Fettuccine with Vegan Alfredo Sauce

This lightened up Fettuccine Alfredo uses cauliflower to create a rich vegan Alfredo sauce without the cream! It’s healthier, lighter, and just as tasty as the original version, in my opinion. Cauliflower Alfredo makes a wonderful weeknight dinner, and pasta is always a fantastic option for serving guests at a dinner party. If you’ve been wondering how to prepare a simple vegan Alfredo sauce from scratch, keep reading!

To be honest, I don’t think of this as a vegan fettuccine Alfredo. I just think of it as a healthier fettuccine Alfredo recipe that happens to be vegan.

Many people I know follow a strictly plant-based diet, and I think that’s wonderful. It’s incredibly difficult for me to do this because of my job, but I do try to minimize my intake of animal-based products for a variety of reasons.

How to Make Vegan Alfredo Sauce

How do you create a vegan version of fettuccine Alfredo when you can’t use cream, butter, or cheese? The secret is cauliflower, which becomes incredibly thick and creamy when cooked down and pureed.

I’ve used cauliflower many times to create “cream” soups. It’s magical. You simply cook it down in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, preferably with some onions and maybe a bit of garlic. Add a bit of broth and finish it with some nondairy milk… done.

Obviously, there are usually a few more ingredients involved, as is the case below. But when I’m looking for a vegan alternative to a creamy pasta, this Alfredo recipe does the trick every single time!

What is Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that’s typically sold in the form of a yellow powder or flakes. It has a nutty, savory flavor that, while strong on its own, makes a great addition to vegan recipes. Nutritional yeast brings the savory umami quality you’d normally get from an aged cheese like Parmesan.

For awhile it was only available in health food stores and online, but recently I’ve been seeing it in national chain grocery stores as well.

It’s an optional ingredient in this recipe, but if you can find some, I recommend giving it a try!

Looking for more vegan recipes?

Check out my Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts, Crispy Baked Tofu with Broccoli, and Roasted Butternut Squash Soup!

5 from 4 votes

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Fettuccine with Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

 

This lightened up Fettuccine with Vegan Alfredo Sauce uses cauliflower to create a wonderful, rich sauce that's full of flavor without the cream!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 350 kcal

Author: Jennifer Farley

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped (approximately 2 pounds or 3-4 cups)
• 1 cup vegetable stock, preferably homemade
• 2/3 cup water, plus more as needed
• 1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk, (I like soy milk)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste (see notes)
• Optional: 1/4 cup fresh grated vegan cheese
• Optional: 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, or to taste
• 1 pound fettuccine

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium-low. Add onion to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft. Add the cauliflower and turn up the heat to medium. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring, until the cauliflower has softened up. Add the stock and water, then turn the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the pot and lower the heat. Simmer for 45 minutes.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Prepare the pasta according to package instructions and set aside.

3. Carefully ladle the sauce into a blender (in batches, if necessary). Puree until smooth and silky. Return the sauce to the pot and add the milk. Season with fresh grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cheese and/or nutritional yeast if using.

4. Toss the sauce with the pasta and serve.

Recipe Notes

You can use ground black pepper instead of the white pepper. White pepper is only used here to keep the sauce uniform in color.