Creamy Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

  • 3 cups grape tomatoes (halved)
  • 10 ounces whole wheat pasta (such as penne, linguini, or fettuccine // use less if you want a higher sauce:pasta ratio // use gluten-free pasta for GF eaters)
  • Olive oil
  • 2 medium shallots (diced // 2 medium shallots yield ~1/4 cup or 40 g)
  • 8 large cloves garlic (minced/grated // 8 large cloves yield ~1/4 cup or 24 g)
  • 1 pinch each sea salt and black pepper
  • 3-4 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour (or another thickener of choice)*
  • 2 1/2 cups unsweetened plain Almond Breeze
  • 2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1-2 Tbsp vegan parmesan cheese (optional)
  • 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and toss tomatoes in a bit of olive oil and sea salt. Place cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish. Then set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions.
  3. Prepare the sauce in a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and the garlic and shallot. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper and stir frequently, cooking for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
  4. Stir in flour and mix with a whisk. Once combined, slowly whisk in the almond milk a little at a time so clumps don’t form. Then add nutritional yeast, a pinch of salt and black pepper, and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes to thicken. 
  5. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste, more minced/pressed garlic for zing, or more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor. Optional: You can also add 1-2 Tbsp of vegan parmesan and/or 1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice at this time.
  6. Transfer sauce to a blender to blend the sauce until creamy and smooth. Place back in pan and reduce heat to a low simmer until desired thickness is reached.
  7. Once the sauce is to your desired thickness, add pasta and roasted tomatoes and stir.
  8. Serve immediately and garnish with extra black pepper, fresh basil, and/or vegan parmesan cheese.