Fall is near and the cooler temps are rolling in which means we are all craving warm, cozy, and creamy food! Well, I have long been working towards the perfect creamy, garlicky, cheesy vegan pasta sauce and this recipe checks ALL of those boxes. When you think of creamy alfredo pasta you may instantly think of a heavy, rich, fat-filled cream sauce, but this sauce is the exact OPPOSITE. This dish is made with 100% plants and is a way healthier version of your classic dairy-filled alfredo. It is also gluten-free AND oil-free!
We have covered the basics: This pasta is delicious, vegan, and healthy, but guess what else? It is also incredibly SIMPLE. All you need is one pot and one blender. No chopping, no prep, and dinner is ready in under 30 minutes! Your family will be begging for more and I promise no one will know this dish is made from cauliflower. 😉
This recipe is wonderful to prep ahead of time and make a double batch – the sauce can be kept in the fridge or freezer and reheated right before serving for easy weeknight dinners that the whole family will love. Add this to your menu and as always let me know what you think in the comments! I always love to hear your feedback and how you liked the recipe.
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
- Medium Saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 servings fettucini or linguine I used Banza's gluten free chickpea-based linguine
- 1 C cauliflower florets
- 1/3 C raw cashews
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 yellow onion
- 1/2 – 2/3 C water or plain plant milk start with 1/2 C
- 3 TBSP tapioca flour, arrowroot powder, or corn starch
- 1 TBSP miso paste
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp coconut aminos, liquid aminos or soy sauce
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
- 3 TBSP nutritional yeast VERY different from activated yeast
- 1 C fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a medium saucepan half full with water and place on stove over high heat. Add cauliflower, cashews, garlic, and onion. Boil for 15 minutes until cauliflower is VERY soft – should crumble easily when pierced with a fork.
- Drain water and transfer the cauliflower, cashews, garlic and onion to a high speed blender. Meanwhile, fill the same medium sauce pan with water and cook pasta according to package instructions while you finish making sauce.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend on high until super smooth and creamy. Add more water if needed. Season to taste.
- Drain cooked pasta, reserving 1/2 C of pasta water and set aside. Wipe out saucepan.
- Pour blended Alfredo sauce into same medium saucepan and heat over low heat until it begins to thicken and get slightly “stretchy” (like melted cheese), stirring frequently, and adding pasta water little by little if needed.
- Add cooked pasta back into the pan with alfredo sauce and toss to coat, adding more pasta water and heating through to achieve desired creaminess. Toss in parsley and serve hot topped with fresh cracked black pepper, reserving a little extra parsley for a finishing garnish.