Hi lovelies, I bet you never tried white asparagus as mac ‘n’ chesese before, did you? Believe me, it’s a blast! This dish is not only super creamy and rich, but also healthy and quickly made with little ingredients. I got the idea on the way home from the office one day. Because I was super hungry and craving asparagus at the same time. But so delicious asparagus is, it’s not a dish for a big appetite. But in combination with pasta and a creamy mac ‘n’ cheese sauce it was a super satisfying pleasure. Hope you like it and I’m looking forward to your feedback, best Lea.
White Asparagus Mac 'n' Cheese
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 500 g (17.5 oz) white asparagus (7-8 stalks)
- 180 g (6.3 oz) floury potatoes
- 1 medium onion (60-80 g/2.1 oz)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tbsp of margarine (or 2 tbsp of vegetable oil)
- 1 tsp of hot mustard
- Sea salt
- 20 g (0.7 oz) yeast flakes
- 1-2 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1-2 tsp gluten free soy sauce
- 1 tsp carob gum or 1 tbsp starch for a creamy consistency
- (White) pepper
- 220 g (7.7 oz) vegan pasta (I used whole grain wheat pasta)
- A handful fresh parsley
Instructions
- Peel the asparagus and cut off the hard ends. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes.
- Bring a pot with salted water to a boil. Put the asparagus and the potatoes into the boiling water and let it cook for about 15-17 minutes. The asparagus should be flexible and you should be able to pass trough the potatoes with a fork.
- Remove asparagus and potato cubes from the water, but keep the water as it contains an awesome asparagus flavor after cooking so that we will use it in the next step.
- Cut off the asparagus tips and put them aside. Cut the rest of the cooked asparagus stems into pieces.
- Peel and chop the onion and a clove of garlic. Melt the margarine in a pan and roast the chopped onion and garlic for some minutes till they get a nice golden color.
- Put the roasted onion and garlic, the chopped asparagus (not the tips!), the cooked potatoes, the yeast flakes, 1 tsp of hot mustard, 1-2 tbsp of lemon juice, 1-2 tsp of soy sauce, the carob gum (or starch) with a dash of salt and pepper in a high speed blender and blend it into a creamy sauce. Then add 150 ml (0.6 cup) of the aromatic cooking water and blend again till rich and creamy.
- Cook the vegan pasta until al dente according to the packet instructions in salted water. After cooking quickly rinse with water and let it drain.
- Heat the creamy asparagus sauce in a deep frying pan and add more of the cooking water till the consistency is to your liking. Cut the remaining asparagus tips in half and add them to the sauce.
- Wash and chop a handful of fresh parsley. Mix the cooked pasta with the hot sauce and serve this delicious "Asparagus Mac 'n' Chesese" garnished with parsley.
