Beet Noodle Pumpkin Alfredo with Spiced Pecans
Try this Beet Noodle Pumpkin Alfredo with Spiced Pecans recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Beet Noodle Pumpkin Alfredo with Spiced Pecans recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup diced shallots
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 2 hours and then drained
- for the spiced pecans:
- 1/2 cup whole pecans
- for the alfredo pasta:
- 4 beets, peeled blade c noodles trimmed
- 4 sage leaves
- 1 pinch of nutmeg to taste
- 1/2 - 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth + more for thinning as
- freshly minced parsley to garnish
- Carbohydrate 18.8698456673912 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 18.8577995439857 g
- Fiber 5.27924182780674 g
- Protein 4.52659947912209 g
- Saturated Fat 2.60683696449721 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -6 (72g)
- Sodium 964.234765617653 mg
- Sugar 13.5906038395845 g
- Trans Fat 0.891112410053171 g
- Calories 246 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the maple syrup with the cinnamon, cayenne and season lightly with salt. It should create a paste. Add the pecans into the mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly.
- Take out two baking sheets and line both with parchment paper. On one, lay the dressed pecans out on a parchment paper lined baking tray and bake for 5 minutes, flip over and bake another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Let the pecans cool for at least 5 minutes before you use them in the rest of the recipe (they will become less sticky the longer they sit.)
- Five minutes after the pecans are in the oven, lay out the beet noodles on the other lined baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 5-10 minutes (I kept mine in for 7) or until your desired al dente consistency.
- After both the pecans and beets are in the oven, place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the sage and cook until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a small, paper-towel lined plate.
- Place the red pepper flakes and shallots and garlic immediately into the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Then, add in pumpkin puree, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and crumble in the sage. Let cook for 1-2 minutes for flavors to develop, again stirring constantly.
- In a high-speed blender, combine the pumpkin mixture, cashews, nutritional yeast (start with ½ tablespoon and add more to your preference) and vegetable broth. Pulse until creamy and add more vegetable broth, if needed. Taste and adjust (not cheesy enough? More nutritional yeast? Not salty enough? More salt.)
- Divide the beet noodles into bowls and top with a scoop of the pumpkin alfredo sauce (about 1/3 – ½ cup). Top with parsley and pecans.
Raw cashews demand a strict minimum of two hours in soaking water to soften sufficiently for a high-speed blender to pulverize them into an emulsion without gritty remnants. Skipping this hydration step leaves micro-particles that ruin the silky illusion of heavy cream in plant-based alfredo sauces. Nutritional yeast provides the savory backbone mimicking parmesan, but adding it gradually prevents the distinct umami profile from overpowering the subtle sweetness of pumpkin puree.
Oven temperature management remains critical when roasting root vegetables and nuts simultaneously. Pecans coated in maple syrup burn rapidly at 425 degrees Fahrenheit if left past the ten-minute mark, requiring constant visual checks as the sugars caramelize and harden during cooling. Spreading beet noodles in a single layer on parchment paper prevents steam pooling, which otherwise turns the spiralized roots into mush rather than achieving a firm alden-te bite within seven minutes.
Aromatic components like minced garlic and shallots scorch within seconds in dry skillets, so continuous movement over medium heat is mandatory until translucent. Frying sage leaves in extra virgin olive oil before building the sauce infuses the fat with herbal compounds while yielding a crisp garnish that crumbles easily into the pumpkin base. Vegetable broth acts as the primary viscosity adjuster during blending, allowing precise control over how thickly the sauce clings to the roasted noodles.
Balancing earthy beets against sweet squash requires aggressive seasoning adjustments during the final blending phase. Salt enhances the natural sugars in both the pumpkin and the maple-glazed pecans, transforming what could taste like baby food into a complex savory dish. Freshly minced parsley cuts through the density of the cashew emulsion, providing a bitter contrast that brightens every single forkful.
