This vegan pasta Alfredo is so delicious and creamy. It's a healthier alternative and tastes incredibly good. Only 9 ingredients needed!
I love pasta Alfredo so much, it's one of my favorite pasta recipes and this version is even better than the traditional one. You're going to love it because is simple, super creamy, is made with less than 10 ingredients and ready in just 25 minutes!
Before I went vegan, I realized I didn't feel well after eating dairy products, so I was looking for an easy and delicious alternative to pasta Alfredo and after trying so many recipes I made it, I found the best vegan pasta Alfredo recipe.
It's healthier and also dairy and gluten-free, but feel free to use regular pasta if you want. We used gluten-free spaghetti, made with corn and rice flour, but I prefer brown rice or buckwheat pasta now because they're less refined and tastes much better.
Look at the photos, the sauce is so creamy! We used homemade almond milk instead of cream and nutritional yeast instead of cheese. Believe me, you'll barely notice any difference.
I tried nutritional yeast two years ago and I didn't like it because of its strong taste, but now it's one of my favorite foods in the whole word. I used to be addicted to cheese and I'm nooch-aholic now.
Even if you don't like cauliflower, you need to try this pasta because you're going to love it, I promise! Besides, it's the perfect plant-based recipe for kids. Hope you enjoy it!
If you like this vegan pasta Alfredo, check out these pasta recipes: vegan stir fried Udon noodles, vegan Pad Thai, 15-minute coconut green pasta, lentil bolognese and simple vegan Piquillo pepper pasta (GF).
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We’d love to see what you cook!
Vegan Pasta Alfredo
Ingredients
- 4 ounces uncooked spaghetti
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup raw cauliflower, chopped
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic over medium-high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown.
- Add the almond milk and bring it to a boil.
- Low the heat to medium-high, add the cauliflower, salt and pepper and cook for about 7 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft. Add more milk if needed.
- Transfer to a blender and add the nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
- Drain the pasta and pour it into the pan with the sauce. Stir and serve (we added some dried oregano on top).
- Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Use regular pasta if you want.
- You can make this recipe oil-free sautéing the garlic in some water or oil-free broth or even using garlic powder instead. To make the sauce creamier, add 1 tablespoon of tahini or any other nut butter, although it's not necessary.
- Any unsweetened plant milk is okay.
DJ says
Simple and delicious! I did add about 1/3 cup raw cashews to the cooking cauliflower/milk mixture. I also used 4 garlic cloves because we like our alfredo garlicky. A real winner! Does not taste like cooked cauliflower, it tastes like alfredo. Topped with sautéed mushrooms and asparagus with a sprinkle of lemon zest! Company worthy!
Iosune Robles says
So glad you liked it 🙂 Have a nice day!
Mary C says
I’ve been making this recipe for about 4 years now. I have tried MANY different vegan/non-dairy “Alfredo” recipes and this one is by far the best!!
With time I’ve added two tweaks: doubling the recommended nutritional yeast and adding a 1/2 cup of soaked, drained raw cashew pieces for added creaminess.
Anytime we have an extra head of cauliflower I make a huge batch (usually about 8 cups of raw cauliflower). At this moment I have 14 cups cooling. I portion it into quart size freezer bags and lay it flat to freeze.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe; it’s been a complete game changer and my family absolutely loves it!!
Iosune Robles says
Thanks for your kind comment Mary 🙂 Have a nice day!
Stefany Bekkerman says
Can white wine be added to this recipe?
Iosune Robles says
Hello Stefany! I haven't tried it myself, sorry. But, feel free to try 🙂 Have a nice day!
Sarah says
WOW! Super impressed by this recipe. I’ve never had much luck with vegan cream sauces that start with a roux. This is much much better than other recipes I’ve tried! I added a bunch of spices (garlic & onion powder, oregano, and black pepper) which were nice touches. Next time I’m going to add more almond milk to make it thinner since mine turned out quite thick. It also did not taste like cauliflower at all! I added extra nutritional yeast and Follow Your Heart grated parm to make it more cheesy. Really really good!!!
Iosune Robles says
Hello Sarah. That sounds great! I am glad you liked our recipe 🙂
Franziska says
Can I also use unsweetened soy milk instead?
