Creamy Vegan Pine Nut Cheese Pasta infused with Green Tea
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
I could eat this vegan pine nut cheese all by itself, but it really shines on pasta. You can also omit the pasta step and serve it as a spread with crackers at your next party. (Please note that the Prep time is hands on time only. Allow 50 minutes for soaking and resting of the cheese alternative.)
Author: Chef Jason Wyrick
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 3 servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup freshly brewed roasted green tea (hojicha tea)
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 4 ounces extra-firm silken tofu (Jason uses Mori-nu)
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives, plus additional for garnish
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 2 cups dry pasta, like bowties (use gluten-free, if needed)
- Fresh black pepper, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the pine nuts in the tea for 30 minutes.
- Pour the pine nuts and tea into your blender and puree into a smooth pine nut paste.
- Add the tofu, chives, salt, and white pepper. Blend until you have a thick “cheese,” with the consistency of a thick spread.
- Let the mixture sit for at least 20 minutes.
- Boil the pasta until it is barely al dente. Drain the pasta and plate it.
- Place a mound of the herbed “cheese” on each plate of pasta. Garnish the pasta with freshly ground black pepper or chives, if desired.
Notes
Low-fat, Nut-Free Version: Omit the pine nuts and reduce the green tea to ¼ cup.
Speedier Version: You can cheat on this recipe and simply blend everything together without letting the pine nuts soak in the tea and without letting the “cheese” sit. If you boil the pasta while you are blending the cheese alternative, the entire dish will be ready in ten minutes. The flavors won’t be as blended and the “cheese” won’t be as smooth, but it’s much faster this way. Just use half the amount of roasted green tea (1/4 cup) or else the “cheese” will be too wet.
Speedier Version: You can cheat on this recipe and simply blend everything together without letting the pine nuts soak in the tea and without letting the “cheese” sit. If you boil the pasta while you are blending the cheese alternative, the entire dish will be ready in ten minutes. The flavors won’t be as blended and the “cheese” won’t be as smooth, but it’s much faster this way. Just use half the amount of roasted green tea (1/4 cup) or else the “cheese” will be too wet.
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/creamy-vegan-pine-nut-cheese-pasta