Vegan Alfredo Recipe: A Cauliflower-Based Pasta Sauce

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(80)

TOTAL TIME

15 minutes

SERVES

4

MEAL TYPE

Gluten-Free, 
Gluten-Free, 
Main Dishes, 
Sauces & Dressings, 
Vegan, 
Vegetarian

DIET TYPE

Gluten-Free, 
Vegan, 
Vegetarian

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped (about 3 heaping cups)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
• 2 teaspoons pine nuts
• 2 ¼ cup almond milk
• 2 teaspoons of each: salt, pepper, oregano and basil
• Juice of half a lemon
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium-sized pot, cook the avocado oil, garlic and pine nuts over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, or until garlic is golden brown.
2. Add in the almond milk and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add the cauliflower and spices and cook until cauliflower is soft (about 8 minutes).
4. Transfer to a high-powered blender and add in the lemon juice and nutritional yeast and blend on high until smooth.
5. Pour over your favorite gluten-free pasta or zoodles and top with fresh basil.

Super flavorful, super creamy and super vegan? If you’re steering clear of dairy for any reason — maybe you’re following a vegan diet, have trouble digesting dairy or simply want to reduce your intake of animal foods and products — that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy rich-tasting and satisfying meals, like this vegan alfredo sauce with gluten-free noodles.

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What Is Alfredo Sauce Made out of?

How do you get a creamy, filling and rich alfredo sauce without using dairy products? You may be surprised to find out that the key ingredient is cauliflower — the star of this vegetarian- and vegan-friendly dish.

When cauliflower is blended, it helps to create a thick and delicious cream sauce. Plus, it’s packed with antioxidants and has no sodium, fat or sugar. When cauliflower is combined with garlic, Italian seasonings like oregano and basil and pine nuts, it creates the perfect bite.

Other important ingredients that make the creamy texture of this dish possible are avocado oil, unsweetened almond milk and nutritional yeast. These players thicken the sauce so it looks and tastes just like a traditional alfredo.

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Vegan Alfredo Sauce Nutrition Facts

One serving of my vegan alfredo sauce made using this recipe contains roughly the following: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

• 196 calories
• 11 grams protein
• 11 grams fat
• 16 grams carbohydrates
• 3 grams fiber
• 9 grams sugar
• 4.3 milligrams vitamin B1 (392 percent DV)
• 3.4 milligrams vitamin B2 (315 percent DV)
• 738 micrograms folate (279 percent DV)
• 23.5 milligrams vitamin B3 (169 percent DV)
• 40.9 milligrams vitamin C (55 percent DV)
• 623 milligrams sodium (42 percent DV)
• 1.8 milligrams vitamin B5 (38 percent DV)
• 0.8 micrograms vitamin B12 (34 percent DV)
• 26.7 micrograms vitamin K (30 percent DV)
• 193 milligrams phosphorus (28 percent DV)
• 67 milligrams magnesium (22 percent DV)
• 1.7 milligrams zinc (22 percent DV)
• 0.39 milligrams manganese (22 percent DV)
• 213 milligrams calcium (21 percent DV)
• 844 milligrams potassium (18 percent DV)
• 0.23 milligrams vitamin B6 (18 percent DV)
• 9 micrograms selenium (17 percent DV)
• 0.11 milligrams copper (13 percent DV)
• 273 IUs vitamin A (12 percent DV)
• 67 IUs vitamin D (11 percent DV)
• 1.7 milligrams iron (10 percent DV)
• 1.3 milligrams vitamin E (9 percent DV)

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How to Make Vegan Alfredo Sauce

To make this tasty fettuccine alfredo cream sauce, start by heating 2 tablespoons of avocado oil, two cloves of smashed or minced garlic and 2 teaspoons of pine nuts in a medium-sized pot over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, or until the garlic is golden brown. The sweet smells that will fill your kitchen should let you know you’re off to a great start.

I’ve also used cashews for this vegan pasta cream sauce, which also works with this combination of ingredients. So if you have cashews on hand instead of pine nuts, feel free to make that substitution, although I’ve found pine nuts give the cream sauce more of a bite that I like.

The next step is to add 2 ¼ cups of unsweetened almond milk to the same pot and bring it to a boil. Once the mix is bubbling, reduce the heat to medium and toss in about 3 cups of cauliflower (one small head) and 2 teaspoons each of salt, pepper, oregano and basil.

Keep this cooking for eight minutes or so — when the cauliflower is soft, that means it’s ready. Now, transfer the whole mix to a high-powered blender.

Add in juice of half a lemon and ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, which will give this vegan garlic alfredo that smooth finish that’s normally associated with cream. (In fact, I use nutritional yeast in many of my vegan recipes, including my awesome vegan mac and cheese). Then blend it all up until it’s smooth.

This vegan pasta dish is absolutely delicious served over zucchini noodles, gluten-free pasta or even steamed or roasted veggies. Really, however you like to serve your traditional alfredo, you can do it with this vegan recipe.

I love that it tastes just as great as expensive restaurant fettuccine alfredo, but it’s homemade and so much better for you. In fact, I challenge you to make this for your family and not tell them it’s healthy. I bet they’ll have no idea it’s vegan and packed with health-promoting nutrients. Enjoy!