High Protein Vegan Fettuccine

This high protein vegan fettuccine is easy to make any time of year, whether it’s a busy weeknight or a hot weekend in the summer when you just want to make something fast that’s still filling and nutritious. The secret to this High Protein Vegan Fettuccine is in the noodles: black soybean fettuccine noodles make this dish not only naturally gluten free, but give you 23 grams of protein in each serving as well - and that’s just in the noodles alone.

Ingredients

• 4 quarts water

• Approximately 4 tbsp of vegan butter **

• Approximately 3 - 4 tbsp all purpose or gluten free flour

• Approximately 1 cup soy milk

• Salt, to taste

• Black pepper, freshly ground to taste

• Black Soybean Fettuccine Noodles

• Vegetable of choice

  • Red bell pepper, kale, broccoli

Extra Protein

• Vegan meatballs (homemade or from the freezer section, no judgment here)

OR

• Pan fried or oven baked tofu (prevent sticking with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste)

Toppings and seasonings, to taste

• Nutritional yeast

• Freshly chopped basil (or other fresh herbs)

Supplies

• 6-quart Dutch oven or large pot

• Cast iron or other skillet

  • Second skillet optional

• Silicon spatula or wooden spoon

• Set of measuring spoons

• Chef’s knife

• Cutting board

• Slotted spoon

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot (at least 6 quarts) halfway full of water and set it on a burner on high. If you cover it, the water will get warmer faster.

2. If you are baking tofu in the oven, preheat it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit at this time. Drain and chop the tofu into slices. Grease a baking pan with olive oil or other cooking oil and lay the tofu out in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, make a roux. Heat a skillet (I use cast iron, but any kind will do) on medium-high heat, and add the vegan butter** to melt. If the butter starts splattering out of the pot, turn the temperature down. Once the vegan butter is melted, turn the temperature to low and add several spoonfuls of unbleached all-purpose flour (or gluten free flour) to the skillet and stir into the flour using a silicon spatula or wooden spoon until they are fully combined. If the mixture is a bit dry, add more butter. If the mixture is a bit wet, stir and cook for a minute or two, and if it remains wet, add a bit more flour. Keep the heat on low.

4. Once the flour and butter are fully combined, add approximately 1 cup of unsweetened, plain soy milk to the skillet. Fully stir the soymilk into the roux to make an approximation of a bechamel sauce. Once the mixture is fully combined, cook on low, or turn the heat off. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Heat another skillet (or remove the sauce from the one that’s already preheated and put it in another bowl to be added back in later, and turn the temperature to high heat). Wash and chop your chosen vegetable and add it to the skillet for a quick sear.

6. If you are including vegan meatballs or pan frying tofu, either cook them in the skillet with the vegetables, in a secondary skillet, or immediately after the vegetables in the same skillet by removing the vegetables and adding them to the same separate bowl that the sauce is in. You may need to re-oil the skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

   1. Heating vegan meatballs in the microwave is also an option.

7. Add the pasta to the pot of water and set a timer. Stir and check on the pasta as per the directions.

   1. Black soybean noodles cook fast. If you’re using regular wheat or another type of noodles, you may want to check the pot of water and start cooking them before chopping your vegetable(s).

8. Flip or stir the vegetables and/or tofu in the skillet to sear the other side. Once done cooking, remove the vegetables from the skillet.

9. Once the pasta is done cooking and the vegetables are done searing (if the timing is right, this should happen at approximately the same time), use a slotted spoon to scoop the noodles out of the pot that they’re boiling in and into the skillet. Add the sauce back into the skillet, and stir to combine the noodles and sauce. Add additional soymilk if needed to help everything come together, or a small scoop of the pasta water. Add salt and pepper, and nutritional yeast and other seasonings, to taste.

10. Chop basil or other fresh herbs.

11. To serve: One to two scoops of noodles with sauce. Top with the vegetable, protein, and freshly chopped herbs.

** I prefer to use a homemade vegan butter that includes cultured soy yogurt, refined coconut oil, and light olive oil (to reduce the flavor of coconut and olive in the butter. This recipe is loosely based off of Miyoko’s Creamery butter recipe, which would also work great in this dish. And if you can’t find Miyoko’s and don’t have time to make your own, other brands of vegan butter – or just plain olive or coconut oil, or a mix of the two – will work just fine.