Tetrazzini is an American pasta dish named after an opera singer.  It involves a cheesy sauce, some kind of meat (usually chicken or tuna), and some vegetables.  When I was a kid, I thought it sounded very classy.  

This vegan chicken tetrazzini recipe is built around a delicious cashew cream sauce.  White wine, raw cashews, nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, lemon and garlic create the perfect sauce for spring vegetables, linguine and soy curls.  It’s the perfect baked pasta for spring time weather.  

If you are using a regular blender, the raw cashews require 4-6 hours to soak in water. This will prevent ending up with a grainy sauce. If you have a high speed blender (like a Vitamix or a Ninja), you do not need to soak the raw cashews.

Soy Curl Tetrazzini Primavera

Sauce:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 4-6 hours and drained (see note above)

2 garlic cloves

⅓-½ cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp salt

½ cup dry white wine

2 ½ tsp cornstarch

2 cups water

½ tsp dijon mustard

½ tsp onion powder

1 ½ tsp lemon juice

⅔ cup vegan shredded mozzarella cheese

Pasta:

½ lb linguine pasta, boiled, drained and rinsed

2 cups broken up dehydrated soy curls, rehydrated in fake chicken broth

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 carrots, chopped 

½ cup chopped fresh asparagus

¼ cup broth (fake chicken or vegetable)

1 cup arugula, packed

½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley, divided

Juice of 1 lemon, divided

¼ cup vegan shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.  Grease a 7″ X 11″ inch pan and set aside.  In a blender or food processor add everything listed under sauce, except for the vegan shredded cheese.  Blend until completely smooth.

2. Transfer the contents of the blender to a medium saucepan.  Over medium heat, constantly whisk the cashew mixture until starts to become thicker, then whisk in vegan shredded cheese until it melts.  If it gets too thick, add more water.  Taste and if needed, adjust seasonings (more lemon juice, more nutritional yeast, more salt, etc).  Set sauce aside.

3. In a large, deep pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions, garlic and mushrooms.  Allow mushrooms to release their natural juices and cool down (sautéing about 5-7 minutes).  Once the mushrooms cook down, add carrots, asparagus, half the lemon juice, and the broth.  Sauté for 5 minutes or until carrots are slightly soft.  Stir in soy curls and sauté 3 more minutes. Then, spoon all of the sauce and ¼ cup of the parsley into the large pot.  Stir until everything is well combined.

4. Add the linguine to the large, deep pot and incorporate with the sauce, soy curls and vegetables.  Spoon everything into the greased 7″ X 11″ pan.  Top with the remaining vegan shredded cheese, lemon juice and parsley.  Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 400 F.  Remove from oven, and serve immediately.