Dairy-Free Vodka Sauce

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   If you have not already made the cashew cream, prepare one batch of All-Purpose Dairy-Free Cashew Cream, using unsweetened oat milk as the blending liquid for a richer sauce. For a small from-scratch batch, soak 1/2 cup raw cashews in boiling water for 30 minutes, drain, then blend with 3/4 cup unsweetened oat milk until smooth.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent.

3. 3

   Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

4. 4

   Add the tomato paste and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens from bright red to brick red and starts to stick lightly to the bottom of the pan. This step builds the sweet, concentrated tomato flavor that makes vodka sauce taste restaurant-style.

5. 5

   Pour in the vodka and stir, scraping up the tomato paste from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sharp alcohol smell mostly cooks off and the mixture looks glossy.

6. 6

   Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.

7. 7

   Reduce the heat to low. Scoop about 1/4 cup of the warm tomato sauce into a small bowl and whisk in the white miso until smooth, then stir it back into the pan with the nutritional yeast.

8. 8

   Stir in the cashew cream and dairy-free butter. Warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is creamy and cohesive. Do not boil hard after adding the cashew cream or the sauce can thicken too much.

9. 9

   Stir in the basil and lemon juice. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or red pepper flakes. Toss with hot pasta immediately, loosening with a splash of pasta water if needed.