Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Today we are making a Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce Recipe with plant-based ingredients! Fettuccine Alfredo is a white sauce Italian pasta dish based on Fettuccine pasta noodles tossed with butter and parmesan cheese. I’m 99% sure you’ve heard of this dish, or perhaps had it at some point, or maybe even went to Italy and watched your pasta get freshly made by hand (which I have done, and I’m happy to say that there is no comparing any pasta or noodle dish I’ve ever had with the freshness of that pasta I had watched come to fruition right before my eyes)!
Fettuccine Alfredo Origins
The origins of this recipe came about in the 15th century, from a recipe that served fettuccine with butter and cheese in a “Roman pasta” (“maccaroni romaneschi”) that was developed by a cook in Rome, Italy. The traditional alfredo sauce recipe cooked pasta in broth or water, then added butter, cheese, and something along the lines of “sweet spices.” This recipe changed over the years, and finally became known as Fettuccine Alfredo that we know and love today!
Fettuccine is Not Vegan
One of the only times I ever remember having this dish was when my sister brought home this freezer meal, where we microwaved a frozen container and out came a hot pile of alfredo noodles. All I remember was the creamy texture and the milk-and-butter flavor of the sauce, and I also remember thinking that I couldn’t have it as a vegan (by the way, I was a vegetarian at that point).
Since those years, we’ve come a long way with regards to substitutes – vegan parmesan, butters, cream cheese, milk, ricotta cheese, brie, and so much more. You could make a charcuterie cheese board ten times over out of all the vegan cheeses and meats that are out there now!
But anyways, alfredo had been on my mind. I even bought a pack of fettuccine last time I went to the supermarket, and was keen to try out a vegan version of this popular dish!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Secret Vegetables: This creamy sauce contains a hidden vegetable – cauliflower! This magical vegan ingredient doesn’t leave a strong taste in the sauce, and gets very soft when boiled. Once it’s blended with the rest of the ingredients, you can’t even tell that the sauce was once partly cauliflower!
Allergen-Free: You can make this easy recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free noodles, such as Banza’s chickpea noodles. There’s no dairy (like heavy cream) in it either, so this makes it a great recipe for those with nuts, gluten and dairy sensitivities. Many other vegan alfredo recipes may use raw cashews to get a creamy recipe, but this one also doesn’t contain any nuts (and the almond milk can be substituted with oat milk).
Substitutions
Fettuccine Noodles: Choose your favorite gluten-free pasta instead. I like the company Banza, which makes all types of noodles and pasta shapes based on chickpea. These noodles are also higher in protein.
Milk: Choose oat milk instead of almond milk, for a nut-free option. For a high-protein option, soy milk will work great. Cashew milk, coconut milk or another plant milk can work too.
Vegan Butter: Replace with olive oil (regular, virgin or extra-virgin), avocado oil or another neutral oil like refined coconut oil (the type of coconut oil that doesn’t smell like coconuts, unlike virgin or extra-virgin). If using vegan butter, opt for vegan butter sticks such as from Melt Organics, versus a butter-style spread.
White Onion: Do not substitute with any other type of onion. Omit this if you don’t have it on hand.
Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce Recipe Notes
- Increase the amount of salt and pepper in this recipe as desired, to taste.
- You can use a high-powered blender, but it’s easiest to use a hand blender and blend the sauce in the same pot it was boiled in. For easy blending, choose a pot with higher sides rather than a wider one.
- Top with fresh parsley or other herbs when serving, for a bright pop of green on the plate!
- For a low-carb option, serve this sauce over zucchini noodles.
- Sprinkle on red pepper flakes over the sauce, for a hot kick!
More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love
Mujadara (Lentils & Rice with Crispy Onions)
Buddha Bowl with Miso Ginger Dressing
Brown Rice Pizza Crust with Homemade Vegan Cheese
Savoury Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Milk
Creamy Green Avocado Spinach Pasta
Sweet Potato Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta
If you make this Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce Recipe, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Immersion Blender
- Medium Pot
Ingredients
- 2⅓ cups (~295g) raw cauliflower florets chopped
- 2 medium cloves (8g) freshly minced garlic finely grated
- ¼ cup (~32g) white onion diced
- 1½ tbsp (~5.6g) nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup (56g) vegan butter melted
- 1¼ cups (313mL) almond milk
- ¼ tsp black pepper add more as desired
- 1 tsp pink salt add more as desired
- ½ 454g box (228g) fettuccine noodles
Instructions
- Fill a wide saucepan with water. Set it to medium-high heat, and allow the water to boil. Follow the package directions to cook the noodles to al dente, reserving a little bit of the pasta water when draining the noodles.
- In another pot over medium heat, add all the other ingredients and let them come to a boil. This takes around 7-10 minutes. You should be able to easily pierce the cooked cauliflower with a fork.
- Using a hand blender, blend until the mixture has a creamy consistency. If you need more of a cheesy flavor, add more nutritional yeast. If you need more seasoning, add salt and pepper. If you need it to be creamier, try adding some melted butter or more milk.
- Once you have the desired consistency and taste, pour this onto the drained and cooked noodles, tossing the noodles to fully coat them in sauce.
- Serve warm!
Notes
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Storage
- Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. I do not recommend to store it already tossed with the noodles, as it dries out.
- Inspired by this recipe.
