Yes, you read that correctly and, yes, that combination of flavors is just as amazing as you think it would be. This was a splendid Sunday night meal, inspired by a similar recipe I saw online. But, there just wasn’t enough creaminess in the steps I saw and I knew the addition of cashew cream would do the trick.
First, let’s talk about garlic. Roasted garlic, that is.
If you’ve never roasted garlic before, you literally do not know what you are missing and you should stop reading this very instant to pop some in the oven. The only reason we buy the mega-bulk pack of garlic at Costco is for times when we know roasted garlic will be in our near future.
Roasting these little bulbs is easy peasy, as most of the time involved is oven time. Tip: do not try to roast the cloves individually, as they will usually harden and not be as pleasant to eat. Not only can you use the roasted cloves for sauces, but you can add them to dips, hummus, or even spread them directly onto toast or crudités!
The whole inspiration for this dish were the bundles of fresh asparagus sitting in my fridge. When life hands you $.99 bundles of asparagus, you do not pass that sh*t up. Roasted with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh lemon slices gave the dish the ultimate springtime flavor.
Feel free to mess around with the ingredients and spices. For instance, I squeezed two full bulbs of roasted garlic into this sauce (and I regret nothing; it was heaven), but if you think that’s too much for your taste, cut it back to whatever you see fit.
Lemon + Roasted Garlic Alfredo with Asparagus
4-6 servings
2 bulbs of fresh garlic
2 tsp olive oil
1 package of your favorite pasta
1 bunch fresh asparagus
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon
Alfredo sauce:
1 cup raw cashews
1/2 – 1 cup warm water
1 tsp white miso
1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
zest and juice leftover from lemon
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Soak cashews in water (not necessary if using high-speed blender, like a VitaMix).
- Prep garlic bulbs by rubbing off most of the papery outer layers. Chop off the top 1/2 inch of the entire bulb and place on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil on each bulb, wrap in foil, and roast for 20 minutes.
- Prep asparagus by cleaning it and breaking off tough ends of the stalks. Spread out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Layer some lemon slices on top.
- After garlic has roasted for 20 minutes, pop the asparagus into the oven and roast everything for another 20 minutes.
- Bring pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions.
- Into a blender goes the following: drained cashews, 1/2 cup of water, miso, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until creamy, adding some more water to reach desired consistency. Let sit.
- Drain pasta and put back into the pot.
- Remove garlic bulbs and asparagus from the oven. Open up foil to let garlic bulbs cool. Once cool to the touch (or you can hold them with a tea towel), squeeze each clove over your blender until all of the creamy garlic cloves pop out. Repeat for second bulb and blend sauce again.
- Chop asparagus and mix into pasta. Fold in alfredo sauce. Serve with a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and roasted lemon slices for garnish!
