Black Pepper Fettuccine with Chardonnay Sauce

When I saw this recipe in the Jan/Feb issue of Vegetarian Times, I knew I had to make it. First of all, I have been to  the Ravens restaurant and the food was amazing. Secondly, I have recently discovered a great appreciation of all things black pepper. (My favorite potato chip is Kettle’s Salt & Black Pepper). Thirdly, the BF loves cream sauces so I knew it would be a winner (it was).

I simplified the veggie prep a bit by leaving off the spinach and red pepper called for. Instead of grilling my asparagus, I roasted it. I also used quite a bit more pasta than the original recipe; I had a feeling the sauce was too much for the measly 3 oz of pasta called for.  Lastly, I soaked my cashews in water for an hour beforehand so that they would blend up extra creamy.

This meal was absolutely delicious – the cashews gave the chardonnay sauce a wonderful silky creamy texture and made it pretty filling too.

Black Pepper Fettuccine with Chardonnay Sauce and Roasted Asparagus

Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Ingredients:

Sauce:
1 cup cashews
½ cup water
½ cup soy milk, or other non-dairy milk
1 cup Chardonnay wine
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 ½ tsp ground black pepper

Pasta:

12 oz linguini (or fettuccine)
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

To make sauce: Soak cashews in water for an hour or so. Drain, then add to blender with ½ cup water and soy milk. Blend until very smooth. This may take several minutes.

In a small saucepan, heat Chardonnay over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup.  Stir in cashew mixture and remaining sauce ingredients. Keep warm on low heat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.

When pasta is done, toss with sauce. Serve with asparagus on top.