This vegan Alfredo sauce recipe makes the most delicious, creamy alfredo sauce that everyone loves. So creamy and flavorful!
This comfort food recipe would be great for anybody who avoids dairy or heavy cream. But y’all! This dairy-free alfredo sauce truly tastes so amazing that you can serve it to everybody. Kid approved!
Toss this easy vegan Alfredo sauce with any type pasta you wish! Spaghetti, farfalle, penne or your favorite pasta. But nothing is more classic than the classic fettuccine Alfredo!
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How to make vegan Alfredo sauce
First, gather your ingredients.
Ingredients
For tastiest results, always use the best quality ingredients you have access to.
To make this vegan Alfredo sauce (or vegan fettuccine Alfredo), you will need the following:
- fettuccine pasta (or pasta of choice)
- water
- raw unsalted cashews
- olive oil
- onion
- fresh garlic
- plant based milk, unsweetened – I used soy milk
- nutritional yeast
- lemon juice
- salt and pepper
Tip: I usually find the best price on raw cashews at Costco (not sponsored or affiliated in any way). I use these same ones to make my cashew cheese recipe and my vegan cashew ranch dressing recipe as well.
If this is your first time to make a cashew based sauce such as cashew cream, please note that a high-powered blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec) works best.
Cook pasta and prep cashews
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions and reserve a cup of the pasta water. (Note: This will be more than you need.)
While the pasta is cooking, you can make the creamy sauce. Boil 4 cups of water, add the cashews to a large bowl and pour the hot water over the cashews. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes.
If you want to skip boiling water, you can soak the cashews in room temperature water for longer, at least an hour.
Sauté aromatics
Heat a skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, season them with salt and pepper and toss and cook them for a few minutes until they are fragrant and translucent.
Stir in the minced garlic and cook it for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a couple minutes.
Blending vegan Alfredo sauce
Drain the soaked cashews from the soaking water and add them to a high-speed blender along with the sautéed onions and garlic, soy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Blend on high until a slightly thick, smooth, creamy sauce forms.
Add the vegan Alfredo sauce to the pasta and toss to coat it all. Add some of the reserved pasta water if needed. I start with about 1/4 cup, and stir.
If you still want the sauce to thin our a bit more, just add a splash at a time until desired consistency is reached. Sauce will thicken as it stands, and it will thicken in the refrigerator if you have leftovers.
Serve immediately with another pinch of black pepper and a sprinkle of fresh parsley, if you wish.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley (pictured) or fresh basil. I hope y’all enjoy this vegan Alfredo sauce! Let me know it you try it!
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Vegan Alfredo Sauce (fettuccine Alfredo)
This vegan Alfredo sauce recipe makes the most delicious, creamy alfredo sauce that everyone loves. So creamy and flavorful!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fettuccine pasta
For the alfredo sauce
- 4 cups water
- 1.5 cups raw unsalted cashews
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup diced white onion
- 4 cloves garlic – peeled and minced
- 1.5-2 cups plant based milk – unsweetened
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions and reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking, you can make the sauce. Boil 4 cups of water, add the cashews to a large bowl and pour the hot water over the cashews. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Heat a skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, season them with salt and pepper and toss and cook them for a few minutes until they are fragrant and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook it for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a couple minutes.
- Drain the soaked cashews from the soaking water and add them to a high speed blender along with the sauteed onions and garlic, milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Blend on high until a slightly thick, smooth sauce forms.
- Add the alfredo sauce to the pasta and toss to coat it all. Add some of the reserved pasta water if needed.
- Serve immediately with another pinch of black pepper.
Recipe Notes
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator. Calculation was based on 6 medium sized servings and used unsweetened soy milk.
Note: Vegan Alfredo sauce first appeared on A Pinch of Healthy September 14, 2022.
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