Vegan Alfredo Recipe (Less Than 10 Ingredients)
Learn how to make the best Vegan Alfredo Recipe with less than ten simple ingredients. Creamy and full of cheesy flavor, this comfort food is so tasty that no one will even be able to tell it’s vegan!
This creamy vegan alfredo pasta checks all the boxes! For instance, it comes together with just a handful of ingredients, is easy to make, and is loaded with flavor.
In fact, it’s so good my meat-eating, cheese-loving husband didn’t even realize that it’s vegan! The taste and texture are so “cheesy” it’s unreal.
Plus, once you soak the cashews, the entire dish cooks in about 15 minutes. Add it to your arsenal of quick dinner recipes right alongside Vegan Reuben Sandwiches and Spicy Tahini Pasta with Crispy Tofu, and you’ll never run out of dinner ideas again!
Recipe Ingredients
- Pasta – Personally, I like to use linguine pasta, but alfredo or any other shape will also taste great. If needed, opt for gluten-free noodles instead of regular pasta.
- Vegan Butter – I love the Earth Balance brand but feel free to use whatever you like best.
- Cashews – Make sure to use raw, unsalted cashews! Soaked overnight, these soften, creating the rich, creamy consistency we look for in Alfredo recipes.
- Yellow Onion – This adds a sweet, aromatic flavor to the sauce.
- Nutritional Yeast – We use this to create a bold cheesy flavor without actually using cheese. Nutritional yeast is a great source of b vitamins!
- Cracked Black Pepper and Kosher Salt – Adjust to taste.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – These are optional, but I love to include them for a subtle touch of heat.
How to Make a Homemade Vegan Alfredo Recipe
- Soak the cashews. Before you begin, soak 1 cup of raw, unsalted cashews in water overnight.
Pro Tip: If you forget to soak the nuts overnight, you can set them out to soak at room temperature for 5 to 6 hours the day of making the sauce.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove, and cook the pasta noodles to al dente according to the package instructions. Reserve 1 to 2 cups of pasta water, drain the noodles, and set them aside.
- Sauté. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the plant-based butter and onion. Let the onion sweat until translucent.
- Simmer. Drain the water from the cashews, and add them to the pan with the onion. Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Then, simmer over medium heat until the cashews are lightly toasted and fragrant.
- Blend. Transfer the cashew and onion mixture to a high-powered blender or food processor. Add the nutritional yeast and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Combine. Pour the creamy sauce back into the pan, and simmer over low heat. Add more pasta water as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Next, stir in the cooked pasta, and simmer to combine.
- Serve. Toss the pasta, coating it with the homemade cashew sauce. Add more cracked black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste, and enjoy warm!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you thicken Alfredo sauce without cheese? If the sauce is too thin for your liking, let it simmer over medium heat for a little longer. It will reduce and become thicker. Or, create a cornstarch slurry, mixing equal parts cornstarch and water, and stir a little bit into the sauce at a time.
How long does vegan Alfredo last? Store leftover creamy Alfredo pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave when you’re ready to eat. Add a splash of almond milk (or milk of choice) if the sauce is too thick.
Can I freeze this recipe? I don’t recommend freezing the dish once the sauce and pasta are combined. However, you can store the sauce on its own for up to 1 month! Thaw in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to use.
What else can I add? Feel free to stir in veggies like spinach, peas, mushrooms, or broccoli. Then, if you want to make your pasta even more filling, try pairing it with a protein source like crispy tofu cutlets or panko crusted tofu nuggets.
How to Store
Store any leftover creamy Alfredo pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through.
Vegan Alfredo Recipe (Less Than 10 Ingredients)
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 ounces linguine, cooked al dente
Alfredo Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter, Earth Balance
- 1 cup soaked raw unsalted cashews
- 1-2 cups reserved pasta water, use as needed
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced small
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- kosher salt, to taste
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Equipment
- 1 colander
- 1 pasta pot
- 1 saucepan
- 1 blender
Instructions
- ** Soak 1 cup of raw, unsalted cashews overnight in water. ** Boil a pot of water and cook your pasta according to the package. Al dente preferred. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water. Drain off water and set noodles aside.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the plant-based butter and onion. Sweat until it's translucent.
- Drain the water from the cashews. Add the soft cashews to pan with the onions. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Simmer over medium heat.Next, add the cashew, onion mixture into a blender. Add the nutritional yeast and 1 cup of reserved pasta water, blend well.
- Pour the creamy sauce back into the sauté pan and simmer over low heat. If the sauce is too thick, simply add more reserved pasta water and stir well. (If the pasta water is salted, be careful using the added salt. You do not want the sauce to become too salty.)Add the cooked pasta and simmer everything together over low heat. Toss the cooked pasta in the sauce until it is well coated. Taste and season accordingly. Red pepper flakes are a great addition.
