This Cajun Cauliflower Alfredo with Mushrooms and Peppers is the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner to whip up for that special someone.. or ya know, yourself. It’s ultra rich and creamy, just the right level of spiciness and pairs perfectly with a glass of Chardonnay. And garlic bread, lots of garlic bread.
I love Alfredo sauce and I’ve experimented with a lot of different vegan versions, using cauliflower, almond milk, cashews etc. and this is my favorite one yet. It’s also the simplest consisting of primarily cashews and water, but don’t let that fool you. This sauce is rich, decadent, and creamy – everything you want out of an Alfredo sauce (with probably half the calories and fat). If you roast the cauliflower like I recommend, it’ll take about an hour to come together but it’s super easy, I promise.
For this recipe, I used the Cajun Blackening Seasoning from Savory Spice, which I love! First I toss the cauliflower in a whole tablespoon before I roast it and I also add it to the sauce. It gives the cauliflower and the sauce the perfect tangy, zesty cajun zip.
I’ve been watching a ton of Olympics lately and I’m loving it. Of course, I’m watching the figure skating, I mean duh #shibsibs. AND I saw Mirai Nagasu become the third woman ever to land a triple axel at the Olympics! My eyes watered and by that I mean, I cried. Her reaction afterward was so awesome, like screaming, double fist pump, crying, tons of emotion. Watching these incredible athletes is SO inspiring.
I’m also really enjoying watching and learning about some sports I’ve never gotten into before, like curling and halfpipe. Curling is so entertaining and exciting – the precision is just incredible. And Chloe Kim on the halfpipe is INSANE. She makes it look so easy. Anyways, I love watching the Olympics, it’s so exciting!
Okay, let’s bring it back to the focus of this post – Valentine’s Day! What are your plans? I have a basketball game, so I’m going to play some basketball and then I’m going to come home, whip up this Cajun Cauliflower Alfredo with Caleb and have it with some Chardonnay and garlic bread while we watch some more Olympics! Sounds like a good night to me ☺
This Cajun Cauliflower Alfredo is super rich, decadent and creamy with just the right amount of kick from the cajun seasoning! Serve it with some garlic bread and a glass of Chardonnay for the perfect Valentine's Day dinner 😘
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 2 + 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 + 1 tsp salt
- 1 + 1 Tbsp cajun blackening seasoning
- 8 oz penne pasta (or your favorite kind of pasta)
- 2 cups cashews, soaked overnight and drained*
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 cups water
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 8 oz button mushrooms, thinly sliced**
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- For serving (optional) - chopped parsley, garlic bread
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Toss cauliflower with 2 Tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp cajun blackening seasoning on a greased baking sheet until cauliflower is evenly coated. Roast for 25 minutes.
- 2. While cauliflower is roasting, fill a pot with water, salt it well and bring it to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain. Toss the pasta with a bit of oil so it doesn't stick together and set aside.
- 3. Add cashews, nutritional yeast and 2 cups of water to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- 4. Heat a large, deep skillet on medium heat and add remaining 2 Tbsp oil, onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Sauté veggies until soft and tender, about 10 minutes. Then add minced garlic and 1 Tbsp Cajun Blackening seasoning and cook for 2 more minutes.
- 5. Finally add the cashew cream along with 1 tsp of salt and the reserved pasta water. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Then add the pasta. Stir and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until heated through. Add more water, if needed, until you reach your desired sauce consistency and remove from heat.
- 6. Top the pasta with roasted cajun cauliflower and chopped parsley!
Notes
*You don't need to soak the cashews if you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec. If you forget to soak them overnight, you can do a quick soak by boiling some water, pouring it over the cashews and letting them soak for 15 minutes or so.
**Use cubed portabella mushrooms for a meatier texture!
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