N is for Noodles—Tahini Alfredo

David has really been in to the alphabet lately, and some of his favorite letters are D for David and M for Mommy. He was also pretty hung up on N, but for some reason the only words that I could think of (that I knew he knew) that started with N were no and naughty. Whoops! And then it occurred to me that noodles, one of David’s favorites, was a word starting with N! So I made some yummy noodles tonight while we entertained one of David’s buddies for dinner. Both boys ate two bowls of pasta—and so did Irving and i!

Did you think that plant based eating meant giving up creamy pastas? Or that it could only be achieved by using pureed tofu? Guess again! This creamy pasta is full of flavor, nutrients, and is so delicious! Better yet, the entire meal can be made in the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta. Broccoli, peas, olives, and mushrooms fill this dish with yummy vitamins, while tahini lends its creaminess for a rich sauce—without an overpowering tahini flavor (you probably wouldn’t guess it was there).

I made this last week with long spinach and whole wheat spaghetti noodles for a sophisticated dish. I prepared it again this week with some kid friendly small rotini pasta since I was feeding two toddlers. Short pasta is so much easier for them to scoop with a fork, and it means that so much less falls on my floor! Make this soon—it’s a real winner in our house!

Tahini Alfredo, adapted from Chloe’s Kitchen
16 oz pasta (one box)
1 c frozen peas
3 c frozen broccoli, broken into bite size pieces
½ c kalmata olives, sliced
2 T olive oil
6 oz mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 c rice milk (or other unsweetened non-dairy milk)
1 c water
¼ c cornstarch
2 T tahini paste
1 T soy sauce (omit and adjust salt for a soy free dish!)
3 cloves garlic
1 t onion powder
½ c pine nuts, toasted

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in pan (I like to use a large pot so I can add the pasta into it later). Add sliced mushrooms and sautee until browned. Add olives. Give it a good stir and turn off heat.

Add milk, water, tahini, cornstarch, nutmeg, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, and salt and pepper to your blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into small sauce pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring, to thicken slightly.

Add pasta to boiling water. When 1 minute from done, add frozen peas and broccoli. Finish cooking and drain well. Add pasta, peas and broccoli to pot with mushrooms and olives. Pour cream sauce over top and mix well. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and serve.