Pureed summer squash teams up with olive oil, cashews, and nutritional yeast to create a creamy mushroom sauce that’s both decadent and vegan.
ingredients
3 oz (6 Tablespoons) Olive Oil
5 grams (2-3 Cloves) Fresh Garlic, sliced
2 Pounds Summer Squash or Zucchini, chopped or grated
1 oz (2 Tablespoons) Canola or Vegetable Oil
12 Oz Mushrooms of choice, sliced
1-15 oz Can (8 oz Beans) Cannellini , Northern White or Navy Beans, drained
1 Pound Pasta, such as penne or rotini
4 quarts Water, for cooking pasta (reserve 4 cups after cooking)
2 Tablespoons Table Salt, for cooking pasta
1.5 oz (1/2 cup) Nutritional Yeast
1 Ounce (2 tablespoons/ about 1/2 lemon) Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Ounces (1/2 Cup) Cashews
1-2 Teaspoons Table Salt, approximate, to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper
optional toppings
Toasted Nuts, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, or pecans
Pine Nuts
Fresh Herbs, such as parsley or thyme, chopped
Fried Sage Leaves
deviations & tips
Summer squash such as yellow squash, patty pan or zucchini works best.
Top with herbs and nuts as desired.
the method
In a saute pan or skillet, heat 6 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add squash or zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture is released and starts to evaporate, about 5 minutes. The squash should be soft and translucent but not mushy. The mixture will be watery but when you run a spatula through the mixture, the line should hold for a couple seconds. Add garlic and saute for a couple seconds until fragrant. Add mixture to your blender or food processor and set aside. Wipe your pan clean and set aside.
Place a colander in a larger bowl or pan and place in the sink. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons table salt. Add pasta and cook until al dente or according to package instructions. Drain into colander set over bowl. Remove colander and pasta; set aside. Reserve about 4 cups of that pasta water and discard the rest.
Add about 2 cups of the reserved pasta water to the squash mixture. If using a blender, be sure to let pasta water cool slightly before blending. Add nutritional yeast, cashews, and lemon juice. Blend for about 2 minutes or until completely smooth and pureed. Taste and add additional salt, about a 1/4 teaspoon at a time, if needed, to taste.
In your saute pan or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil to pan over high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with a little salt and saute until browned and a little charred. Reduce heat to medium and pour in squash mixture and beans. Cook until warm and add salt and copious amounts of fresh ground pepper to taste.
Add pasta and heat over medium low for a minute or two to incorporate sauce into pasta. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more of the reserved pasta water. If desired, top with herbs or nuts.
Rotini with Shiitake and cremini mushrooms, cannellini beans, and parsley