Alfredo sauce with a vegan twist

I know a lot of you hate to mess with a good recipe, but recently, when I was considering veganism as the possible next logical step in my nutritional quest, I played around with a recipe for vegan Alfredo Sauce.
Generally, a good rule is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but I rarely adhere to that in the kitchen. I make a few efforts to fix just about everything and if I don’t find a better tasting alternative, I’ll go back to the original…after all, it seems to have been good enough for a while.
With the Alfredo Sauce, I think I found a nice alternative for when I might be entertaining vegan guests. But for me, I’d prefer the original dairy-laden recipe. The vegan recipe is good…not quite as creamy, but every bit as tasty. Actually, if you don’t think of it as Alfredo Sauce, it is really good as something on its own.
I like lots of vegetables in my pasta…it makes me feel as if I’m eating healthier. When you make this dish, pile on the veggies. Add some asparagus or Brussel sprouts or tomatoes or whatever strikes your fancy. It’s up to you. Just use whatever you have around the house. If you’re in a big hurry, you could probably just toss in some frozen bagged vegetables and it would be nearly as good.

Pasta Alfredo with Veggies

Vegan Alfredo Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1/3 cup almonds
1/2 block silken tofu
1 1/2 cups soy milk
1 tablespoon miso
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash nutmeg
dash cayenne pepper
pepper, to taste

• Sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, remove from heat, and set aside.
• In a blender or food processor, process the almonds until finely ground. Add onion and wine, tofu and miso and process until smooth.
• Slowly add soymilk, adding just enough to make the desired consistency. Add salt, nutmeg and pepper, and transfer to saucepan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until heated through. Sprinkle a bit of black pepper on top.

Pasta
3 cups cooked pasta
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 cup red pepper , chopped into large chunks
1/2 onion, chopped into large chunks
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 big handfuls of spinach
1/2 teaspoon each pepper, oregano, basil
Salt (optional)

• In a skillet, over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Toss in the red pepper, onion and mushrooms. Sauté for about a minute until soft.
• Remove from the pan. Add a little more oil and put in the spinach, stir just until the water is removed.
• Mix the pasta with the vegetables and stir in the sauce.
• Serve hot.

Vegan.