Iosune Robles says
Hi Franziska! Yes, you can use another veggie milk instead. The flavor probably changes a bit but you can use it. Have a nice day!
Vilma Reynoso says
This is fantastic! I wanted to let you know we love this recipe and used it for one of our meals for Christmas. Thank you for sharing!
Iosune says
Hi Vilma! So glad you guys enjoyed it 🙂
Kim says
I love this recipe so much! It's great on pasta, mixed with some brown rice, and on pizza! Have you ever made a huge batch and frozen it? I don't want to have to make it every week, so wanted to see if you have ever tried freezing...
Iosune says
Hi Kim! Thanks a lot 🙂 No, I haven't, but I think it should work. Have a nice day!
hannah says
Thank you! I have been looking for a sauce that didnt cost a second mortgage on my soul.
I love cashews but If I have enough money to buy them, you better be gosh darn sure I am going to eat them, not cook with them. Ha ha. And this is definitely a lower calorie/fat option.
Iosune says
Hi Hannah! You're so welcome 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Naomi says
Fire
Iosune says
Hi Naomi! Thanks a lot 🙂
Kathy says
This is my favorite alfredo recipe! I add 2 tablespoons of cashews to make it creamier.
Iosune says
Hi Kathy! Thank you so much 🙂
Ana says
Could I use frozen riced cauliflower instead? My blender is not very good.
Iosune says
Hola Ana! I think it should work 🙂
Anita says
LOVED THIS!!! Thank you! I did add about a half a teaspoon of garlic powder, a little more Himalayan salt, pepper, and I sprinkled some paprika. I steamed some shredded zucchini and put some of the sauce over that for me personally, but my family loved the recipe over linguine pasta. Again thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Iosune says
Hi Anita! Thank YOU 🙂 Sounds so good!
connor says
love it
Iosune says
Hi Connor! So glad you loved it 🙂
Carol says
Hi, Iosune! I just made this and am enjoying it very much! I used twice the garlic and a little garlic powder. Yeah, I love garlic. LOL I also sprinkled a little extra lemon and nooch on top. Final touches were the oregano you suggested as well as some crushed red pepper.
I will definitely make this again! Thank you, Iosune!
Iosune says
Hi Carol! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Sounds amazing!
Jaime says
If mine wasn’t thick, should I cook the cauliflower longer next time? I saw you also mentioned more cauliflower for a thicker sauce. I was making my family regular Alfredo pasta while making mine and mine finished first so I let sit on low to keep warm. It almost seemed a little thicker before it sat. Any tips?
Iosune says
Hi Jaime! If your sauce is not thick enough, add less liquid less time or more cauliflower. Hope it helps!
Sara Dolansky says
I was looking for a quick and easy recipe for non-dairy (vegan) alfredo sauce that would turn out thick and creamy - and this definitely fit the bill! In the past I've tried replicating a basic cream sauce starting with a roux ( using margarine or olive oil instead of butter), substituting soy milk for cream and milk and nutritional yeast for parmesan; but I've never been satisfied with the results. I've never been able to produce a creamy yet also rich-tasting sauce. This recipe is fantastic: so quick and easy and delicious! And I loved the fact that I didn't have to prepare anything in advance. (I found quite a few other recipes for vegan alfredo sauce but they all seemed to call for raw cashews, soaked overnight.) This recipe is a winner!
Iosune says
Hi Sara! Thank you so much for your comment 🙂 I'm so happy for you. Have a nice day!
Kathy Acosta says
This is my favorite pasta alfredo recipe! I add 2 tablespoons cashews to make it creamier.
Iosune says
Hi Kathy! Sounds great 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Annie says
Put me in line with all the others 5 star-ers. The sauce is good! My homemade, gluten free fettuccine pasta was not so good. I will try with angel hair pasta next time. I read about 80% of the comments and got some good ideas for adding additional spices and using it without pasta. It's a very flexible recipe.
Iosune says
Hi Annie! Thanks a lot, so glad you liked it so much 🙂
Agnes Friedlander says
Perfect Alfredo sauce! I’ll be making this one again and again!
Iosune says
Hi Agnes! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Jacqueline says
Just tried this with rice milk and it was delicious! Thanks for sharing
Iosune says
Hi Jacqueline! You're so welcome 🙂 Thank YOU for making the recipe. Have a nice day!