Mexican, Japanese, Thai, and Indian are just a few cuisines of the world that are easy to veganize. But veganizing French cuisine? Not so easy. This weekend, after flipping through Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques, I decided to give it a go.
My experiment wasn't a straight veganization. Instead, I like to think that my sauce was simply inspired by Jacques' instructions for beurre blanc and béchamel sauces—but mine is a combination of white wine, onion, garlic, margarine, and flour. To balance out the very rich sauce that I had created, I added a few handfuls of steamed spinach and cooked pasta to create a complete meal.
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Creating a delicious French sauce wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. In fact, it was quite simple. The key is to be creative and not too strict about sticking to the traditional versions of recipes.
Enjoy!
White-Wine Cream Sauce With Spinach and Pasta
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup water (or more, if desired)
1 Tbsp. vegan margarine
1 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup cooked spinach
4 cups pasta, cooked
•In a medium sauce pan over low heat, add the olive oil, onion, and garlic. Cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
•Add the white wine and water then bring to a low simmer. Continue simmering for about 10 minutes.
•Add the margarine and flour, stirring until completely combined and the sauce begins to thicken. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more water until you reach the desired consistency, then season with salt and pepper.
•In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, pasta, and white-wine sauce, then toss until the pasta is completely coated.
Makes 2 to 4 servings
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Comments ( 8 )
I never know what type of cooking wine to use.
Posted by Adriana | April 6, 2009 6:50 PM
Posted on April 6, 2009 18:50
yum!
Posted by veggievixen | April 7, 2009 11:45 AM
Posted on April 7, 2009 11:45
I used an inexpensive Chardonnay but I think that any white wine that isn't too sweet will work fine.
Posted by Amy | April 7, 2009 11:53 AM
Posted on April 7, 2009 11:53
This looks super tasty! I am so trying this for supper tonight!
Posted by Mary Ellen Skinner | April 7, 2009 12:30 PM
Posted on April 7, 2009 12:30
You have an uncanny ability to know what leftovers need to be used up in my fridge! I had both spinach and white wine that I didn't know what to do with, and up came this latest post! I swear this has happened a bunch of times with your blog! Anyhow, I made this, and my wife and I both loved it -- thanks -- keep up the great work!
Posted by Vineet Aggarwal | April 8, 2009 4:10 PM
Posted on April 8, 2009 16:10
I tried this last night and it was soooo tasty! I added red pepper and garlic salt to give it an extra kick.
Posted by Christine | April 10, 2009 3:38 PM
Posted on April 10, 2009 15:38
the only "cooking with wine" rule you need is this: if it's not good enough to drink, it's not good enough to cook with!
Posted by Theresa | April 24, 2009 6:42 PM
Posted on April 24, 2009 18:42
I made this last night and it was SO good, but I also thought it was missing a little something. Maybe like some kind of an herb.... does anyone know what I could try? I was thinking basil but I'm not sure. :o)
Posted by Taneil | May 4, 2009 2:21 PM
Posted on May 4, 2009 14:21