BEan pasta with Brussels sprouts & “Blue cheese”

ingredients:

8 ounces bean pasta (see note), cooked according to package directions, rinsed under cold water and drained

1 pound fresh or frozen Brussels sprouts, cleaned and left whole if small, or cut in half if large

2 red onions, chopped

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish

FOR THE BLUE CHEESE SAUCE:

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup unhulled sesame seeds

1 (12.3 ounce) package firm silken tofu

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup unsweetened soy, hemp or almond milk

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon white low-sodium miso

6 tablespoons nutritional yeast

4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

instructions:

While the pasta is cooking, puree all of the blue cheese sauce ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth.

In a large pan, saute the onions and Brussels sprouts in a little water or white wine until the onions are translucent and the sprouts are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the pasta and the parsley to the pan, pour in the blue cheese sauce and cook until heated through, stirring to coat everything with the sauce.

Divide among 6 plates and sprinkle with additional parsley. Serve immediately.

If desired, some chopped apples may be added when you are sautéing the sprouts.