Great ingredients inspire, and recipes are the map to creating something wonderful in your kitchen. Whether you saw a dish on a cooking show, tasted it at a friend’s house, or enjoyed it in a restaurant, a recipe helps you recreate that experience or adapt it to your tastes. Start with fresh, natural, minimally processed ingredients whenever possible, and you’ll be well on your way to a healthy, flavorful whole-food meal.
For October Unprocessed I riffed on a favorite: Fettuccine al Limone from C&O in Marina Del Rey. Their original combines perfectly cooked pasta with a creamy, cheesy sauce and a bright lemon note. To make the dish my own and a bit healthier, I added fresh asparagus and green onions for texture and flavor. Since the dish was turning green, I swapped lemon for lime and, to avoid an extra trip to the store, replaced vodka with a splash of white rum I already had on hand.
I also wanted a creamy sauce without dairy. Raw nuts are commonly used as the base for vegan cream sauces, and the recipe I found called for cashews, which I didn’t have—so I used macadamia nuts. The result was still a little thin, even after a splash of soy milk, so I tossed in a ripe avocado. The avocado transformed the mixture into a thick, silky, and luscious sauce with an Alfredo-like richness but none of the cholesterol. Garnished with sunflower or pea shoots, it’s green and irresistible—so good I had to stop myself after two helpings.
Green Pasta Supreme
Nancy Rose Eisman
10
25
35
6 servings
Rate Recipe
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw macadamia nuts
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup plain soy milk, not non-fat
- 1 avocado
- zest of 2 Key limes
- 3 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
- a splash of rum, optional
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
- 1 bunch asparagus, about 20 spears, cut in half
- 3 green onions, cut into thin strips
- olive oil
- 12 ounces whole wheat linguine
- handful of green pea shoots for garnish, optional
Instructions
-
Place all sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and lightly green in color. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
-
Slice each asparagus spear lengthwise in half. Heat 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and sauté 4–5 minutes, then add the green onion strips and cook another 2–3 minutes. Season lightly and cover to keep warm.
-
Cook the linguine until al dente, then drain. Add the pasta to the pan with the asparagus and green onions and toss to combine. Add the creamy sauce and toss until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve garnished with pea shoots or other greens if desired.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 52g,
Protein: 12g,
Fat: 23g,
Saturated Fat: 3g,
Sodium: 17mg,
Potassium: 564mg,
Fiber: 7g,
Sugar: 4g,
Vitamin A: 705IU,
Vitamin C: 11.1mg,
Calcium: 74mg,
Iron: 3.5mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!