A creamy, dreamy dairy-free pasta for all your spring comfort food hankerings.
I love love LOVE a big bowl of mac n cheese. I mean LOVE! But there are times when my spirit voice and my mind voice are screaming for it, but my body voice knows that’s just not the ticket right now. For those times, there’s Carrot-Miso Cavatappi. A dairy-free, creamy, dreamy comfort meal that’s super-easy to make and even easier to love.
I’m so stoked to share this recipe with you, primarily you wouldn’t believe just how many requests I get for dairy-free mac. I’m not a fan of alt-cheese (cheese made with cashews is NOT cheese!) and so the recipe below is a wonderful compromise; a creamy, dreamy, protein-rich option for the vegans and Meatless Monday observers in the audience that uses real, whole foods that benefit the body. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping to turn all of you out there into believers when it comes to dairy-free creamy pasta because sometimes our bodies need a break from dairy so that we can keep enjoying it. And one of those times is right now. (When the sweetest carrots and the freshest herbs are on offer and ready to be woven into this pasta!)
I’m often asked whether this food or that food is “good or bad.”
And, at the frustration of the asker, my answer is and will always be “it depends.” Because it does.
As I hope you’ve noticed by now, Ayurveda is an equal opportunity eater; all foods have their place, and whether a food is beneficial or detrimental has little to nothing to do with it’s macronutrients or calories, and has everything to do with whether or not the qualities of its morsels balance (or unbalance) the body in season.
Everything, everything can be a medicine, in the right context. And the context has everything to do with season.
In Ayurvedic medicine, the questions we have about what to eat and when are answered by looking at the weather – both outside the body and in. Is it warm outside? Is it cool? Is the body warm? Inflamed? Or too cold, damp or dry, perhaps? Is the body in need of a little creamy, smoothness?
Opposites balance, and like increases like. Through the spring season, rampant with cool, wet, cloudy weather, we’re wise to balance with warm, drying foods that clarify. Cheese is creamy and cool, cloudy and moist and not a great food for the cleansing moment of spring.
A lot of those questions about “goods” and “bads” are directed at dairy products. We’ve come to believe that dairy is a villain because more and more individuals are having a hard time digesting the wide and beautiful variety of nourishing foods that come from well-cared for livestock. This isn’t the fault of the cheese, yogurt or milk. It’s a problem with the digestive system that causes the issue, not necessarily the milk itself. Typically, the digestive system is weakened as a result of not following logical seasonal patterns when it comes to our foods. Believe it or not, there are seasons of the year when foods that challenge us – like gluten, dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes – are “better” or “worse” for our systems. In essence, the way for us to enjoy cheese, milk and dairy with more comfort is to cycle off it when the time is right.
Put simply, cycling cheese off in seasons when the weather – both inside the body and out – is cool, cloudy and moist – is the best way for us to reduce congestion, excess moisture, and to ensure that our digestive system is cleansed enough to digest and process our foods year-round. When the weather warms into summer, bringing back light, cooling cheeses is a great idea, but for this spring season, setting cheese aside and making a big pot of Carrot-Miso Cavatappi when the need for comfort food strikes is a great strategy for year-round wellness.
You’ll be (perhaps) surprised to see that this recipe doesn’t utilize garlic. Garlic and alliums spice up digestion for many of us, and sometimes in not a great way. So, instead, I’ve employed an Ayurvedic spice mix called hingvastakchurna (HING VAS TAK CHURN A) that helps to add the unctuousness of alliums, without the digestive challenge. The addition of this spice helps make the beans in the sauce more digestible, but hingvastak is helpful for boosting digestive fire and balancing the digestive system at large so it’s a great addition to just about any dish. I share my favorite source in the recipe notes!
I’m totally addicted to this recipe. The easy sauce comes together with ingredients probably already in your pantry and fridge. It’s packed with protein but so so creamy, just a little bit sweet and super savory. I love to add fresh herbs here and (honestly) a few chunks of feta cheese for the cheaters out there. (Little chunks of vegan cheese would be great too.) It’s such a treat as a hearty lunch, or an impressive dinner. It’s also worth mentioning that cavatappi is a super-fun little shape to make, but if you can’t find it at your local grocery store, rigatoni would be a great choice as well – something that allows the savory, herby sauce to hide in nooks and crannies.
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