Eric is in love with this creamy cauliflower pasta dish. I mean, in love. In fact, he asked if we could make it together on Valentine’s Day. Who am I to deny a grown man cauliflower? Plus, creamy pasta and Valentine’s Day go hand and hand. Chocolate too, of course. I’d say it’s a win-win.
Traditional Alfredo sauce is mostly made up of butter, cheese, and often, cream. Decadent? You betcha. Hiding a super healthy vegetable? Not so much. I’m happy to say this cauli-power sauce brings us both decadence and nutrition. To be honest, I was super skeptical to try the blended-cauliflower-as-pasta-sauce trend and I wasn’t rushing to try it out. But after whipping up a version in my kitchen, I went crazy for this stuff. And by crazy, I mean standing over the pot of pasta and spooning it into my mouth uncontrollably. Yea that happened. It’s downright irresistible just like you’d hope a creamy pasta to be. Of course, soaked cashews can create a fine alfredo sauce too, but it’s great to have a change from nuts. All you have to do to make this sauce nut-free is swap the almond milk for a nut-free non-dairy milk of your choice. Fun, right?
This sauce makes a lot (3 cups!) which means you can happily drown the pasta with the sauce. No skimping here! It is cauliflower after all. I stirred the sauce into whole grain spelt ribbon pasta which was quite tasty. I gravitate toward meals that leave me feeling good and this certainly made the cut. Not bad for a decadent-tasting pasta, I say.
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Cauli-power "Alfredo"
Yield
4 servings (makes 3 cups sauce)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
This vegan “alfredo” sauce tastes decadent, yet is super light and energizing thanks to the sneaky cauliflower base! The nutritional yeast lends this sauce a rich "cheesy" flavour, while the blended cauliflower creates a creamy, luxurious base. This alfredo sauce is lovely served with pasta, but you can also enjoy it stirred into your favourite roasted or sautéed veggies. I love sautéing seasonal vegetables to serve along with the sauce over pasta. In the photo, I topped my bowl with a lovely spring veggie trifecta of leeks, asparagus, and peas. Thanks to Pinch of Yum for inspiring this tasty recipe!
Ingredients
- 4 heaping cups (460 g) cauliflower florets (1 small/medium cauliflower)
- 1/2 tablespoon (7.5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsweetened and unflavoured almond milk*
- 1/4 cup (20 g) nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
- 1 package (350 g/12 ounces) fettuccine or rotini pasta**
- Fresh minced parsley, for garnish
Directions
- Place cauliflower florets in a steamer basket and steam, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes until fork tender. (Alternatively, you can boil the cauliflower in a pot of water for 8 to 15 minutes until fork tender. Drain well before proceeding.)
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and add it back to the pot. Set aside.
- Add the oil and minced garlic to a small skillet and sauté over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and fragrant. Be careful not to burn.
- Add the cooked cauliflower, sautéed garlic, milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a high-speed blender. Blend until a very smooth sauce forms. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Add the cauliflower sauce to the pot with the pasta and stir well. Heat over low-medium until heated through. The pasta will tone down the flavours of the sauce so it’s important to taste the mixture and add more seasonings (salt, pepper, lemon, etc.) to taste before serving.
- For serving: Divide the warm pasta into bowls and top with more salt and pepper (to taste), along with a squeeze of lemon and some fresh minced parsley. Feel free to add your favourite cooked veggies such as broccoli, peas, leeks, asparagus, butternut squash, etc.
Tip:
* It’s very important that you use an unsweetened and unflavoured non-dairy milk in this recipe (nothing with vanilla or added sugar, please!).
** If you’re only preparing a couple servings, feel free to cook less pasta and save leftover sauce for another time. The alfredo sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for at least a few days.
To make the alfredo taste extra decadent, add a tablespoon or two of vegan butter to the sauce.
Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta.
Boost the protein: Use a legume-based pasta such as chickpea pasta.
Make it nut-free: Use a nut-free non-dairy milk (such as soy milk) instead of almond milk. Be sure to use unsweetened and unflavoured milk.
