This is the creamiest and most comforting bowl of Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo ever!! Softened cashews create the most creamy, saucy, savory, and simple to whip up a bowl of pasta! Make this cashew cream alfredo for a fun date-night in or for a quick and easy dinner perfect for the whole family.
Serve with steamed veggies and garlic bread and a glass of wine. Enjoy!
This Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo is my go-to vegan pasta dish! I've been making this recipe for years but have never used actual measurements. Throw in some cashews, sautéed brown onions and garlic, lemon juice, miso paste, and salt. Blend and taste. Add something else. Blend again. Maybe add some basil to change it up or maybe a little nutritional yeast or vegan parm. Blend again and then it's perfect!
It's the most delicious and decadent sauce and every time I make it I think "Write this down!!"
This cashew Fettuccine Alfredo is so creamy, saucy, and super easy! You'll definitely want to add this to your dinner rotation. It's in mine!
Kitchen Essentials
You'll need a good-quality blender for this cashew fettuccine alfredo sauce. If you have a Vitamix or other high-speed blender, use that! I use a nutribullet. If you don't have a high-speed blender, make sure you soak or boil the cashews! Your sauce may not be as creamy but it will still be delicious.
Main Ingredients
- Cashews become creamy and delicious when blended
- Onion & Garlic, are key to a delicious flavorful sauce
- Lemon Juice & Dijon Mustard, acidity and balance
- Black Pepper and Red Pepper Flakes, a nice hint of spice and added flavor
- White Miso Paste, umami
Substitutions
- Cashews: Cashews give this sauce that creamy texture and I personally haven't been able to replicate the same flavor and texture without cashews. Instead of substituting this recipe, try my Roasted Cauliflower Alfredo for a delicious nut-free version.
- Fettuccine Noodles: Use any pasta shape or gluten-free pasta.
- White Miso Paste: Miso Paste is never optional to me. It adds a delicious flavor but if you don’t have it or want to buy it, leave it out. You may need to compensate and add more salt and maybe some nutritional yeast.
Watch the Video!
Tips & Tricks
Soften the cashews by soaking them overnight or boiling them for 20 minutes. This will ensure that the sauce is smooth and creamy.
As said above, you'll need a good-quality blender for this recipe. If you have a Vitamix or other high-speed blender, use that! I used my nutribullet but it overheated while I was blending and refused to turn back on. The sauce was still delicious and wonderful but just not as smooth. So it works and will work for this but a better quality high-speed blender is preferred.
Taste and season to your preference. The written recipe is my preference in regards to acidity and saltiness but you may need a little more salt or lemon juice. Also, miso paste is very important in regards to flavor so if you don't have it you will definitely need to add more salt or even some nutritional yeast to balance out the flavors. Again, blend and taste and adjust as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Don't panic! When you first add the sauce to the pasta it will seem like way too much. But let the sauce simmer with the noodles for a few minutes and you'll have the most perfect sauce-coated fettuccine noodles.
Cashews give this sauce that creamy texture and I personally haven't been able to replicate the same flavor and texture without cashews. Instead of substituting this recipe try my Roasted Cauliflower Alfredo for a delicious nut-free version.
About 2-4 days. Keep in mind that noodles tend to soften and the sauce will dry up a bit when stored. Simply add a splash of plant milk to thin it back out or simply store the noodles and sauce separately.
Yes! Simply store the sauce and the noodles separately and freeze.
More Creamy Pasta Recipes
- Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccine
- Roasted Cauliflower Alfredo
- Creamy Vegan Broccoli Pesto Pasta w/ Roasted Cauliflower
- Creamy Vegan Garlic Parmesan Orzo
- Vegan Tofu Bolognese Sauce
Recipe
Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fettuccine Noodles
- 1 cup Unsalted Cashews boiled or soaked
- 1 Yellow Onion diced
- 3-5 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 teaspoons White Miso Paste
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 cups Water
- Fresh Parsley for serving
Instructions
- Soak cashews overnight or boil for 15-20 minutes to soften.
- Dice the onion and cook in a pan on medium-high heat with a pinch of salt for 10-12 minutes until starting to brown and caramelize. Turn the heat down if the onions start to burn. Mince the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Combine the cashews and the onion mixture in to a blender along with the lemon juice, dijon mustard, white miso paste, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and the water. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Salt a large pot of water and boil fettuccine noodles according to package. Drain the noodles and return to large pot on low heat.
- Pour in the sauce and cook on low until thickened and saucy.
- Plate the fettuccine alfredo and top with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Anyi says
Sooooooo delicious, best Alfredo I tried in my life! It has so much umami cheesy flavor and decadence, I am never eating any other pasta than this basically ever again lol.
Liv says
Haha!! I'm so glad you love this recipe. It's one of my all-time favorites!!
April says
Heaven on a plate, thank you for such a yummy recipe : )
Liv says
Happy you liked it! 🙂
Steven Patrick says
I've tried so many vegan alfredo sauces in the past, but this one takes the win! It was the perfect combination of simplicity and deliciousness. 10/10 would make it again!
Liv says
That's so amazing to hear! I'm so glad you enjoyed. Thank you for the review, Steven. I appreciate it so much! 🙂
Mitch says
This was another spectacular recipe that is better than any non-vegan alternative! We can’t find gluten-free miso paste, so substituted nooch and a little tamari. We mixed sautéed mushrooms into the pasta and topped with some grated vegan parmesan. It was so delicious! Thanks Liv!
Liv says
What an amazing substitution for the miso! Thank you for sharing that. I'm so glad you enjoyed. Love the addition of mushrooms and vegan parm. Sounds delicious. 🙂
Sydney A. says
This recipe came at the perfect time. I’ve been craving Fettuccine Alfredo and this was the perfect combination of creaminess and easy to make. I didn’t have miso paste but your note about not leaving it out made me go get some. So glad I did!!
The salt and lemon was the perfect amount for my taste.
Liv says
So glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Zach says
I added a bit of nutritional yeast to mine and it was outrageously good. Perfect for when you need to satisfy carb cravings.
Liv says
So glad you enjoyed!! 🙂