This plant-based béchamel is equally luscious as the traditional version, but keeps you feeling lighter and healthier. It is incredibly versatile; dollop over roasted vegetables, use as casserole sauce, a dip for crudité. Roast your spaghetti squash well for a softer, slightly more spaghetti like texture. Serves 4 as a side.
Recipe by Emily Rose Shaw
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tbsp brown rice flour
- 2 cups cashew milk (recipe follows)
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp prepared brown mustard
- ¾ tsp himalayan pink salt
- many turns of freshly cracked black pepper
Cashew milk ingredients
- 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight or at least 4 hours
- 3 cups purified water
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- Pine nut parmesan
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp himalayan pink salt
- ½ tsp Italian spice mix
Directions
Golden béchamel
- First prepare the cashew milk.
- Add the soaked cashews and water to a blender, blend on high for one minute. Set aside.
- Over medium-low heat, melt the ghee. Add the minced shallot, garlic and sauté for a couple minutes until translucent.
- Add the flour, whisking constantly for about four minutes. It will clump, but keep whisking to avoid burning.
- Add the cashew milk and bay leaf, raise the heat and continue to whisk for another 4-5 minutes, or until it thickens like a sauce. Take off the heat and remove the bay leaf.
- Whisk in all remaining ingredients. Set aside.
Spaghetti squash
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice open spaghetti squash lengthwise. Scrape out the insides with a spoon.
- On a ¼ sheet pan, pour about ½ inch of water, and place the spaghetti squash halves face down. Poke a few holes in the tops with a fork to allow steam through.
- Place in the oven and roast until a fork inserts without resistance.
Pine nut parmesan
- Place all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse lightly until the texture resembles parmesan cheese. Do not over-process, or it will clump up.
Assembly
Dollop or splatter some golden béchamel on a plate. Mix together the spaghetti squash and remaining béchamel. Using a fork, twirl into bird’s nests and place on the plate. Adorn with a generous sprinkle of pine nut parmesan, seeds of choice, edible flower petals and micro greens.