Vegan Chef Mae

For the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium/large pot over medium heat. Add all remaining sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the blender contents to the melted butter. Stir for a minute or two to incorporate the butter into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and heat for about 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and to mellow the garlic flavor. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. Serve over pasta, or continue with this recipe for my favorite way to enjoy it.

Pre-heat the oven to 450. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste. Lay the florets in a single layer on one or two baking sheets. Roast in the oven while you prepare everything else (roughly 15 minutes.) There should be some charring and they should be fork tender, but not completely burnt or mush.

Add the pasta to the water once it starts boiling and cook until al dente.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Cut the portobellos in half, and then slice about ½ inch thick. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the mushrooms to the hot skillet. Seasoning with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir to coat. Let them sear for a few minutes. The liquid will release and then begin to dry up. Once it dries up, give it a couple minutes without stirring to allow the mushrooms to brown a little. Once they start to brown, you can turn off the heat but leave them in the skillet until your ready to combine everything.

Combine the cooked pasta, veggies, and mushrooms together in the large pot. Add in sauce, leaving some out to add to leftovers, as the noodles tend to suck up the sauce (there will be a lot of sauce!) Mix everything together. Add a small amount of sauce to a plate or bowl before piling on the pasta.