Oregano garlic cream sauce: the cauliflower-based Italian-style sauce for spaghetti squash and chicken

Italian cream sauce is a problem for AIP cooking. The conventional versions use heavy cream, butter, or Parmesan - all dairy and all excluded on elimination. The AIP workarounds that simply swap in coconut milk tend to be thin and coconut-forward; they do not taste like a cream sauce, they taste like coconut milk with oregano.

This version uses steamed cauliflower as the primary thickener. Cauliflower blended with coconut milk produces a very different texture than coconut milk alone - it is thick, mildly sweet, and neutral-tasting. A small amount of gelatin goes in near the end of cooking; it adds the quality that makes a real cream sauce cling to whatever it coats. The coconut cream (the solid fat from a chilled can, not the liquid) adds richness at blending and balances the cauliflower's faint brassica note.

This sauce gels in the refrigerator and re-liquefies on gentle reheating. That behavior is intentional and correct - the gelatin is doing its job. A quick stir in a warm saucepan returns it to pourable consistency in about two minutes.

For people managing autoimmune conditions, gelatin is worth including regularly. It is the primary source of glycine and proline in the diet, two amino acids used in collagen synthesis and gut lining maintenance. Most people eating AIP do not eat enough connective tissue to get meaningful amounts from food alone.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1.5 cups cauliflower, steamed until very tender (about 1/2 a small head)
• 1/3 cup coconut cream (the solid fat from the top of a chilled can)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp gelatin powder (unflavored; Great Lakes or Vital Proteins are both clean-label)

Yield: About 2.5 cups of sauce - enough for 8 servings over spaghetti squash or 4 to 6 portions over chicken.

Method

Heat the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add the coconut milk, steamed cauliflower, dried oregano, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the surface of the simmering liquid and whisk immediately until fully dissolved. Simmer for 1 minute more.

Remove from heat. Add the coconut cream. Transfer the entire mixture to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy. A high-powered blender will give the smoothest result; if the sauce is slightly grainy, it will smooth out as it heats through when served.

Return to the saucepan and keep warm over the lowest possible heat until ready to serve.

Note on the gelatin: Sprinkle it over the surface and whisk immediately rather than adding it to cool liquid. Adding gelatin to liquid below simmering temperature causes it to clump.

Note on reheating: The sauce will gel in the refrigerator into a solid mass. That is correct. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat with a tablespoon or two of water or broth, stirring constantly, until pourable again.

How to use it

• Serve over spaghetti squash as an AIP fettuccine alfredo-style dish
• Pour over zucchini noodles or sweet potato noodles
• Use as a sauce for chicken thighs or chicken meatballs
• Spoon over roasted cauliflower florets as a vegetable dish
• Use as a base for a quick AIP chicken casserole with mushrooms

Storage

Refrigerator: up to 5 days, sealed. The sauce will set to a gel - reheat gently before using.

Freezer: up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat as above.

*Adapted from unboundwellness.com/oregano-garlic-cream-sauce-whole-30-paleo-aip/ by Michelle Hoover*