Recipe: Cauliflower Alfredo with High Protein Pasta

I love this recipe because it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, it doesn’t take very long to make, it’s high in fiber and protein, and has a lot less saturated fat than you’re probably used to an Alfredo pasta recipe having.

That being said, my intention with ‘healthified’ recipes is never to imply that you should completely avoid the foods that the recipes are based off. I love pasta, especially the kind which isn’t gluten free and made out of legumes or vegetables, but these kind of meals can make trying to reach your health goals a little bit more enjoyable.

I used penne made from chickpeas for this recipe, but I imagine the Explore Cuisine Mung Bean Fettuccine would work quite well, or I have also seen a red lentil spiral pasta by San Remo which I’m sure would also work. For lower carbs, you could use courgette or konjac noodles, although I would suggest in that case to add extra protein of your choice to make it more sustaining.

This was also a great way to use a bag of frozen cauliflower I had in my freezer. Frozen cauliflower I find to be quite bland, but it was extremely convenient to use it this way as it avoided a lot of prepping, and the sauce tasted great.

Ingredients (serves 4):

250 grams high protein pasta of choice

250 grams cauliflower (or 1/2 a head)

1/2 cup milk of choice

2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon miso paste (highly recommend not skipping this)

1/3 cup fresh parsley

Salt and pepper, optional chilli flakes

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions, then drain and set aside.

Heat a small amount of oil on a fry pan, then lightly fry the garlic until it browns.

Bring a large pot of water to boil over the stove, then add chopped cauliflower into the pot and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Then drain the cauliflower and put it into a large blender.

Add the milk, garlic, lemon, oil, miso and a pinch of salt to the blender and blend until very creamy. Add seasoning to taste.

Mix the sauce with the drained pasta and stir in chopped, fresh parsley. Serve immediately, with more salt and pepper if desired.