“Hay and straw” pasta is mixture of white and spinach linguine and come packaged together. Somewhat easier to find is white and green fettuccine, so substitute these if need be. If you’ve been looking for a healthier Alfredo sauce, you’ve come to the right place.

Serves: 4 to 6

• 1 12-ounce package “hay and straw” noodles (trenette)
• 2 tablespoons natural canola margarine
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 10-ounce package silken tofu
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk or soymilk
• 1/3 cup vegan Parmesan cheese ^[1] storebought or homemade or
• nutritional yeast flakes, or half of each, plus more for topping
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta in plenty of rapidly simmering water until al dente, then drain.

Meanwhile, heat the margarine in a small skillet. Add the garlic cloves and sauté over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until  golden. Remove from the heat and discard the garlic cloves.

Combine the tofu, milk, and Parmesan cheese in a food processor and pour in the melted margarine from the skillet. Process until completely smooth and creamy.

Combine the noodles and sauce in a large serving bowl and toss together. Season to taste with pepper and toss again. Serve at once, passing around extra Parmesan cheese for topping, if desired.

• Here are more hearty vegan pasta recipes. ^[2]
• Find more of VegKitchen’s Vegan Dinner Recipes ^[3] and Pasta Entrées ^[4].