The Real Alfredo by Lachesis

This recipe has been floating around the web since I first posted it in 2008 (I’m amazed to see how many blogs it has ended up on and how many people have made it!), so I figured I should put my recipe up on my own blog, at least. The picture I took of this recipe is lost in the ether of cyberspace. I posted this first on the PPK as food porn, but when the new boards were put up last fall everything on the old boards was lost. Unfortunately I didn’t have the picture on my hard drive anymore. I’ll make this again soon and add a picture in.

I originally made this recipe as a sort of Alfredo Stroganoff. The sauce is the real star here, though. The Alfredo Stroganoff is incredible (and I’m pretty humble about my ability to cook and my recipes, but this one is GOOD), but the point of this post is the SAUCE. I call this the real Alfredo because it really is just like the real thing. I know, I know, you’ve heard it before. Please just trust me. I’ve “fooled” a few omnis with it. This sauce is not health food, but Alfredo has never been health food. It’s pure indulgence.

Ok, so I’m going to post just the sauce recipe and then I’ll post the whole Alfredo Stroganoff recipe. The Alfredo sauce recipe will be here twice, but it’s just more convenient not to have to cull the sauce instructions out of the Stroganoff recipe if all you want to do is make the Alfredo sauce. Now, I have never had an actual stroganoff dish, so the name may not be completely appropriate, but it’s what I imagine a stroganoff to be. The Alfredo sauce, on the other, is pretty damn authentic…and not just “that’s really impressive for a vegan Alfredo.” No “for a vegan [insert whatever]” caveats needed. I hope you like the recipes!

The Real Alfredo Sauce by Lachesis
½ cup Earth Balance
2 cups unsweetened soymilk
1 package extra firm tofu (Mori-nu, in the tetra pack, appr 12 oz)
1-2 tbsp white cooking wine
2 tbsp onion powder
2-3 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp sea salt
1-2 tsp black pepper (to taste)
pinch of nutmeg
2-4 tbsp arrowroot powder (more or less, as needed.. it should be creamy and the Earth
Balance should not separate)

Combine all of the ingredients except the arrowroot powder into a food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Put the mixture into a pot on medium-low heat. In another container mix the arrowroot powder in a little of the sauce mixture. When the sauce in the pot is nice and hot, whisk in the arrowroot mixture. You can turn up the heat a little, but don’t let it boil. When it thickens and just starts to bubble it is done.

Alfredo Stroganoff
First marinate the mushrooms. They soak up the flavor pretty fast, so you don’t have to marinate them for too long if you don’t want to.

Mushroom Marinade Ingredients
1/3 cup vegan Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp Tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup water

Mix and let baby bellas or creminis marinate while you make the Alfredo sauce.

The Real Alfredo Sauce by Lachesis
½ cup Earth Balance
2 cups unsweetened soymilk
1 package extra firm tofu (Mori-nu, in the tetra pack, appr 12 oz)
1-2 tbsp white cooking wine
2 tbsp onion powder
2-3 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp sea salt
1-2 tsp black pepper (to taste)
pinch of nutmeg
2-4 tbsp arrowroot powder (more or less, as needed.. it should be creamy and the Earth
Balance should not separate)

Other Ingredients
Pasta: preferably Fettuccine or spaghetti
1 cup frozen peas (use more or less as you prefer)
Baby bella or cremini mushrooms, use as many or as few as you like

Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce except the arrowroot powder into a food processor and blend until creamy and smooth. Put the mixture into a pot on medium-low heat. While this is cooking get your pot of water started on the stove for your pasta.

Get the peas ready to be heated up (microwave or stove…whatever. You want to coordinate this all to be ready at the same time. You could also just toss them in with the pasta water at the end of cooking if you like.)

While your sauce is heating up on low-med heat, preheat a skillet. When it is warm, dump the marinade and the mushrooms into the skillet.

In another container mix the arrowroot powder into a little of the sauce mixture. When the sauce in the pot is nice and hot, whisk in the arrowroot mixture. You can turn up the heat a little, but don’t let it boil. When it thickens and just starts to bubble it is done.
Put the pasta on a plate, cover with sauce, add peas and mushrooms.