This is the best vegan fettuccine alfredo pasta recipe you’ll ever make. It is packed with fibre, protein and healthy fats! On top of that, not only is it vegan, it’s also gluten-free!
I love how decadent a good creamy fettuccini alfredo pasta is. However, as I get older, I realize it’s getting harder for me to have a ton of super rich cream based pastas on the regular so I’ve taken to lightening them up and making them plant based when I can. This delicious fettuccini pasta is one of my favourite creations so far and you’ll love how easy it is to make.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
This vegan fettuccine alfredo is rich, creamy, “cheesy,” and yet a totally dairy-free, healthier lighter version of the classic Italian staple. On top of that, you’ll love this recipe as it’s:
- Only 10 ingredients
- Easy to customize
- Tasty AF
- You don’t even notice it’s vegan
- Made in 30 minutes
Key Ingredients
Aromatics — You know, that means garlic and onions sautéed in a little olive oil. We just cannot make any Italian dish without that.
Soaked cashews — Soaking your cashews gives this dish its luscious creamy consistency. I recommend soaking them overnight to make it easy but if you’re in a pinch, see my note below on how to quickly soak them.
Fortified nutritional yeast — Nutritional yeast gives this vegan fettuccine alfredo a cheesy flavour but without any dairy or cheese! It’s also a great source of protein and vitamin B12 if you go with the fortified version.
Unsweetened oat milk — Any non dairy milk will work here but i do prefer a thicker one like oat or soy milk to almond milk which I find a bit watery.
Lemon juice — This just helps cut the sweetness of the cashew cream and bring a little zip to the alfredo sauce.
Chickpea fettuccini — Don’t feel limited by the fact that we call this fettuccini alfredo. If you have linguine, macaroni, spaghetti, whatever – use what you like and have. I love chickpea pasta for the extra protein but feel free to use whole wheat, regular, gluten free – whatever you’ve got!
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: To a small nonstick skillet, add the oil over medium heat along with the onion and garlic. Saute until softened and transfer to a blender.
Step 2: Add the soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, oat milk, lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste and puree until very smooth.
Step 3: Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water, reserving a cupful of the cooking water before you drain.
Step 4: Pour the sauce into a pot and heat over low heat. Add the pasta and toss until coated. If it gets too thick you can add a splash of the cooking water. Top with parsley and enjoy.
Expert Tips
Want to make this more veggie packed? Try adding in some peas, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, or spinach to this.
Don’t like chickpea pasta? Try lentil pasta to keep this gluten-free.
Feel free to adjust how thick and creamy you’d like your sauce to be by adding extra liquid to thin it out if you’d like.
If you’d like take this up a notch, you can garnish the pasta with lemon zest and red pepper flakes.
Recipe FAQs
Any pasta dish demands some salad and bread in my opinion. This fettuccini would go amazing with this easy gluten free focaccia bread, and this delicious roasted broccoli salad.
This sauce is naturally gluten free! If you want to ensure the whole dish is gluten free, just be sure to use gluten free pasta.
Absolutely, you can use whatever kind of pasta you have on hand that you and your family like.
You bet! I do recommend following the instructions here to ensure you get the moisture out of the zoodles so they don’t make the sauce super watery.
You can put your cashews in a small pot and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, cover and remove from the heat. Allow it to sit for 15-20 minutes, then drain and use!
You can make the vegan alfredo sauce up to 3 days ahead and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to make pasta, keep about a cup of the pasta cooking liquid and set it aside. Then heat the sauce up in a saucepan, add your cooked pasta and if your sauce is too thick, add a little of the pasta cooking water to thin it out.
More Recipes You Might Like
Want some more pasta recipes like my vegan fettuccine alfredo? Try my
- Tuna Pesto Pasta
- Hummus Pasta with Zucchini Noodles
- Pasta Bake with Sausage, White Beans & Kale
- Minestrone Skillet Pasta
What is your favourite classic pasta dish that you would like to see veganized? Leave me a comment below with your thoughts!
Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo (Gluten free)
Ingredients
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 onion diced
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup soaked cashews
- ¼ cup fortified nutritional yeast
- 1 cup unsweetened oat or soy milk
- 1 ½ tsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb cooked chickpea fettuccini
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- To a small nonstick skillet, add the oil over medium heat along with the onion and garlic. Saute until softened and transfer to a blender.
- Add the soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, oat milk, lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste and puree until very smooth.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water, reserving a cupful of the cooking water before you drain.
- Pour the sauce into a pot and heat over low heat. Add the pasta and toss until coated. If it gets too thick you can add a splash of the cooking water.
- Top with parsley and enjoy.
Notes
- Want to make this more veggie packed? Try adding in some peas, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, or spinach to this.
- Don’t like chickpea pasta? Try lentil pasta to keep this gluten-free.
- Feel free to adjust how thick and creamy you’d like your sauce to be by adding extra liquid to thin it out if you’d like.
- If you’d like take this up a notch, you can garnish the pasta with lemon zest and red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Frank Heinzelmann says
It’s amazing how much the sauce thickens after a relatively short time. I know that I can add pasta water when I want to heat up the pasta for a second time. But the sauce “dries up” very quickly even the very first time when the meal is on the table (then again, this may be because I am using milk instead of oat milk). Would you have any tips?
Thank you