Plant-Based Chicken
Afredo with Bacon & Peas
Plant-Based Chicken
Afredo with Bacon & Peas
Recipe created by Chef Camillo Sabella
@chefcamillosabella
This recipe is a twist on my moms chicken alfredo - I veganized it! This pasta dish takes less than 30 minutes to make and is super creamy with pops of sweet peas, crispy plant-based chicken and topped with vegan bacon. This is a delicious meal for a Sunday family dinner!
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
FOR THE CREAMY PASTA
● 1 lb pasta of choice ( follow cooking instructions on the box)
● 3 Tbsp vegan butter, room temperature
● 2 shallots, chopped
● 5 garlic cloves, peeled & grated
● 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
● 1 - 32 ounce container Elmhurst Milked Cashews Unsweetened ( plant-based milk )
● ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
● ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
● 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
● 2 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, wash & dried, then chopped - not stems
● salt & ground black pepper to taste
● 2 cups fresh peas ( or frozen )
● 8 slices vegan bacon, precooked ( follow cooking instructions on the package )
● ½ cup vegan parmesan cheese
FOR THE CRISPY PLANT-BASED CHICKEN:
● 8 plant-based chicken strips/tenders
● BREADING:
● 1 cup all purpose flour seasoned with: ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder and ½ tsp onion powder
Preparation:
- PREPARING THE PASTA & ALFREDO SAUCE: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Make sure you time the cooking of the pasta. ALFREDO SAUCE: Place a large pot over medium heat and add vegan butter, add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes until shallots become translucent - making sure you are stirring the shallots with a wooden spoon so they don’t turn brown or burn. Reduce heat to low and add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle over the flour and use a whisk, whisk until flour is combined - this is called a roux. Slowly pour in the plant-based mix and whisk until the roux is combined with the milk. Add the nutritional yeast, crushed red pepper flakes, nutmeg and salt & ground black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer & cook until sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Frying the plant-based chicken tenders. PREPARING THE BREADING STATION: Prepare three bowls or square takeout containers - 1 - place the seasoned flour, 2 - place the vegan liquid egg product 1. and 3 - place the seasoned vegan panko breadcrumbs.
- Place the plant-based chicken tenders into the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, then place into the vegan egg mixture, using your dry hand then place the plant-based chicken tenders into the panko breadcrumbs. Making sure at each step you are covering the front and back of the tenders completely. Place the breaded tenders on a clean plate and set aside until you are ready to shallow fry.
- PAN/SHALLOW FRYING TENDERS: Place a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat, heat enough oil to shallow fry the plant-based chicken tenders about one inch high. When the oil is hot enough add the breaded tenders and fry both sides until golden brown. About 2-3 minutes each side, making sure you are using kitchen tongs to turn and flip the tenders over. Remove tenders and place on a wire rack to keep them crispy or paper towels.
- Stir the green peas into the alfredo sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta into the alfredo sauce and toss until all the pasta is well combined. You can reserve some pasta water, just in case your sauce is too thick. Add half of the chopped plant-based bacon and half of the chopped parsley. Taste and check your seasoning. Combine and place into a serving bowl or platter. Place and arrange the plant-based crispy chicken tenders on top and sprinkle/garnish with the remaining 1. plant-based bacon, chopped parsley and vegan parmesan cheese.
- Serve & Enjoy!
Tips:
Make sure you time the cooking of your pasta with preparing the alfredo sauce and the crispy plant-based chicken tenders. You can dice the crispy plant-based chicken into 2 inch pieces or leave the whole. I usually pre-cook my pasta, shock it, toss it with a little olive oil and set it aside until needed. You can prepare this delicious recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free flour and your choice of gluten-free pasta.