Creamy Vegan Chanterelle Pasta

You put on your rain boots, mushroom book in hand, learned all about the Jack O Lantern and what a false gill is, and headed out to your local trail and struck gold (well more like a yellowy orange).

OR perhaps you hit up your local farmers market or fancy pants grocery store.

You are now officially a bad ass forager, a wildcrafter, or just a very savvy grocer.

You now have in your hands the mystical, the magical the coveted CHANTERELLE!

What will you do next?

Answer: Impress your friends and dazzle your kids’ tastebuds with this creamy, peppery, earthy vegan creamy mushroom pasta dish!

Creamy Vegan Alfredo Sauce

2 cups raw cashews (use cashews soaked overnight if you remember to plan ahead-if not no worries just make sure water is hot and blend a bit longer).

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

pinch of black or white pepper

In a Vitamix or high-speed blender add all ingredients and 1 cup of hot water, blend on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Pasta

Pick a pasta that has some ridges or thickness to it to catch the sauce.

Hopefully you know how to cook pasta. If not-no worries, you basically just boil water, throw it in there, set the timer to the time it says on the box minus one min and then when the timer goes off taste it and see if you like it.

Better to undercook and get it al dente than overcook pasta and end up with smushy-mush™

When you stir the pasta, stir clockwise if above the equator and counterclockwise if below. (This is very important-trust me, I am Italian).

Chanterelles

Clean throughly using a wet paper towel/dishcloth if you’re all #zerowaste. Conversely you could rinse them under water but do so gingerly. Dry off the mushrooms.

Heat a cast iron pan or a sauté pan on medium heat. Add mushrooms and allow them to release their moisture, once you have dry-cooked the mushrooms, add your fat like olive oil or vegan butter (we like earth balance) to the pan and sauté them to your liking. Season with salt and pepper as you cook them.

PLATE

Stir the pasta into the vegan Alfredo sauce to get it nicely coated and top with the chanterelles, and some fresh thyme, You can add grated parmesan if your kids are like my kids (we love VioLife brand).

Let me know if you tried this recipe, (with or without fungi) or if you too like foraging!