Fettuccine Alfredo Primavera

Back in May I promised to share with you the recipe for this fabulous gluten-free pasta dish that our friend Francis Janes made for us when he and his family were visiting with us from Seattle.  So here it is September and I’m finally getting to it.  I didn’t mean to procrastinate, but life has been, let’s just say, more hectic than usual these days.

Anyway, Francis calls his recipe Fettuccine in a White Sauce with Spring Vegetables. I like to call it Fettuccine Alfredo Primavera. (It tastes just as good no matter what you call it.) And despite the “Spring” in its title, it’s also terrific any time of year, no matter what vegetables are in season. (I know firsthand that this is great made with zucchini or broccoli in place of the asparagus.)

As you may know, Francis was chef/owner of Café Ambrosia in Seattle, so if you’ve never sampled his cooking, now’s your chance.  Here’s his recipe — better late than never!

This great gluten-free recipe was developed by my friend, Francis Janes, a very talented vegan chef.  (btw, you can easily make this soy-free as well by using soy-free Earth Balance and a soy-free nondairy milk.)

1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and blanched until just tender

1 cup sautéed sliced shiitake or cremini mushroom caps

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1 jarred roasted red pepper, cut into strips

1 green onion (green part only), cut into 1 inch lengths

1 package Tinkyada brand fettuccine (gluten free)

3 tablespoons Earth Balance or vegan margarine

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 tablespoons brown rice flour

2 cups vegetable broth (try Imagine organic no-chicken broth)

1 cup soy creamer or unsweetened soy milk

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (Red Star brand large flake)

Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the asparagus, mushrooms, artichokes, bell pepper, and green onion as suggested and set aside.   

Prepare pasta as per instructions and drain. Rinse with cold water to prevent from sticking. Transfer the pasta back into the pot and toss with the olive oil. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, combine the vegetable broth and soy creamer and warm over medium heat.

In a large sauté pan, melt the margarine over medium heat. With a whisk, incorporate the brown rice flour into the melted margarine until thoroughly combined. Ladle the warm broth into the sauté pan while constantly stirring with whisk. Add more broth or soy milk in small amounts if sauce is too thick. When the sauce is at desired creaminess, blend in the sea salt and nutritional yeast. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Add the reserved vegetables to the pasta. Pour in the white sauce and mix well, tossing gently to combine, and heating for a few minutes, if needed. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 4