
Against All Grain
Hi Michele – I’m not sure that hazelnuts would work but it’s always worth a try! That would taste so yummy in coffee!
Vicky
I am trying to test out a gluten free dairy free diet and this recipe sounds perfect. I’ve never used cashew cream before but am very curious to see how it tastes!
Against All Grain
Vicky – it’s so versatile! I use it in place of cream in a lot of dishes like my chicken tikka masala or “cream” of mushroom soup!
thatgirldownsouth
I’m eating strict paleo right now in an effort to get back on track to a healthier me. I LOVE cheese and dairy but it makes me huge and leaves my face looking like a 13 y/o. I’m going to give this alternative a try. Does this blanching and blending work with all nuts? Have you used any other nut for this method? Seems like it could make a very versatile base for a lot of sauces.
Against All Grain
I think you’ll really like it! I soak almonds for homemade almond milk but I think cashews work best for sauces. They have virtually no flavor before they are roasted/salted etc. so they work really nicely as a cream alternative without giving the dish a nutty taste. I use it for my chicken tikka masala and cream of mushroom soup as well!
Line
I have just tried this recipe and I confirm, it is to die for! So much flavor playing around with this dish. Next time, I will add a few shrimps or chicken to the mix so me and hubby don’t need to eat the whole thing in one sitting…good job on this one for sure.
Against All Grain
So happy you enjoyed it!
Brittanie
I love the way you used the cashew cream to replace dairy and cheese. Why is it so hard to give up cheese?!? I, too, am struggling with this one. Thanks for the great replacement. Please let me know if you have any more ideas like this that might satisfy my cheese tooth….
Leigh Ann
I made this tonight. What fun! With all the flavor, I think you’re not missing out if you don’t include the prosciutto (in case any potential vegetarians are wondering). I’m passing this recipe along. It would be fun to make for visitors too–something unexpected.
Against All Grain
Happy to hear you liked it!
Leng
I made a vegetarian version of this and its absolutely rocks! I didnt have artichoke but had aubergine so used that and also added some chilli when sauteeing my mushrooms… I have brought some in for lunch and my colleagues also love it! Thanks so much!!
Against All Grain
So great to hear!
Charity
Random Question!
Are you boiling the cashews for 30 minutes. Or bringing water to a boil, turning off heat, and letting the cashews sit for 30 minutes?
Thanks! This looks delicious!
Against All Grain
Boiling water then pouring it over the cashews and letting them sit. I’ll add a note, I’ve had a few people ask!
Shannon Brown
I miss pasta (A LOT) but haven’t tried using zucchini. Does it give you a mouth feel similar to pasta or do I just need to get over it and enjoy it as zucchini? 🙂
Lisa
I am trying to eat whole, heathy, grainfree while doing Weight Watchers. It is mostly a complimentary process but the nut based items with grain free have been a challange. The cashews put me into the danger zone with this recipe. It sounds wonderful and since I am not dairy free I am going to substitute the cashew cream with herbed yogurt for the cream. I love the all the veg!
Maggiemac
I have been making recipes from your site for awhile now, but I have never commented. I truly love your blog. You take such a sophisticated approach to recipes. Every one I have tried has been excellent and really well thought out. Thank you so much! This particular recipe is my favorite. It is like culinary magic! Everyone in my family loves this recipe. That includes my 8 and 13 year old daughters. Thanks so much for being so amazing!
Against All Grain
Thank you for leaving a comment Maggie! I love hearing from everyone and I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed everything you’ve tried! We love this one too!
Tessa@Domestic Diva
Wow Danielle, this was FAB! I was a little skeptical reading the ingredients, thinking the sauce might be lacking, but b/c I trusted you, I left it alone and loved it!! Going grain free is easy with delicious foods like this to eat!
Against All Grain
Thanks for trusting me 🙂 I’m glad you didn’t change anything!
Mary
Love this idea! Very simliar to beschamel with the addition of the nutmeg. Genius!
I know cheese was hard for me to give up but I’ve made my own from coconut milk.
Wendy
This is just great! I used bacon grease instead of olive oil since I didn’t have prosciutto, and we didn’t have basil, but it was still GREAT! Even our 4 and 2 year olds gobbled it up.
I think that sauce will have to be used for stroganoff served on riced cauliflower!
