How can I make a creamy pasta sauce without using dairy?
Hannah, Southport
Come winter, all routes point to pasta. Happily, there are many ways Hannah can pull off a vegan creamy sauce, whether that’s with dairy-free “milk” (oat, nut, soya – never sweetened) or “cream”, cashews, white beans, root veg or coconut milk. It all depends on what she’s looking for, says Stephen Flynn, one half of plant-based empire The Happy Pear.
“If you want a charred cauliflower sauce, that’s great and an innovative thing to do, but most people just want a really creamy sauce for their pasta,” he says. For the latter Flynn makes a bechamel, swapping butter for olive oil and using non-dairy “milk”: “Use three tablespoons of oil and white flour, then slowly add in 400ml oat milk and whisk continuously.” Season and add cloves, bay, nutritional yeast for “that cheesy note”, or even vegan parmesan or cheddar. “It’s a nice base, and then you can take it whatever way you want.”
A spoonful of mustard wouldn’t go amiss either, says Katy Beskow, author of Easy Vegan Bible, especially if mac and cheese is on the cards. For her dairy-free version, Beskow roasts butternut squash, onion and carrots for 40 minutes, then blitzes (you’ll need a high-powered blender) with stock and sage. “You could add soya ‘milk’, if you like it milkier,” she adds, “then cook your pasta, pour over the sauce and bake.” This comfort food heavyweight is also an opportunity to use that magical pasta cooking water. Flynn blends it with butternut squash, sweet potato or pumpkin (“the nature of the sauce is that it’s slightly orange”), and olive oil to enrich.
Then, there are cashews – but only for the organised as you’ll need to soak them overnight. Beskow blends these with water and uses in place of cream: “They’re high in fat so give a silky texture.” However, make sure you drain and rinse the nuts first. “Soaking releases acid, so give them a rinse or boil for 10-15 minutes,” says Flynn, who then blends with salt, lemon juice, garlic powder and oat milk.
For a creamy mushroom number, try coconut milk. “It can be sweet,” Beskow warns, “so add a teaspoon of Marmite and lots of fresh parsley.” You could also punt for silken tofu, although you’ll need to pound some flavour into it; Beskow “brings it to life” with garlic, parsley and a squeeze of lemon then partners with fettuccine. However, for vegan cookbook authors Bosh! more is more: they blend cashews, cashew milk, silken tofu, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder and pepper for their dairy-free cacio e pepe. Just add spaghetti.
A tin of white beans has saved many a dinner, and here is no different. “If you’re making a creamy tomato sauce, add tinned cannellini beans then blend,” says Beskow. The added benefit of using beans instead of cream, she adds, is that you needn’t worry about the sauce separating. If you do choose to go down the dairy-free “cream” route, though, and it does separate, Beskow finds a tablespoon of vodka helps – which is also true for getting through January.
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