Fettuccine Alfredo with Asparagus, Chanterelle and Black Trumpet Mushrooms

There are many parts to this recipe, the following break down is the easiest way I have found to help me prepare everything without overwhelming myself!

1 ROASTED GARLIC Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the broth in a small bowl. With the exposed side of the garlic tops, soak them in the broth for a few minutes. When finished, place them in a small baking pan and pour the remaining broth over the tops. Cover with aluminum foil, using parchment paper in between the garlic and foil, and bake for 1 hour. The garlic should look “burnt”.

2 CASHEW CREAM Blend 1 cup of cashews and water at a time in a blender or Vitamix. If using a blender, you will need to sift out the fine pieces of cashews through a strainer. You want your consistency to be very smooth; there should be no grit in your fingers when you test to see if you need to continue blending. When finished, set the cream aside until needed for the Alfredo sauce.

3 ASPARAGUS Wash the asparagus and snap off the ends. This is done by holding the asparagus and snapping it as if it were a wish-bone. This takes the guess work out of which part of the stalk is not bitter. Steam the asparagus, drain and cut into small pieces. Set aside until needed for the Alfredo sauce.

4 CHANTERELLE & BLACK TRUMPET MUSHROOMS Take a pairing knife and scrape off all the dirt from the Chanterelle mushrooms. Cut the Chanterelles vertically. Place the Black Trumpet mushrooms in a small bowl of water and shake them to release dirt. Drain them through a strainer and check to make sure there is no sand left. Depending on how dirty the mushrooms are, you may do this a few times. Do this as quickly as possible; you do not want the mushrooms sitting in water for too long. In a non-stick pan, add 1/4 cup of veggie broth and the shallots. Saute together on medium heat for a few minutes and add in the Chanterelle and Black Trumpet mushrooms. You want to make sure you do not put in too much broth at one time. The mushrooms should be sauteed lightly in broth; the pan should not look like it has too much liquid in it. Continually stir the mushrooms and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside until needed for the Alfredo sauce.

5 FETTUCCINE Bring 4-8 quarts of water to a boil. Read the package directions for how long you should cook the pasta. Drain pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water. This will stop the pasta from cooking. Set aside until needed for the Alfredo sauce.

6 ALFREDO SAUCE Place the roasted garlic in a big pan and heat over medium heat with about 1/4 cup of broth. With the back of a wooden spoon, mash up the roasted garlic. The garlic should look like a paste. As the garlic starts to perfume, add in another 1/2 cup of stock to 2 cups of cashew cream and 8 tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes. Stirring constantly, you want to taste the sauce after a few minutes of cooking. You want to have about a 1:4 ratio of stock to cashew cream. As you add in more nutritional yeast flakes, you will also add more cashew cream and use the broth as a flavor enhancer. Continue cooking until the sauce becomes thicker. When you have your desired flavor, add the fettuccine, asparagus, Chanterelle and Black Trumpet Mushrooms and mix well. Serve hot with sea salt and several twists of freshly ground black pepper.