Creamy vegan celeriac spaghetti

You could think of this a bit like a healthier choice carbonara. Roasted and puréed celeriac make up a creamy sauce, and flavourful mushrooms add a great dimension to the dish.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 celeriac, washed, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 300g (10½oz) wholewheat spaghetti of choice

For the sauce

• 300ml (10½fl oz) oat milk
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper

For the mushrooms

• 200g (7oz) mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch salt and black pepper

For the toppings

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Chilli flakes
• Black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

2. While the oven heats up, peel the celeriac, chop into small cubes, then add to a baking tray.

3. Pour over the olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Roast the celeriac for about 20 minutes, then add the garlic and onion and roast for a further 20 minutes or until everything is cooked and golden brown.

5. Reserve a quarter of the roast celeriac mixture.

6. To make the sauce, add the remaining celeriac mixture, paprika, oat milk and nutritional yeast to a food processor. Season with salt and pepper, then whizz until you reach a creamy consistency sauce. If it is too thick, add a splash more milk. Set aside and keep warm.

7. Sauté the mushrooms with a bit of olive oil in a pan for five or so minutes until they are nicely coloured. Don’t stir too much. Add the garlic and a few thyme sprigs and fry until soft. Season with a pinch of salt and a grinding of pepper.

8. Cook the wholewheat spaghetti following pack instructions, then drain, reserving a cup of cooking water, and pop the spaghetti back in the pan.

9. Add the sauce to the pan, with a splash of cooking water and toss to combine.

To serve:

10. Top each portion with the reserved roast celeriac mixture and the mushrooms.

11. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle chilli flakes and freshly cracked black pepper.