This vegan creamy Alfredo pasta is everything you want in a dairy free creamy pasta dish! Made with a cauliflower and cashew sauce.
This vegan Alfredo sauce comes together in no time at all! To make this ultra creamy, cauliflower is blended with cashews which makes for a rich and velvety sauce.
You can use any pasta shape you like for this but I love using pappardelle or tagliatelle! Perfect for slurping up with all that sauce!
I love adding sauteed mushrooms but you can sub for any veggies you want to add! The sauce is the star of this dish so you can make it your own with any add ins you like!
What you need for cauliflower alfredo pasta:
- Cauliflower
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Cashews
- Nutritional yeast
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon
- Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- Pasta of choice
- Vegan parmesan (to top)
You’ll need half of a medium sized cauliflower for this recipe. You can roast the other half to serve with the pasta, or save for another recipe!
Other ways to use cauliflower Alfredo sauce:
- As a bechamel sauce for lasagne!
- On pizza – sub tomato sauce for this white one!
- As a dip!
This vegan Alfredo sauce is perfect if you want something lighter and healthier than a traditional Alfredo sauce. Plus, it’s packed with fibre and protein!
How to make vegan Alfredo sauce:
Put pasta in salted boiling water and leave to cook for 8-10 minutes.
Fry the diced onion and garlic. Once soft through, transfer to the blender.
Use the same pan and heat a little more oil. Thinly slice mushrooms and fry for around 5 minutes until browned and all the water they release has been absorbed.
Whilst they are cooking, cut cauliflower into florets and boil for 2-3 minutes until soft.
Add cooked cauliflower to blender along with cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon, salt, pepper and mustard and pasta water.
Once the pasta is cooked and before draining, scoop out the 1.5 cups of pasta water. This is going to help blend the sauce and also make it creamier.
Blend the sauce until smooth, if you need to add a little more water you can. You may need to scrape down the sides a couple of times to make sure it all gets blended.
Pour over cooked pasta and heat through gently for a minute. Serve and top with extra vegan parmesan and crushed black pepper.
For more pasta recipes you may enjoy these:
Roasted red pepper and sundried tomato pasta
Creamy butternut squash pasta with sausage crumbles
As always if you make this vegan cauliflower alfredo pasta be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram – I’d love to see you all there!
Vegan Alfredo Pasta
This vegan cauliflower and cashew alfredo pasta with sauteed mushrooms is the perfect weeknight dinner! It's super comforting and creamy!
Ingredients
- 14 oz / 400g pasta
Sauce
- 1/2 cauliflower / about 3 cups florets
- 1 red onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup cashews
- 3/4 cup nutritional yeast / vegan parmesan
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 lemon
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Crushed black pepper
To top
- Vegan parmesan
- Crushed black pepper
Instructions
- Put pasta on to boil in salted water and cook for 8-10 minutes or according to packet instructions.
- Heat a little oil in a pan on medium heat. Add finely diced onion and fry for a couple of minutes, then add diced garlic.
- Fry for another minute until soft through. Transfer to the blender.
- Use the same pan and heat a little more oil. Thinly slice mushrooms and fry for around 5 minutes until browned and all the water they release has been absorbed.
- Whilst they are cooking, cut cauliflower into florets and boil for 2-3 minutes until soft.
- Add cooked cauliflower to blender along with cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, mustard and pasta water.
- Once the pasta is cooked and before draining, scoop out the 1.5 cups of pasta water. This is going to help blend the sauce and also make it creamier.
- Blend the sauce until smooth, if you need to add a little more water you can. You may need to scrape down the sides a couple of times to make sure it all gets blended.
- Pour over cooked pasta and heat through gently for a minute. Serve and top with extra vegan parmesan and crushed black pepper.
Notes
You can sub the mushrooms for any veggies you like.
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Nicolene Coetzer
Thursday 5th of May 2022
Hi! This looks super yummy! Do you have to soak the cashews first?
Tamsin
Friday 6th of May 2022
Hi Nicolene, if you have a high speed blender there is no need. If not, let them sit in boiled water for 30 mins then drain :) Tamsin xo