Rich and Smooth Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Sauce is a vegan, dairy free, nut free alternative for pasta with cheese.
My philosophy for allergen-free cooking is to focus on the ingredients you CAN have and to get creative with how you prepare them. I tend to not spend too much time on “replica foods”; I’m not chasing someone else’s favorite childhood meal, I have my own. An alternative ingredient, such as an allergen-free butter or milk sub, are great to have in your kitchen though.
Replica cheeses are something I have not really dabbled in. As a kid I ate a rice cheese, which I was not too fond of. The taste and texture reminded me of plastic. Eventually the brand added whey powder to the recipe and I had a reaction to it. My family and I learned the importance of reading labels every time after that experience, however it has caused me to be weary of faux cheeses ever since. I have started buying nutritional yeast, my first foray into the faux in a long time. While developing this recipe I had originally set out to just do a great creamy cauli sauce, but I noticed online and through conversations that people often associate these sauces with dairy alternatives, so I thought I’d follow suit. After all, it does look like parmesan cheese, doesn’t it? So let’s call this recipe a replacement for cream or cheese sauces.
Free from: peanuts, nuts, dairy, soy, egg, fish, shellfish
Alternatives: Use your preferred allergy safe pasta, whether it be a wheat pasta or a gluten-free noodle
Ingredients
1.5 cups cauliflower florets
4 whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp water
2 servings cooked farfalle, or whatever cut shape you prefer
3 cups fresh baby arugula
flaky sea salt and lots of pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the cauliflower into florets and toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil and the whole garlic cloves. Spread them out on the lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour, or until crisp and golden brown
Puree 1/2 cup of the roasted cauli and all 4 garlic cloves (peeled) with the remaining olive oil and the lemon juice, until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss together the hot pasta, arugula, remaining roast cauli, and cauli sauce. Serve nice and hot.
serves 2
