Back on track with easy family friendly weekday meals. This one has been on our repertoire lately a lot, so I thought it’d be time to share it with you my friends; Vegan green spaghetti alfredo with all the green veggies.
Healthy and vegan alfredo is the base for this creamy sauce. To hide some of the veggies I blend a lot of them in it. My kids think it is cool the sauce is green (WIN!). So technically it is not a white (alfredo) sauce, but a green one (any Hulk or the Grinch lovers out there?).
How I make this vegan green spaghetti alfredo with all the green veggies?
The white vegan alfredo sauce: 2 options
First option: Cashew base. I soak cashews in water overnight. The next day I drain and wash them and blend them together with plant based milk or water, lemon juice, garlic & onion, dried oregano, salt + pepper and optionally some nutritional yeast (don’t worry, if you don’t have it or can’t get it, you can leave it out, but if you do it will amp up your sauce).
Option 2: Use queso blanco/fresco or (vegan/dairy free) cream cheese as your white sauce base and blend it together with garlic, shallot, salt+pepper, dried oregano and some lemon juice.
The green sauce
So when the white cashew sauce is ready (or when you use queso blanco/fresco or (vegan/dairy free put that in your blender), I add olive oil, spinach and/or kale, and basil to it in the blender bowl. I blend it all together for a minute or so into a smooth sauce.
All the green veggies
You can be flexible here. For steamed vegetables I usually go for broccoli and green beans, but asparagus are a great option as well. Sautéed veggies can be zucchini and even mushrooms. You can also quickly sauté some of the steamed veggies to give them a charred edge, like green beans, asparagus and broccoli.
Putting the meal together
I boil water to prepare the spaghetti in a large soup pot. I prefer to use whole wheat spaghetti, but any type of (gluten free) pasta works. Or even better… zucchini noodles!
In another soup pot I bring a bit of water to boil to steam the veggies in.
In a hot skillet I quickly sauté the other veggies in some olive oil.
In the meantime, I gently heat up the vegan green alfredo sauce on low, making sure it never gets to boil. Once the spaghetti is ready, I drain it and add it to the sauce. I swirl it around to get the sauce to stick to the pasta.
I divide the spaghetti over plates, top it with all the green veggies and garnish it with toasted almonds and chopped fresh herbs like basil, parsley and mint.
I love this vegan green spaghetti alfredo with all the green veggies. It is so easy and quick to make, and my boys gobble it all up in no time! I hope you will have success with this easy weekday meal as well. It is
wholesome – easily adjustable – easy and quick to make – so creamy – and pretty darn delicious!
Yet another healthy, quick and easy family weekday meal! Need more inspo? What about this mediterranean fish stew with herb crumble, broccoli and chicken coconut popcorn, lentil quinoa bolognese or this rosemary white bean tomato stew?
Vegan green spaghetti alfredo with all the green veggies
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
White sauce (option 1)*
- 1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water overnight)
- ¾ cup water or plant-based milk
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
White sauce (option 2)*
- 2 cups (vegan) cream cheese (or use queso blanco or fresco)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
The green sauce ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cups spinach (or sub kale, or 1 cup spinach + 1 cup kale)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
All the green veggies
- 1 cup green beans (and/or green asparagus)
- 1 head broccoli (in florets)
- 1 small zucchini (in wedges)
- 1 cup mushrooms (cut in half)(optional)
Pasta of choice
- 300 gr pasta of choice (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
Garnishing (optional)
- ¼ cup sliced almond (toasted in a skillet)
- 1 handful fresh herbs (chopped)(like basil, parsley and/or mint)
Instructions
The white sauce
- Option 1 Cashew base: Soak cashews in water overnight. Drain the next day, wash and blend them together with plant-based milk or water, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, dried oregano, salt, pepper and optionally nutritional yeast. Option 2 cream cheese base: .Blend together cream cheese, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
The green sauce
- I add olive oil, spinach and/or kale, and basil to the white sauce in the blender bowl. Blend it all together for 1-2 minutes into a smooth sauce.
Prepare the pasta
- Bring water to boil. Add pasta and prepare according to instructions on package.
Putting the meal together
- In another pot bring a bit of water to boil to steam the veggies in. Once the water is boiling, add the veggies and steam for only 1-2 minutes. They should still be crunchy. Once ready, drain and set aside.
- Heat up a skillet and add olive oil to quickly sauté the other veggies. Once again, they should still be crunchy with just a bit of a char. 1-2 minutes they should be enough.
- In the meantime, heat up the vegan green alfredo sauce in a large sauce pan on low. Make sure it never gets to boil. Once the spaghetti is ready, drain it and add it to the sauce. Swirl it around to get the sauce to stick to the pasta.
- Divide the spaghetti over plates, top it with all the green veggies and garnish with toasted almonds and chopped fresh herbs like basil, parsley and mint.
Notes
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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