We've got another cold front hitting us here on the left coast, and it's left me craving something carb-y, creamy and warm for dinner. In the repertoire of vegan cuisine, there aren't many options to foot this bill, but I have a secret in my recipe arsenal. It's a hefty cream sauce that whips up in less time than it takes to boil pasta water, and I'm letting the secret out of the bag right now.

Check out how thick this sauce is (before adding spinach and pasta)!



Penne with Green and White Cream-less Sauce
Yield: 2 dinner servings

1/2 lb penne, cooked
2 Tbsp Earth Balance vegan butter sticks
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup plain unsweetened almond or other non-dairy milk
1 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
5-6 crimini mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp water
5 oz frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
2 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley

In a small saucepan, melt margarine. Sprinkle in flour and stir with a whisk to combine. Cook over low heat until the mixture begins to pick up some color. Add all of the milk, salt, pepper, garlic and mushrooms. Stir to combine and increase heat to medium. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are cooked. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and continue to cook several more minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in spinach and parsley until thoroughly combined. Adjust salt to taste.

Toss sauce with cooked pasta and serve immediately. Top with a bit more fresh parsley and serve with a fresh green salad tossed with a spicy vinaigrette.