Steppa
Does anyone know roughly how many calories there are in this dish per serving??? I am trying to gain weight but in a healthy manner and am trying to find recipes that sort of follow a paleo lifestyle but provide a high amount of calories.
Thanks,
Steppa
Jen Springstead
I added chicken to mine and omitted the peas, but I calculated my version at 365 calories.
Caitlin
I used capers instead of peas and really enjoye it!
Marisa
Hi – I am new to your blog today and loving what I found !! Lots of amazing ideas ! Just a question – I noticed some of your recipes call for cashews, any substitues due to allergies?
Thanks !!!
Against All Grain
Sorry no there aren’t. The cashews are used because they lack flavor before being cooked and make great dairy free sauces or create fluffy baked goods without the nut taste. I have tons of other recipes not using cashews though!
Amy
Just made this and it is fantastic! I’m a newby when it comes to clean eating and now I want to try all your recipes! I have a 16 month daughter and I can’t tell you how awesome it feels to have her eating such good food 🙂 she loved this 😉 I’ve told a lot of my friends and family about your site and now I can’t wait to tell them how amazing your recipes are. Your site is so cool as well! Can you tell I’m a fan?! :0) Thanks again!!
Mary Ann
I look forward to trying this recipe. I have one question about Cashews. Are they paleo? I thought they were like a legume like peanuts. Just curious. I am not completely paleo so do use other things that I shouldn’t but was just wondering. Thanks for your recipes!
Against All Grain
Great question! https://www.marksdailyapple.com/is-it-primal-8-foods-scrutinized/
Joi Reece
I tried this recipe and it was exceptionally delish! My coworkers wouldn’t stop asking to taste it. Bravo!
Rachel Avramovic
Can this work with Coconut Milk instead of the cashews?
Against All Grain
I would not recommend it.
Stacy
Thanks so much for the recipe! Made this tonight for my family (I have twins too-4 yrs old). I added snap peas and chicken. It was delicious!
Cristie Kalish
Hi, I made this and the whole family loves it, it is the best of my 2 fav’s, it tastes like alfredo with the texture of pesto. I am making it again tonight. This recipe is awesome!!!!!!!
Kathie
This recipe was amazing!!!
Kristi Carter
I made this tonight with cauliflower instead of cashews (realized I didn’t have any on hand) and it turned out amazing! Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Jen Springstead
I adore this recipe. It was a lot of details to make happen all at once with a 3 year old underfoot, but it was worth it. Wow, I have missed Alfredo sauce. This was the closest I have come in several recipes. Thank you!
I do have a couple of questions though:
Do I need the boiling water, or can I just soak the cashews for a couple of hours room temperature?
What is the purpose of cooling the noodles and laying them on the cookie sheet?
It tasted like perfection, I just wanted to know the reasoning behind these two pieces.
Again, thank you!
Against All Grain
The boiling water just speeds things up a bit. Placing the noodles on the sheet of paper towel helps to drain out more of the liquid that zucchini holds
Gabrielle
I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS. I added sundried tomatoes in with the sauce and it was fantastic. Then I made your chocolate chip cookies for dessert 🙂 my boyfriend (who is a real chef, unlike me, haha) LOVED IT and would not stop talking about how great this meal was.
Kelly
Will definitely add this into our rotation. LOVED it and so did my husband and 1 kid…. Used lemon chicken with the veggies. Super delish. Thanks for all your hard work creating healthy meals that are even better than their gluten/dairy counterparts.
heidi
Made this last night for dinner and just loved it. I did make a few changes and used frozen peas, cubed hap, mushrooms, tomatoes and grilled corn. Have enough sauce left to freeze for later! Thank you for another great recipe
Vicky V
I just finished making this and it truly is fabulous! I am amazed at the exquisite flavor. At what point do you add the asparagus? Thank you for this one!
