Spaghetti Mushroom Alfredo

This tasty dish is a winner and can be modified in so many ways. Add spinach, bok choy, green beans, slivered almonds, etc. Start with the basic recipe and let your imagination soar!
















Spaghetti Mushroom Alfredo
1/2 cup dried  shitake  mushrooms
3/4 cup water (save water)
3 medium zucchini


Mushroom Marinade
2 1/2 cups crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced  (mix in some portobello or other variety as you wish)
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp red onion, minced
1/2 cup spinach, chopped
2 Tbsp Olive oil (or coconut oil)
1 Tbsp  nama shoyu
1 tsp coconut water vinegar ( or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mushroom Alfredo Sauce
3/4 cup cashews - soaked for 2 hours 
3/4 cup  reserved mushroom soak water (from dried mushrooms above)
1 Tbsp pine nuts (optional)
1/4 cup (whatever leftover zucchini pieces you have from spiralizing)
2 Tbsp red onion, diced (or 2 scallions)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1  clove garlic crushed
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp miso paste, preferably dark
1 1/2 tsp ground shitake powder (grind dried shitake mushrooms in nut/seed grinder)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp sea salt
fresh black pepper
 
Garnish 
2 Tbsp sesame seeds for garnish
fresh chopped parsley

Preparation
Soak dried mushrooms in hot water (save soak water)

Mix Mushroom Marinade ingredients  and marinate chopped mushrooms and red pepper for 1-2 hours or more. You can also dehydrate these for 2 hours at 110 degrees.

Soak cashews for 2 hours and spiralize zucchini or use a peeler and cut long thin, linguini type noodles.

Drain shitake mushrooms, saving water and coarsely chop.

In a high speed blender, mix cashews, pine nuts, and water from soaked mushrooms until creamy.  Pour the cream into a nut milk bag or cheese cloth and squeeze the mixture to separate the pulp. Refrigerate or freeze the pulp and use later for cracker or other  recipes..

Drain the marinating crimini mushrooms and red peppers. Combine 1/2 of the Cream and add 1/2 of the mushroom/red pepper veggie mixture, and blend together. Add remaining Cream Sauce ingredients.

Drain or dy zucchini (salad spinner works great). Stir Alfredo Sauce into noodles and top with remaining mushroom mixture. Add cracked pepper, sesame seeds and fresh parsley.

To warm, place in a glass baking dish and dehydrate at 125 degrees for 1hour. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper, sesame seeds and fresh parsley