I made the Fettucine Alfonso from Joanne Stepaniak???s ???Ultimate Un-Cheese Cookbook??? because I really wanted to experiment with a bean recipe that wouldn’t taste like beans.
I will admit that this is a recipe (perhaps even an entire cookbook) that may strain the non-vegan’s suspension of disbelief for vegan cuisine, so before we get to the recipe part, let me ask you three questions.
- If there was a recipe for cream sauce that was based almost entirely on inexpensive, non-fattening, fibrous you beans and vegetables, that you could eat as much of as you wanted without even once imagining your arteries thickening with every bite, would you want to sometimes eat that instead of the usual fatty stuff you can get at any old restaurant anywhere?
- Do you like food that takes less than 15 minutes to make?
- Does this look yummy to you?
If the answer to those questions is yes, then read on. You’ve achieved the mindframe necessary to appreciate this recipe.
For the record, this recipe is like the village bicycle and since it’s already been ridden all over the internet, I have no qualms about re-publishing it here in its entirety.
“A power-packed, noble version of the classic Alfredo dish, featuring the venerable ribbon noodle. Serve with a crisp, tossed salad and fresh Italian bread, and your meal is complete.
1 ½ C. frozen corn kernels
1 ½ C. low-fat, non dairy milk or water
2 T. tahini (optional)
1 T. onion powder
1 T. garlic powder* (I, Jill, am adding this in because a pasta sauce without garlic is like… something really crucial without the something-something else that makes it worth doing, or whatever.)
1 tsp. salt
2 cups white beans, cooked (or from a can if you haven’t been paying attention)
1 lb. Fettuccine
Cracked black pepper
- Thaw the corn kernels by transferring them to a mesh strainer and placing them under hot, running tap water. Stir carefully until completely thawed, drain well, and measure.
- Place the beans, corn, milk, tahini, if using, and seasonings in a blender, and process until completely smooth. (It may take several minutes of processing to completely pulverize the corn.) Pour the blended mixture in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium-low until the beans are heated through, stirring often.
- While the sauce is heating, cook the fettuccine in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain well and return to the pot. Add the sauce and toss until evenly coated.
- Serve immediately, topping each portion with a generous amount of cracked pepper.”
Since the whole “cooking” part of this recipe took no time at all, I opted to make my own pasta. Something that doesn’t get enough play in the media these days is how easy it is to make pasta if you have a pasta maker, which, now that really decent cheap knockoffs are everywhere, isn’t even an expensive device to acquire.
My pasta was of the whole-wheat & parsley variety (Just something fun to do with leftover parsley). It’s worth noting that whole wheat pasta from the box can be very depressing and cardboardy, whereas whole wheat pasta made at home is like a gift from really healthy pixies. I don’t think ambrosia is the right word, but trust me when I tell you, you gotta try it.
Pasta Drying
Servings:4 (2 now, 2 later)
Verdict: This is okayyy with fettucine, but I found it really worked best the next day over fusili with lots of vegetables. And the sauce is made with CORN! Once you get over how weird that is, its really really cool to think about.
| What it’s cost so far: | |
|---|---|
| beans | $1.27 |
| mushrooms | $2.00 |
| carrots | $1.27 |
| onion | $0.67 |
| turnip | $0.70 |
| cauliflower | $2.47 |
| garlic | $0.46 |
| TOTAL: | $9.84 |
Cumulative total servings for the whole pot ‘o beans: 15
Average cost per serving: $0.65
(Probably closer to $1.00- $1.50 with the real cost of the ingredients I already have… but still… hello… dealsville.)
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