🍝 Introduction: A Dish Drenched in Silk and Silence
Marco leaned against the kitchen counter of EsoterrisTable, the steam from the pasta water curling like ghosts around his face. “There’s something tragic,” he said, “about a sauce so smooth it hides everything beneath it.” He twirled a spoonful of white Alfredo and watched it fall, velvet on velvet.
Lira, perched at the windowsill where rosemary and rue grew in clay pots, nodded without looking. “It reminds me of Fredo,” she said quietly. “His betrayal was like cream—it didn’t cut, it coated. Soft on the tongue, but heavy on the soul.”
This dish was born of that conversation:
A silken cauliflower-truffle Alfredo cloaks wide ribbons of pappardelle, like loyalty stretched thin. Smoked mushrooms bring a shadowed depth—meaty without the meat—while capers sting like secrets surfacing. Each bite is both comfort and warning. A betrayal you forgive, only because it’s too delicious not to.
Marco calls it Pappardelle al Tradimento Bianco, the White Betrayal Pasta.
Lira just calls it dinner.
🥇 How to Make Creamy Vegan Alfredo Pappardelle with Truffle and Mushrooms
Description
This decadent dish features wide pappardelle ribbons bathed in a luscious vegan cauliflower Alfredo sauce infused with roasted garlic and white truffle oil. Smoked oyster mushrooms and briny capers lend depth and intrigue, making every bite both comforting and complex. Inspired by Fredo Corleone’s soft-spoken betrayal, this “White Betrayal Pasta” is a culinary confession wrapped in silk.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Step 1 — Prep & Steam the Cauliflower, Warm the Garlic
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Bring a small pot with ½ inch of water to a simmer.
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Add 2 cups cauliflower florets to a steamer basket; cover and steam 6–8 minutes until fork‑tender.
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If using roasted garlic, warm it gently in a dry pan; if not, lightly sauté 3 crushed cloves in 1 tsp olive oil for 30–60 seconds (do not brown).
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Step 2 — Sauté the “Smoked” Mushrooms
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Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide skillet over medium‑high.
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Add 1 cup sliced oyster or shiitake mushrooms; let them sear undisturbed 2–3 minutes.
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Toss, then splash 1 tbsp tamari to deepen smoky notes; cook until edges are browned. Transfer to a plate.
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Step 3 — Blend the Cauliflower–Truffle Alfredo
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In a blender, add steamed cauliflower, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (or 1 tbsp Parmesan), ½ cup unsweetened oat milk, warm garlic, 1 tsp white truffle oil, a pinch of salt, white pepper, and optional nutmeg.
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Blend until utterly silky, 30–60 seconds. Adjust salt/pepper. If thick, thin with a tablespoon of hot water.
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Step 4 — Boil the Pasta & Reserve Water
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Salt a large pot of water generously.
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Cook 8 oz pappardelle (or tagliatelle) until al dente.
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Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water; drain.
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Step 5 — Emulsify: Toss Pasta with Alfredo
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Return drained pasta to the warm pot (off heat).
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Pour in the cauliflower–truffle Alfredo; toss to coat.
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Add splashes of reserved pasta water until sauce is glossy and clings to ribbons.
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Step 6 — Add the “Sting”: Capers & Lemon Zest
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Fold in 2 tbsp chopped capers and zest of ½ lemon.
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Taste; adjust salt/white pepper. (Capers add brine—salt lightly.)
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Step 7 — Finish with Mushrooms & Herbs; Plate
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Gently fold in the sautéed mushrooms.
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Plate in warm shallow bowls; drizzle a few drops of truffle oil.
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Garnish with chopped parsley and, optionally, a pinch of smoked or black lava salt.
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🍷 Suggested Pairing:
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Dry White Wine with Minerality & Aromatics
“Txakolina” (Getariako Txakolina DO, Spain)
Lightly effervescent, bone-dry, and herbaceous — it lifts the sauce, echoes the lemon zest, and balances the mushrooms’ depth.SEE NOTES BELOW
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 2
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 1949.16kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 64.73g100%
- Saturated Fat 10.41g53%
- Cholesterol 191.16mg64%
- Sodium 1693.44mg71%
- Potassium 2554.76mg73%
- Total Carbohydrate 285g95%
- Dietary Fiber 30.67g123%
- Sugars 25.24g
- Protein 66.06g133%
- Vitamin A 750.69 IU
- Vitamin C 109.59 mg
- Calcium 381.14 mg
- Iron 12.09 mg
- Vitamin D 50.84 mcg
- Vitamin E 7.95 mg
- Vitamin K 130.16 mcg
- Thiamin 0.61 mg
- Riboflavin 1.17 mg
- Niacin 16.46 mg
- Vitamin B6 1.76 mg
- Folate 234.13 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.66 mcg
- Pantothenic Acid 7.19 mg
- Phosphorus 1040.76 mg
- Magnesium 259.99 mg
- Zinc 8.36 mg
- Selenium 229.92 mcg
- Copper 1.42 mg
- Manganese 3.66 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
🍷 Final Words from Marco
I’ve learned this much from the family: betrayal never shouts. It whispers. It wraps itself in warmth. It comes to the table wearing white.
This dish is a lesson in that. It’s comfort with a sting. Soft ribbons dressed in silk, with a secret tucked between every fold. You don’t need meat to make something powerful. You don’t need noise to leave a mark.
So light the candle, pour the wine, and listen to what the pasta is trying to tell you. Some stories are best served warm—before they cool into regret.
— Marco DeLuca, Culinary Semiotician & Keeper of Rituals at EsoterrisTable
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