I had to replace my iPhone5 (after less than a year...) and luckily enough there is an Apple store in Manhattan Beach. So I booked an Applecare appointment for after work. I got there a couple of minutes early and had some time to kill and I ended up in a specialty foods store. I did a lap around and while in love with their farm animal mug and saucer set, I ended up walking out of there with rainbow farfalle and a huge soup mug! I was so inspired, I wanted to create a vegan sauce that would not hinder the gorgeous color of the pasta, so I found this recipe for a white béchamel sauce that was getting rave reviews. This recipe should be a must-have in any vegan persons arsenal.
Béchamel Ingredients:
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1/4 c vegan margarine
- 1/3 diced onion
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 1/4 corn starch (or flour)
- 1 T lemon juice
- 1 T nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper
- pinch of allspice
Once you master the sauce, you can put it on anything! I think it would also make a great sauce for a pizza. I'll have to give it a try.
Pasta Ingredients:
- 2 cups rainbow farfalle
- 1 cup frozen peas
1. Dice the onions as small as you can.
2. In a saucepan on medium-high heat, melt the vegan margarine and the onions until the onions are translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir frequently so the margarine does not burn.
3. Once the butter and onions are ready, measure 1/4 cup of corn starch and add to the melted margarine.
4. Stir quickly with a spoon until a paste forms. This step happens very quickly - So I like to have all the remaining ingredients ready to go so I can quickly add everything.
5. Have the soy milk, salt, pepper, allspice, garlic, and lemon juice ready to go.
6. Lower the head to low and add the remaining ingredients. With a whisk, whisk the mixture until it starts to thicken.
7. Keep whisking for about 5-6 minutes. You want to constantly keep the sauce moving so the bottom of the saucepan does not burn.
8. Once sauce is at a thickness of your liking, remove from heat and pour into a glass jar to cool. The sauce will continue to thicken in the jar as it cools. Store in the fridge for up to one week.
Congrats! You'll never want to eat another béchamel sauce ever again, vegan or not!
Now for the farfalle and peas.
1. In a pot of boiling water, add two cups of dry farfalle and follow the packaging. This brand cooks for 6-8 minutes, I pulled it out after 6 because I like my pasta to have a bite to it still.
2. While the pasta is cooking, place frozen peas in a microwavable bowl and cover with water. Cook for 3 1/2 minutes. Drain.
3. In a bowl, combine pasta and peas and as much of the béchamel sauce as desired. I hate when sauce is doing more than just coating each piece of pasta, so I only used about 1/4 of a cup of the sauce. Toss until everything is equally covered.
Ta Da! This dish is not only visually beautiful but the overall flavor is excellent. The béchamel sauce is not heavy so you do not feel like you're drowning in cream sauce and can enjoy more of the pasta flavor and the sweetness of the peas. The combination is quite satisfying. I cannot wait to use this sauce on more dishes because it could not have been easier and stores well in the fridge.
This weekend we're suppose to finally have (real) summer heat, so I'm not sure if I want the stove or oven on, but this is so good I may make an exception.
Cheers,
Kate
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