Spaghetti Squash & Vegan Mushroom Cream Sauce

Now that fall vegetables have begun to pile up around the grocery stores and produce stands, I am wasting no time to be re-introduced to all of my favorites.  Last week I knocked out acorn squash, so this week I moved on to spaghetti squash – one of my absolute favorites.

I wanted to do something other than the usual spaghetti squash with marinara and vegetables.  My goal was to make something more decadent and rich tasting – like real pasta – but without the excess calories of traditional alfredos and cream sauces.  One hour later, a recipe was born…

Spaghetti Squash & Vegan Mushroom Cream Sauce

Let’s begin with the squash, since that will take the longest.  Last night’s victim…

Back in earlier blogging days, I did a tutorial on how to cook spaghetti squash.  While the info is all great, and I still use the exact same method, the pictures are tiny and terrible – please don’t laugh. 

I followed my favorite method, slicing in half, and scooping out the gooey insides before cooking. 

Then I used my garlic press to mince 3 cloves of garlic, and this time I added 2 medium shallots for a little extra flavor.  (Please ignore my 80’s hot pants.)

Apparently you CAN press shallots through a garlic press – success!

I coated both halves in a mixture of the shallots and garlic, along with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

And then baked it in a 375 degree oven for a little over one hour. 

While my squash was busy cooking in the oven, I took advantage of the long cooking time and took my pups for a nice walk around the neighborhood.  Without about 15 minutes of cooking time left, I got started on my delicious sauce.  Get ready, because this one is going to knock your socks off.

Vegan Mushroom Cream Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups Almond Milk
• 2 tbsp non-dairy creamer
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp arrowroot or cornstarch
• salt and pepper to taste

To Prepare:  Start with 1 full package of mushrooms, and sauté in a little bit of oil or Earth Balance.  Let these cook about ten minutes, stirring frequently , so that they are nice and soft and starting to brown.

Next up, add the almond milk.  I have recently fallen in love with this Whole Foods brand almond milk – hands down my favorite.

Only add 1 cup of the almond milk to start.  Bring it up to a simmer and let it cook down a bit, concentrating the flavor and preparing a good base for the sauce. 

Next add the 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast, to give the sauce a protein boost and a delicious cheesy flavor.  YUM!

Add 2 tbsp of non-dairy creamer, and the other cup of almond milk and stir. 

The sauce should have a good flavor, but it will be a little runny at this point.  Continue to let it simmer, and prepare a slurry using 2 tsp arrowroot (or cornstarch).  Do NOT add the cornstarch straight to the sauce!

Combine the arrowroot/cornstarch with 2 tsp water in a separate dish, and once it is well combined, add the mixture to your sauce, stirring immediately.  You should see the sauce instantly thicken – make sure you keep stirring!  Adjust your final seasoning with salt and pepper, and BAM – totally amazing vegan cheesy cream sauce. 

At this point the squash should be ready for serving.  Mmmmm, looks good!

Using a fork, test to see if the flesh pulls away easily into spaghetti like strands.  If it looks like this, you’re ready to go!

Scoop both halves into a large bowl and do a final season with salt and pepper.

The end result?  A truly decadent “spaghetti and cream sauce” meal with a fraction of the calories and fat, and ALL the taste of a rich dinner.

I’m gonna say it – this is one of my favorite things I’ve made to date.

It’s hard to believe that this sauce is vegan since it really tastes and looks like it was made with heavy cream. 

The nutritional yeast brings in a tangy, cheesy flavor that reminds me of traditional alfredo sauce, mmmm.

And of course, who can resist the earthy smell and taste of slow-cooked mushrooms?  The perfect sauce to compliment this healthy pasta substitute.

Enjoy!

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