White Sauce Pasta

White sauce pasta is a creamy textured comfort Italian food. It is made by tossing pasta in Béchamel sauce, traditionally made of butter, milk, flour, and spices with some veggies to make it hearty and filling. This is one dish many of my friends say they will miss if they switch to a plant-based diet. But the good news is white sauce can be easily made with plant-based alternatives. It tastes so good and is more nutritious too. Here is the recipe. 

Ingredients:

1. 250 g pasta
2. 1.5 cups broccoli florets
3. 1 chopped red bell pepper (bite-sized)
4. 1 chopped orange bell pepper (bite-sized)
5. 1 cup corn kernels 
6. 2 cups fresh spinach
7. 3 garlic cloves, minced
8. 1 white onion, diced

For the white sauce:

1. 1 cup soy milk, unsweetened (240 ml)
2. 2 tsp cornstarch
3. ½ cup vegetable broth/ water
4. 1 tsp onion powder
5. ½ tsp garlic powder
6. 1 tsp dry oregano
7. 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
8. Freshly ground black pepper

For garnish:

1. Red pepper flakes
2. Nutritional yeast
3. Vegan parmesan

Instructions:

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, drain (saving ½ cup of the cooking water), and set aside.

Meanwhile, make the vegan white sauce by putting the soy milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix the cornstarch with vegetable broth/water in a small bowl, then add it to the warm milk in the pan with the rest of the sauce ingredients. 

Cook over medium heat, frequently stirring until it thickens and turns into a smooth, creamy sauce. 

Add the diced onion to a large non-stick skillet and sauté for a minute over medium heat. Add a little bit of water or vegetable broth and continue to cook, frequently stirring, until translucent. 

Now add the remaining vegetables except for the spinach and keep cooking for another 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. 

Add the pasta and spinach and stir to combine. 

Now pour the sauce over and mix thoroughly. Add two or three tablespoons of the pasta cooking water, as the pasta will absorb moisture. 

Finally, divide into serving bowls, garnish with red pepper flakes and nutritional yeast, and serve warm. 

– Recipe by Sana Shaikh (Instagram: The Rainbow Bite)