Creamy "Alfredo Pasta" with Spring Vegetables

This "fettucine alfredo" came out exactly as I was dreaming it would. YUM!! It seriously tastes like alfredo sauce but doesn't have any dairy in it. I will be making this again and doubling the recipe!

Recipe from Against All Grain

Serves 4. I will definitely double it next time. It takes a lot of work, but it's soooo worth it.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium zucchini, peeled and sliced into thin noodles (using a julienne peeler or spiral slicer)
• 1 cup asparagus pieces
• 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 2 ounces prosciutto (omit for vegan and add ¼ teaspoon salt)
• ½ cup frozen peas
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 4 cups boiling water
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• dash of white pepper
• dash of nutmeg

Garnish with toasted pine nuts and fresh basil

Instructions:

Boil the 4 cups water, then add cashews and turn off heat. Soak them in the boiling water for 30 minutes.

Bring another large pot of water to a boil, then add the zucchini noodles and blanch quickly for 1-2 minutes. Remove the noodles with a slotted spoon and place in a colander. Immediately run cold water over them then turn them out onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Set off to the side until your sauce is done.

Add the asparagus to the same pot of water and cook for about 3 minutes until tender but still crisp. Drain the water and set the asparagus off to the side.

Sauté the prosciutto and mushrooms in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Reduce heat to low while you make the sauce.

Drain the cashews or scoop out with a slotted spoon and reserve the soaking water. Blend the cashews with 1 cup of the soaking water in a blender. Add the lemon juice, nutmeg, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic and blend to a smooth sauce.

Add the sauce, asparagus, and the peas to the mushrooms and prosciutto and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and remove from heat.

If your sauce is a little too thick, add a bit of the cashew water to help thin it out.

Serve the sauce over the zucchini noodles garnished with toasted pine nuts and fresh basil.

The pasta will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Some water will gather at the bottom of your container because of the zucchini. You can drain it before heating, or simply stir it into the sauce to help thin it as it thickens when chilled.