Description
A creamy, rich vegan Alfredo sauce made with soaked cashews, sautéed onions and garlic, and nutritional yeast, perfect for dairy-free pasta dishes or drizzling over vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta (optional)
- 12 ounces fettuccine pasta
Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the fettuccine pasta. Cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, then return it to the pot and cover to keep warm while the sauce is prepared.
- Soak the cashews: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and pour it over the raw cashews in a heatproof bowl. Let the cashews soak for 5 minutes to soften them, which helps create a creamy sauce texture.
- Sauté aromatics: While the cashews soak, heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, and sauté for about 5 minutes until they become fragrant and the onion is translucent. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Blend the sauce: Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Add the cashews, sautéed onion and garlic, unsweetened almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt to a high-powered blender. Blend until the mixture is very smooth and creamy.
- Combine and serve: Pour the prepared sauce over the cooked pasta and stir to combine. If the pasta is warm, further cooking might not be necessary. If desired, heat the pasta and sauce on low heat until warmed through. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little water. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, substitute with gluten-free pasta.
- To avoid cashews, use raw slivered almonds or sunflower seeds, though cashews provide the best creamy and cheesy flavor.
- Almond milk can be replaced with other unsweetened, unflavored plant milks such as soy, cashew, or coconut milk.
- For a hearty meal, add cooked vegan chicken nuggets sliced on top of the pasta.
- The sauce freezes well; store in freezer-safe containers leaving room for expansion, and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Nutritional yeast can be omitted if preferred, though it adds a cheesy taste.
- This Alfredo sauce is versatile and works well drizzled over baked potatoes, pizza, spaghetti squash, cooked vegetables, and more.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 sauce
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
