Creamy Vegan Pasta

Have you heard of nutritional yeast?  I had not. So when I found this yummy-sounding recipe for Creamy Vegan Pasta, I was surprised as I tried to line up all the ingredients and found Nutritional Yeast on the list. 
 
How had I not heard of this before? It has 5g of protein per serving, and is packed with B vitamins, and is an excellent source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid and Vitamins B6 and B12. It is used as an additive to add a savory cheese-like flavor to vegan recipes. I found it next to the regular yeast in the supermarket aisle.
 
This recipe is from one of my favorite blogs, Love and Lemons. I could not get my kids to eat it, but I thought it was as yummy as I expected.  So this is a Working Mom Dinner but for my house – it’s only really for you and maybe one other possible diner. Plus I found that the sauce was really only enough for two servings.  (Perhaps I was heavy handed since it was yummy.) Another option is to save the second serving for an easy lunch the next day.

If you live in Atlanta and have been to Mirko Pasta, this sauce reminds me of that fabulous white bean dip they serve with your fresh Italian bread. Yum.
 
On the Love and Lemons website, they also recommend experimenting with this dish.  Some of their suggestions include:

1. Switch the vegetables. Trying roasted broccoli, roasted cauliflower, brussels sprouts, roasted tomatoes, or market-fresh asparagus in the Spring.
2. Skip the actual pasta and try this sauce over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles. 
3. Spice it up. Try adding few pinches of red pepper flakes or pickled jalapenos.
4. Get creative with flavor add-ins like chopped sun-dried tomatoes, pesto or fresh basil leaves.  

If you try this one, please let me know how it turns out. And let me know if your kids like it, too.

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Creamy Vegan Pasta (serves 4)
Ingredients:

• 2½ cups small shell pasta
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 5 cups broccoli florets, chopped stems, and leaves (keep stems separate)
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• lemon wedges, for serving

For the creamy vegan pasta sauce:

• 1½ cups cooked white beans, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup vegetable broth, more as needed
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast*
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Make the sauce: In a blender, combine the white beans, broth, lemon juice, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package, cooking until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the chopped broccoli stems and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Add the broccoli florets and leaves and a splash of water or vegetable broth. Cover and turn off the heat.
5. Allow the broccoli to steam for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender but still bright green. Add the pasta, then stir in ¾ of the sauce, adding more broth if the sauce is too dry.
6. Season to taste with more salt, pepper and lemon juice, as desired, and portion into bowls. Divide the remaining sauce onto each bowl. Top with the pine nuts and serve with lemon wedges on the side.