Nutrition Information
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Hi I made it last night and enjoyed it but was wondering if anyone has substituted the milk with veggie or chicken stock?
Made this for dinner tonight, and my husband was in love too. Good, clean, delicious (and easy!)
Chopped some spinach and folded it into the hot pasta before adding the sauce. Yum yum yummmmmm.
this was FANTASTIC! My husband thought it was bland, and needed spicing up. Leftovers reheated great. I added roasted garlic, broccoli, asparagus, sweet potatoes and brussel spouts to it making it a primavera fettucine alfredo. thank you for the wonderful recipes
I just made this and it was so delicious!!! I would just not add the lemon juice, it made it quite sour. My non vegan bf loved it too!
Reading your blog really made this transition easier for me
I just made this and it’s amazing! I haven’t had alfredo sauce for 5 years and this is a treat! I will be making it regularly now!
Made it, ate too much of it, loved it! Such a great sauce! I slightly tweaked by adding a tsp of miso paste and 1/4 tsp of yellow mustard. Mixed baby spinach through at the end and added roasted garlic baby tomatoes on top.
I couldn’t wait to try this, although I am not vegan I have a vegan in the family and many vegetarians. I found it so-so. I’d like to try it with a vegan pesto. Maybe just need to spice it up the way I like things. Great base. Thank you!
OMG, I just had this for lunch and it was D I V I N E !
I also added mushrooms, but I really liked them in the dish. Thank you SO much for being a daily inspiration on vegan cooking!
Made this dish for the whole family. My daughter is a vegetarian and I am always searching for recipies the whole family likes. This is a true winner. Fabulous taste and texture. In fact I think I like this better than the traditionL Alfredo. So much better for you and we all felt supper full without the heavy bloating feeling bravo.
!!!
I thought this was just going to be an easy one to try using ingredients I had in, but it has turned out to be life-changing. I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!! :-) Thank you, and for your whole website. I love each meal, and I feel so healthy
I made this today. Followed the recipe to a T and used a regular blender. It is delicious and really satisfies that creamy pasta craving. I used whole wheat spirals and added half a bag of curly kale, sauteed in olive oil with lemon.
can you use some other type of oil?…like coconut oil?
YUM. I bought some cauliflower today and didn’t know what to do with it, so I searched the web and found this recipe. I followed the recipe to a tee, besides adding too much pepper, which was my fault. I topped my plate with a large spoonful of raw hulled hemp seeds and two big handfuls of chopped spinach. The seeds add great body without compromising the flavor, with the added bonus of being nutrient-dense! I’m eating it now. Thanks for the great dinner!
I just wanted to say that this recipe has become a part of our rotation and I live with a carnivore, a vegetarian and I am vegan. My husband and daughter sprinkle a bit of Parmesan on top and I sometimes add some wilted greens or broccoli and everyone loves it! Hard to believe cauliflower can become so creamy! Highly recommend!
Thank you for the recipe. We are featuring your site and recipe to our patients and followers this week.
(http://www.santannaturalmedicine.com/2015/06/15/cauli-power-fettuccine-alfredo-vegan/)
I just wanted to say THANK YOU! My roommates and I made this fettuccine alfredo last night as part of our Women’s World Cup viewing party! I recently developed a lactose intolerance and have been really depressed about missing out on some of my favorite dishes, especially fettuccine alfredo. BUT THIS. This changes everything. I can’t stop thinking about it. And it’s so easy! Thanks for making the world a better place one kick-ass recipe at a time!
I just made this for me and my hubster. He hates cauliflower and when I requsted him to buy some at the shops – he was pretty damn emo I was making caulfilower sauce.
His first bite was:
“This is so good! It doesn’t even taste like cauliflower!”
*continues digging in*
“Can we add this to our recipe roation for when we’re fasting?! You can’t even tell it’s vegan”
Thank you so much! Definitely will be trying out some other recipes from your blog :)
I just made this and it is GLORIOUS! Thank you so much for everything you do!! xx
Not sure how it was suppose to taste but it had a very acquired taste and wasn’t very enjoyable. I think the nutritional yeast gave it an edgy flavour and there needs to be more flavours.