A sweet accident that turned into one of my new favorite pastas…. so creamy, sweet, garlicky and tangy, this pasta sauce is a healthier alternative to your favorite cheesy sauce.
This sauce gets it’s creaminess from cauliflower and white sweet potato, making it super healthy and light. Use it with any noodle you fancy for a healthy and filling meal!
Mac n cheese is one of the dishes that make vegan cooking so fun. There are so many different ways to do it, all good in different ways. Typically my favorite is a cashew mac, but sometimes that can be too heavy (especially when it’s been 90’s in Portland). This sauce tastes like a lightened version of cashew mac, and cuts out that whole soaking time!
If you have sauce leftovers, which I usually do, they heat up pretty well! If it looks thick, try stirring in a tablespoon of almond milk when heating it up. I love to top mine with red chili flakes for heat and green onion for a touch of freshness. Sriracha is also great with this (I know from experience).
If you try this recipe, let me know what you think by commenting below, or tagging me in your photo on Instagram! @groundedchow
Creamy Garlic Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 box rigatoni
- 1 white sweet potato cubed
- 1/2 cauliflower head cut into branches
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 2 cups no chicken broth sub for veggie broth or water
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 tsp dijon
- 1 Tbs lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp hot sauce I prefer Frank’s Red Hot
- salt and pepper
- 1 green onion, diced optional
- red pepper flakes to garnish optional
Instructions
- Cook your noodles according to package. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add garlic, cook until fragrant. 3-5 minutes. Add sweet potato cubes and cauliflower, then cover with broth. (If they aren’t fully covered, add a bit of water to do so.)
- Bring veggies to a boil, then cover and turn down heat to simmer for 13 minutes.
- Once sweet potato and cauliflower are soft when pierced with a fork, use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer to a blender. IMPORTANT: reserve a cup of the broth you used to cook veggies in.
- To the blender with the vegetables, add nutritional yeast, turmeric, dijon, hot sauce, lemon juice, almond milk, one cup of reserved broth, and a generous shake of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer smooth sauce back into your saucepan, then add noodles. Toss until noodles are coated, dish up into bowls! Top with optional green onion, red pepper flakes, or an extra shake of nutritional yeast!