Spaghetti Squash Alfredo (Vegan)

By Jamie Vespa

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo secretly made vegan! The blind taster will never guess the rich vegan Alfredo sauce is made predominately of cashews. Swirl up a forkful of this plant-based play on the Italian classic for a veggie-packed dinner everyone will love.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1 2-3 lb. spaghetti squash
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. white miso paste
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper, plus more for garnish
• 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• sautéed broccoli florets
• shredded Brussels sprouts
• sun-dried tomatoes
• wilted spinach

Instructions

1. 1

   Place cashews in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup of boiling (or VERY hot) water. Let sit while you roast the squash (or a minimum of 30 minutes).

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 375ºF.Slice squash horizontally into 1 1/2-2 inch rings. Use the edge of a large spoon to clean out each squash ring by scraping away and discarding the seeds and stringy membranes. Place rings on a rimmed baking sheet, and lightly spray each side with cooking spray. Season evenly with 1/2 tsp. salt, and bake for 40 minutes. Cut through the outer edge of each ring so that you can pry it open to get the full length of the strands. Gently scrape out strands using a fork. Arrange squash strands into three bowls.

3. 3

   Pour cashews and soaking liquid into a blender or Nutribullet. Add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, miso paste, and garlic; blend on high speed until creamy. Stir in black pepper.(If desired, heat vegan Alfredo sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat until warm. Otherwise, it's closer to room temperature.)

4. 4

   Spoon Alfredo sauce over spaghetti squash, and garnish with fresh parsley. If desired, add extra veggies (such as Brussels sprouts or broccoli), or top with extra chopped nuts.