Hearts Of Palm Alfredo Pasta

This recipe uses tender hearts of palm that are seasoned and air fried to add zippy flavor to a creamy cauliflower Alfredo sauce. Serve over some red lentil pasta and you have a wonderful nutritious plant based pasta dish reminiscent of shrimp Alfredo.

What Are Hearts Of Palm

Hearts of Palm are the tender core of the palm plant. The heart is the inside of the stem. Farmers need to pull off the leaves and outer encasing to harvest it. If I had to describe the flavor, I would say they taste a bit like artichokes. They are tender but with a slightly firm bite which makes them a lovely substitute for seafood in many of my plant based dishes. They take to seasoning nicely and I love their versatility. I love making a ceviche with hearts of palm and I make some killer crab cakes with them as well. But here is the best part!

Hearts of palm are extremely nutritious! Here are some stats from the USDA about hearts of palm. Per every 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of hearts of palm, there are 28 calories, 4.6 grams carbs, 2.4 grams fiber and 0.6 grams fat. They’re high in zinc, potassium, magnesium and a host of aminos that your body uses to repair tissue damage.

Their biggest drawback would be the brine they are packaged in. It is filled with sodium, but nothing a good rinsing can’t manage. So go ahead! Eat all you want. Before you know it, you will be throwing these in salads and plant based stews. They are great!

Why Not Just Use Shrimp?

Some of you may wonder why I wouldn’t just use shrimp in place of the hearts of palm to make a more traditional pasta. Great question! While I do eat shrimp every once in a while, I stick to plant based eating most of the time. This is because if I stay consistent with my plant based eating, I can keep the weight off, feel great all of the time, and remain nutritionally intact. Staying consistent with plant based eating helps you to stay healthy and not worry about macros, micros, and calories.

The other reason I don’t use shrimp on a regular basis is because shrimp is highly tainted with mercury from the pollutants in the ocean. This adds a significant amount of toxins that I would rather not have my body try to get rid of on a constant basis. Again, once in a while I may indulge and trust my body to take care of itself the way it should, but for the most part I will stay the course. Plus, if I give in to shrimp, who’s to say I’m not going to just add the butter and cream into the mix as well? And when the hearts of palm offer so much in a delicious satisfying meal….why would I change that?

What Is The Sauce Made Out Of?

I am loving this creamy Alfredo substitute sauce because I can use it with so many pasta dishes. It is a true gem to keep around! Plus, it is so fast to make! I start with 1/2 cup of cashews. You can use white beans here if you have nut allergies. Next I add a bag of steamed riced cauliflower. There is a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. I also add 2Tbsp lemon juice and then about 3/4 cup of vegetable broth. Just blend it all up and pour over your favorite pasta! You could even add in some fresh basil, dill, or chives depending on what you are making and pairing with the sauce. Delish!

Air Fryer Hearts of Palm

I love using my air fryer to crisp up the hearts of palm in this recipe. Just toss the sliced hearts in the seasoning and dried parsley and pop them in for about 10 minutes. I like to spray them first with just a little olive or avocado oil. This gives them a beautiful golden color and crisps them up slightly. I stop the cooking about 5 minutes in to shake them and spray with another light spray before finishing up the remainder of time. You can certainly skip this step if you are oil free!

You may not have an air fryer and are wondering how else you can cook these. You could place them on a baking sheet after seasoning, and bake them in the oven at 400 for 15 minutes or until they are lightly browned.

Alternatively you can place them in a non-stick pan either with a teaspoon of olive oil or without. Pan fry stirring and turning until they are golden brown on both sides. Both of these methods work fine, but I prefer the air fried method best.

Crispy Shallots

Ok, ok… this is not my usual addition because of the amount of oil used, but this is definitely a treat to add to this recipe! These crispy shallots are AWESOME! They are a little tricky to make however. You just need to watch them, keep stirring, keep cooking, and check for doneness by looking at the color. I adapted my recipe from this original one found HERE

I slice them really thin with a mandolin slicer and place them in a bowl covered with either avocado or olive oil. Neither of these oils are refined, but they ARE 100% FAT. So just be aware of that if you have dietary restrictions.

I then pop them in the microwave uncovered for about 3 minutes. Stir them and place back in for another 1 1/2 -3 minutes before checking and stirring again. Keep doing this until you see that they are crispy and golden brown. Most of the oil will be absorbed by this time. You will need to adjust some cooking time and watching time to suit your microwave so just be aware that they can burn easily! You just need to be patient and keep checking on them so they don’t burn. The flavor they add is worth it!

Put It All Together

Plate up your pasta by putting the noodles down first. I use some healthy red lentil pasta, but you can use any kind you wish. Just cook it according to package directions. Add whatever amount of sauce you want over the top of the pasta. Then top with hearts of palm and crispy shallots. If you have extra Alfredo sauce, store in an air tight container for about a week. Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. This dish gets better with each bite and will leave you feeling full and nourished without all the heaviness of cream/butter based sauces. Make sure you comment to let me know how you liked it!

May God Bless You And Your Food

~Lora