Against All Grain
Oops, I forgot to add it, thanks for catching that! You’re going to add the asparagus in step #6 🙂
Claire
I just made this and it was absolutely amazing!!! I added 1/2 an avocado to the sauce because I accidentally added too much of the soaking water and it was way too thin. The avocado thickened it perfectly. I also topped with sun-dried tomatoes! YUM! I also subbed spaghetti squash because I did not have the proper tools to make the zucchini noodles. Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Lucy
I just made this tonight, wow is an understatement, I am strict paleo so I did not add the peas but my oh my, my 9 year old daughter that absolutely adores pasta with Alfredo sauce loved it, my husband, could not believe that the sauce was made out of cashews, me, I just felt like I have gone to heaven, seriously the best dish I have had in months. Thank you so much for sharing, I definitely gotta check out your book, congrats btw 🙂
Alexis
This was delicious even though I accidentally boiled the cashews for the entire 30 minutes. We accidentally also just ate it ALL so it ended up being a lot of calories!
Emily
Do you dehydrate the “noodles” even with this recipe?
Against All Grain
For this one, I only blanch them as described in the instructions
Against All Grain
Nope, just follow the instructions 🙂
Bibiana
I’m so glad I found your site. I started Paleo due to unexplained chronic migraines. Two weeks in, and my headaches are much better already. I’ve really been missing pasta (I’m Italian), so this really helps. I don’t really like asparagus and it’s not a fall veggie, so I used broccoli. Turned out great! Thank you so much.
Monica M
Bought your book about two weeks ago, finally got time to look through it. Has a lot of great recipes, can’t wait to try them all.
Juliana
This is the very first recipe I’ve tried from your blog (just made it tonight) and I have only wonderful things to say about it!! Not only did this dish singlehandedly convert me into someone who likes mushrooms (for some reason I always opted out on the mushrooms but I will definitely be cooking more often with them now! :D), it was probably the BEST dinner I have had since going paleo three months ago. When I first tried the sauce, I actually gasped and said, “OH MY GOD” out loud haha I will definitely be using this sauce for other things too! Thank you so much!! I’m gonna browse around your site now and probably bookmark dozens of other great recipes to try in the future! Thanks again!!!! ^_^ <3
Against All Grain
Thank you Juliana!
Erin
This recipe is AMAZING! I’ve made it several times and can’t get over how flavorful it is! Cashews really are a great substitute for dairy. Thanks Danielle!
BethG
Just made this for lunch- sooooo delicious!!! Thanks for sharing all of your fantastic recipes! My family loves them! Sending thoughts & prayers your way!
LizzieLane
Hi Danielle. I’ve never posted on your blog before, & I think for every person who shares their love and appreciation with you, there must be at least 100 silent ones who you’ve also impacted, like me. But your huge heart and generosity simply can’t go un-thanked, so on behalf of all of us who read and are blessed by your kindness and your recipes, but who don’t – for whatever reason – comment, thank u so much. You are an absolutely beautiful woman. I know I and so many others are praying for u and your husband as you navigate this unexpected heartache. May God bless you with His peace and strength, & may u find courage and hope for the future as He ministers to your heart!
PS: I have struggled with Chronic Fatigue for several years now, & find diet makes a big difference. I asked my Dad to order me your book for my 30th bday this year. Yay!! Thank u Danielle.
Lise-Marie Irving
Hi Danielle! Our thoughts are with your family during these trying times. I am at a loss of words to express to you my sadness for you.
I recently found your website and have been making your recipes almost nightly since! We have loved every recipe thus far. Thank you for sharing your culinary skills 🙂
One question about the sauce – how long will it keep in the refrigerator without the noodles added? And do you think it would freeze ok?
Maryellen
I was wondering about freezing the pesto sauce as well.
Elizabeth
I just made this without the asparagus, garlic and tomatoes (allergic to fructans) and it was very filling! I loved it! I’m looking forward to trying out broccoli and cauliflower in this recipe as others have done. Thank you very much!
dmm
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious! I couldn’t believe I was eating a grain and dairy free meal … I am definitely a convert.
amy
i don’t even need the zucchini noodles.This one I could eat with a spoon!Delicious!
Lori
Cashews, which contain the same irritating chemical as poison ivy, make my mouth blister and burn for more than a week after I eat even one. Can another nut be substituted?
Sara
I’ve read you can sub macadamia nuts for cashew and that it tastes like parmesan cheese, but I have not tried it myself.
April Workman
Made this with my family – we are all SO impressed with the sauce and cashews! Love it!
Danielle
There are lots of free nutritional calculators available online that we suggest that you try. All recipes in Meals Made Simple do have nutritional information! ~Eileen