Cauliflower Cashew Alfredo Pasta with Tempeh Bacon

This delicious dairy-free cauliflower & cashew alfredo pasta with tempeh bacon takes less than 30 minutes to make and is a simple and super tasty dinner. The creamy sauce is a mix of boiled cauliflower, cashews, garlic, water and spices, and it’s completely dairy-free! The tempeh is shredded then tossed in spices and roasted for about 20 minutes. Toss everything together and enjoy this plant-based version of a “carbonara”!

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2/3 small or 1/3 large cauliflower (about 250-275g)
• 1 block of tempeh (around 200g)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free)
• 1 tsp paprika (smoked or regular)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp maple syrup or agave
• Pasta (about 220g, gluten-free if needed)
• 1/2 cup thawed frozen peas (optional)
• Chopped fresh basil or parsley to serve

Cauliflower Cashew Sauce

• Boiled cauliflower (above)
• 1/3 cup roasted unsalted cashews
• 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2-3/4 tsp salt
• Squeeze of lemon juice (approx 1 tsp)
• 3/4 cup oat milk or water (+ up to 1/4 cup extra)

Equipment

• Grater
• Lined baking sheet
• 2 small pots
• Blender

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Shred the tempeh into a small-medium mixing bowl, then add olive oil, soy sauce, paprika, garlic powder and maple syrup/agave, and mix well. Spread out evenly on the lined baking sheet and toss in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Stir after 10, 15 and 20 minutes (approx) and roast until golden-dark brown.
3. Add water to two pots and bring to a boil for the cauliflower and to cook the pasta.
4. Roughly chop the cauliflower into a few pieces then boil for about 7 minutes, until softened.
5. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Add frozen peas to the pot with the pasta 2 minutes before draining the pasta.
6. Once the cauliflower is boiled, add to a blender with cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic cloves, salt, lemon juice, and water/oat milk and blend until smooth. Add up to 1/4 cup extra liquid if needed to make the creamy sauce more liquid.
7. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, mix in the creamy alfredo sauce. Serve, topping with the tempeh bacon and fresh basil/parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

*If you are saving some for leftovers, store the pasta and peas separately from the sauce. Heat the pasta in the microwave, then mix in the sauce (this will keep the creaminess!).

*Depending on the strength of your blender, you may need to soak cashews in boiling water before blending. I find the best blender for cashews is a bullet blender!