A rich and creamy vegan cauliflower alfredo sauce made without cream or cheese. This creamy dairy free pasta is so delicious, you’d never know it’s made with hidden vegetables. Plus, this quick and easy meat-free recipe that comes in at just $1.72 per serve.
Creamy and velvety smooth pasta sauces are one of the main things I craved when I stopped eating dairy. It’s so hard to achieve the same texture using plant-based alternatives but with this version, you can have a delicious and creamy sauce without any cheese or cream.
The secret is a combination of cooked cauliflower, cashew nuts and nutritional yeast. Cauliflower is a very versatile vegetable and a when in season very affordable making it a great base for a range of different dishes.
Cashews and nutritional yeast are also pantry staples in my books because they can add so much flavour and texture to a bunch of different recipes.
Cashews have this magical property that when soaked and blended they become smooth and creamy, and when combined with the cheesy taste of nutritional yeast creates a great cheese alternative. I use this same combination in my vegan enchiladas.
This recipe is so quick and easy, plus it’s fairly healthy as well while still being rich and creamy and perfectly cosy and comforting.
Key Ingredients
This vegan cauliflower alfredo pasta uses a few key ingredients to ensure a super creamy sauce without the need for cream or cheese.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cauliflower – this versatile vegetable is boiled and then blended to help form the base of the alfredo sauce.
- Cashews – when soaked in boiling water, the cashews blend into a thick and creamy consistency.
- Vegetable stock – adding flavour and thinning out the sauce. You can just use water instead however.
- Oat milk – any plant-based milk will work.
- Lemon juice – adding a little acidity which helps give the sauce that tang you’d usually get from parmesan cheese.
- Nutritional yeast – a dairy-free pantry essential, this adds a cheesy taste to the sauce.
- Garlic and onion powder – adds a bold, savoury flavour.
- Pasta – I like to use fettucine or any long, flat pasta but really you can use anything you have.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This vegan cauliflower alfredo is so easy to make, especially if you have a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix. Seriously, they are an investment but having a good quality blender has been so handy – it really makes things so much easier.
There are also a couple of preparation steps needed for this recipe that can be done in advance.
Firstly, place the cashews in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight depending on how powerful your blender is.
Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil (you can use this pot again later for cooking the pasta). Chop up some cauliflower and place it in the pot, cooking it until it’s soft – about 10 minutes. Once done, drain and set aside.
Place the pot on to boil again and cook your fettucine or pasta of choice according to packet directions. Once done, reserve about a cup of the cooking water before draining and setting aside.
While the pasta is cooking you can make the vegan alfredo sauce. Place the cooked cauliflower in in blender with the cashews that have been drained. Add the vegetable stock, oat milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and blend really well until creamy.
Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta, add a little of the reserved pasta water and mix well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve the vegan cauliflower alfredo topped with chilli flakes and some fresh parsley.
Recipe FAQs
This is due to the cashews. Usually this happens because they haven’t broken down enough. There are two main things that help; first, soak the cashews in the boiling water for longer before using and secondly blend for longer. Keep blending for at least 3 minutes after the sauce comes together to ensure it gets really creamy.
Yes you can make the sauce in advance and store it in an a jar or container in the fridge. Serve it with freshly cooked pasta when ready to eat.
While the texture is best when first cooked, you can reheat the pasta in a pot on the stove using a splash more milk to rehydrate the sauce and bring back the thick and creamy consistency.
More vegan pasta recipes:
Vegan Vodka Pasta
Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
One Pot Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Vegan Mac and Cheese (without cashews)
Kale and Walnut Pesto Pasta
Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 grams fettuccine pasta
- 2 cups cooked chopped cauliflower see notes
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water for 30-60 minutes, then drained
- ½ cup vegetable stock
- ½ cup oat milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Chilli flakes and chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and place the drained pasta back into the pot.
- In a high-speed blender, combine the cooked cauliflower, soaked and drained cashews, vegetable stock, oat milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Blend for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is super creamy.
- Pour the creamy sauce over the cooked pasta in the pot. Mix well to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to thin it out. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve the pasta in bowls, garnishing with chilli flakes and chopped fresh parsley.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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