The sauce of this pasta is the silkiest!
I have a slight obsession with pasta. And I have a slight obsession with mushrooms. And garlic. And wine. This silky mushroom pasta combines all of the above plus a secret ingredient to form the silkiest pasta sauce that you can imagine! What´s the secret ingredient, you might ask?
Hint: It´s tofu.
If you are familiar with plant-based cooking, this probably isn’t surprising, but if you aren’t, then this probably sounds weird and slightly gross. I get it. Just trust me on this one!
We are actually using silken tofu, which is a much softer and silkier (hence the name) than regular tofu. In the US you can buy it at most supermarkets and in Europe you can find it in supermarkets that have a focus on health-foods. Once I discovered the uses for silken tofu, I try to always keep a few packs on hand. Helloooo healthy creamy sauces, plant-based cheeses, and even desserts! Many recipes to come!
While most creamy plant-based pasta sauces use cashews, which can be absolutely delicious, I was intrigued by the idea of using silken tofu to achieve a creamy sauce, as it is high in protein and low in fat.
The sauce isn’t your typical heavy cream sauce. It is more of a light, luxurious cream sauce. Think “date night”. Even if you don’t have a date! Think “amazing pasta night”. Did I mention we are popping open a bottle on wine for this one?
Claudio goes crazy over this pasta. I promise that it will impress your family members and guests!
I originally got the idea to make this sauce with tofu from Serious Eats Vegan Carbonara recipe. That recipe in particular calls for sauerkraut brine, which actually works amazingly well to achieve that slight bite that you usually get from parmesan cheese. I made some adjustments to achieve a similar flavor while using more typical ingredients (white wine, garlic, and vinegar).
The key ingredients to achieving the rich, silky sauce:
- Simmering garlic in white wine and allowing it reduce creates a tangy component that gives the sauce an extra depth.
- Silken tofu not only gives the sauce a silky texture, it also adds protein!
- Nutritional yeast brings in that cheesy, savory flavor to the sauce
- Olive oil provides an additional rich flavor and makes the sauce extra creamy
Silky Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup white wine (120ml)
- 7 oz silken tofu (100g) (half a block)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast (15g)
- 1 tbs white miso
- 1 tbs white wine vinegar or juice from 1 lemon
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus 4tbs, divided)
- ¼ cup water
- 18 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced (500g)
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Heat 2tbs of olive oil in a small to large skillet over low heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant and starting to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and increase the heat to medium. Bring it to a simmer and stir occasionally, not allowing the garlic to burn, for about 10 minutes, allowing the wine to reduce by half. After 10 minutes, measure the liquid to make sure that it has reduced by half. If it has not, add it back to the pan and keep simmering until there is about 1/4 cup of liquid. Don´t wash the pan, we will use it later!
- In a blender, combine the garlic/wine reduction, silken tofu, nutritional yeast, white miso paste, white vinegar or lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, water, and salt. Blend on high, stopping to scrape down the sides, until a silky sauce forms.
- Meanwhile, heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta. Cook pasta according to package instructions, until "al dente", generally 2 minutes less than the full cook time for pasta. When the pasta is finished, drain and reserve about a cup of the pasta water. Drizzle the pasta with olive oil and mix to keep it from sticking together. Continue to the next step while the pasta is cooking.
- In the same pan that you used for the garlic and wine, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and a couple of generous pinches of salt. Sauté, stirring frequently until the mushrooms have browned, about 6 minutes.
- Add the blender mixture to the skillet with the mushrooms and mix well. Add the pasta and about 1/4 cup of the pasta water and mix well until the silky sauce evenly covers the pasta. Enjoy!