Cashew Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours, drained
• 2 tablespoon pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 small to medium size garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast*
• 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely ground Himalayan salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 8 oz box of gluten-free rice fettuccine,or other gluten-free pasta
• 1 cup broccoli florets (optional)

Directions:

1. Place in a high powered blender all the ingredients, except for the pasta and broccoli. Blend on low speed then high for 1 minute or until creamy smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium pot and cook, stirring frequently, on medium-low heat for 12 minutes or until heated. The mixture should thicken slightly. If not, whisk in another teaspoon of tapioca starch** that has first been mixed into an equal amount water.
2. While the sauce is heating, cook the pasta in a large pot according to the directions on the package. Stir occasionally, and watch the time so not to overcook. 3 minutes before the cooking time ends, add the broccoli florets, if using.
3. When the pasta is done and the broccoli is crisp-tender, strain in a colander then transfer to a serving platter. Top with the heated sauce and serve with extra sauce for anyone who wants to add more.

Variations:

1. Don’t cook the sauce. Instead, while the pasta and broccoli are cooking, blend the sauce for an additional minute or until heated by the friction of the blades. Serve the warm sauce poured over the drained hot pasta and broccoli.
2. For added flavor, mix into the heated sauce 1 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or oregano, or 1 teaspoons Italian seasoning.
3. Instead of pasta, poor the sauce over boiled or steamed asparagus or other vegetables. Just prepare the vegetables, place them in a steamer basket and lower it into a pot filled 1/4 of the way with boiling water. It’s okay if the water touches the vegetables a little, but not a lot. Cover the pot with a tight lid to steam until heated yet still firm.
4. Try the sauce poured over spaghetti squash. Just cut the squash in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, place on a baking sheet rind side up and bake at 350˚F for 40 minutes or until fork tender. Run a fork through the inside to remove the strands. Serve the squash with the sauce poured on top.

Yield:
Makes 4 servings

*Nutritional Yeast is deactivated yeast with a cheesy flavor, making it a perfect cheese substitute in vegan cooking. Many brands are fortified with vitamin B-12, but check the label to be certain.

**A starch, such as tapioca starch, corn starch, or arrowroot can add thickness to a sauce or gravy. Just combine equal amounts of starch and cold water, stirring until a smooth paste forms. This paste is called a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the hot liquid and simmer for 1 minute or until the starchy flavor disappears.