This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo ~ rich, creamy and buttery. It's a simple, yet luxurious dish, that can be yours in 30 minutes or less.
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and I think this Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo would be the perfect romantic meal to have at home. When I think of Valentine's Day, I think of comfort food and nothing says comfort like a good ol' plate of creamy pasta.
So, I'll be cooking it up along with one of these 20 Valentine's Dessert recipes from my fellow food bloggers. I can't wait!
WHERE DID FETTUCCINE ALFREDO ORIGINATE FROM?
In 1908, an Italian restaurant owner, Alfredo Di Lelio created this recipe for his pregnant wife because she didn't have an appetite and was losing weight. She regained her appetite and fell in love with his creation. Per her suggestion, his recipe was placed on the restaurant's menu.
The original Fettuccine Alfredo recipe was called Pasta Bianco and wasn't made with cream. It was just simply butter, parmesan cheese and cooking water that was tossed over fresh-cooked pasta. The butter and cheese melt together to form a smooth cream-like sauce.
Years later, two famous Hollywood actors were in Rome on their honeymoon. They had dinner at Alfredo's and ordered the Pasta Bianco with the house-made fettuccine pasta. The pair thought it was the tastiest pasta dish they've ever had, and spread the word about Alfredo's creation amongst Hollywood's elite.
To thank Alfredo for his hospitality, they sent him an engraved silverware set and a photo of them. American Press caught wind of the gesture and published the story everywhere and Fettucine Alfredo was born.
Alfredo's restaurant now became a stomping ground for famous actors and started to draw large crowds outside. Each star left their photograph which became a part of the restaurant's decor and is still there today.
Local Italians stayed clear of this tourist attraction and were unimpressed by the butter and cheese dish. The popularity of Alfredo's grew and a few restaurants were opened up in the US. Over time, the American version of the dish changed from simple butter and cheese to a creamy rich sauce, which ironically isn't the best tummy ache healer.
DOES VEGAN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO TASTE LIKE THE ORIGINAL?
I grew up with the Americanized version of Fettucine Alfredo, and it would be my first choice on the menu while dining out. I just loved that super cheesy and creamy sauce, but over the years I would order it less and less because it would really hurt my tummy. After going vegan, I realized that humans were not meant to consume dairy.
Well, just because vegans don't consume dairy doesn't mean we can't have any fun. This vegan version is just as creamy and cheesy as the Americanized version, but it will leave your tummy much happier afterward.
WHAT'S IN VEGAN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO?
To replace the heavy cream, I used very simple and wholesome ingredients. I used unsweetened soy milk, raw cashews, and potatoes. The potato part might sound weird, but it really helps thicken the sauce and makes it creamy and velvety. Plus they are good for you!
To enhance the cheesy flavor, I used nutritional yeast and fresh lemon juice which adds a subtle zing to every bite. Then for added savory flavor, I used vegan butter, fresh garlic, vegetable broth, and seasonings.
I tossed it all with fettuccine, peas and topped the dish with fresh-cut parsley, cut tomatoes, and vegan parmesan cheese. SO good!
If you'd like to try a cauliflower-based sauce, you may like my Vegan Alfredo Sauce recipe.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO
STEP 1 - Boil 2 small potatoes and cashews about 8-10 minutes until softened.
STEP 2 - Now cook the fettuccine in a large pot of salted boiling water and cook it until al dente. Drain and drizzle the pasta with olive oil to prevent sticking. I usually start the sauce 5 minutes before the pasta will be done. This way it's not sitting too long and it will be hot and fresh when it goes into the sauce.
STEP 4 - For the sauce, place potatoes, cashews and remaining ingredient (except the garlic and butter) into a high-speed blender. Blend on high until the sauce is completely smooth then set aside.
STEP 5 - Heat up vegan butter in a large pan over medium heat. When melted, add minced garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds until lightly brown and fragrant. Pour cream sauce into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until sauce slightly thickens up. Add pasta and thawed peas to the pan and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.
MORE VEGAN PASTA RECIPES TO TRY
And here are 30 more delicious Vegan Pasta Recipes by Vegan Heaven. I'm literally drooling over all of them!
I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
If you make this Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 ½ cups white potato , peeled & chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 2 small potatoes)
- 16 ounces fettuccine , dried (GF if preferred)
- Olive oil , a drizzle if needed
- 1 cup soy milk , unsweetened (or any plant-based milk)
- 1 cup vegetable broth , low sodium
- ¾ teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon salt , more to taste
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour/starch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice , freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- ¾ cup frozen peas , thawed (*See note)
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes and cashews about 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain well and set aside.
- Place fettuccine in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook until al dente (about 10-12 minutes). Drain and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Now place all ingredients into a blender (except butter & garlic). Blend until potatoes and cashews have completely broken down and sauce is smooth. Set aside.
- Heat up butter in a large pan over medium heat. When melted, add garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds until lightly brown and fragrant.
- Pour cream sauce into the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until sauce slightly thickens up. Stir often to prevent burning. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
- Now add pasta and thawed peas to pan and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- To thaw peas, place in a colander and rinse under cool water for 1-2 minutes.
LisaRose
As creamy and rich as this dish is, it’s hard to believe there’s zero dairy in it. But, I made it, so I can confirm, ZERO dairy. Ohmigerd, so good. I’ve been wanting fettuccine Alfredo for a long while now, but I just couldn’t until I stumbled across this recipe. And while it did take me 3x as long to make it (yes 90 min, not 30 min) it was worth it. I think I’ll keep this for a dinner party. I left out the peas and added fresh chopped parsley instead. Having with a side of crusty bread and will have your banana bread for dessert (if I have any room left 😉). Thanks for the great recipe!
Melissa Huggins
This is such a nice compliment. Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback. 🙂
joe
very good
Melissa Huggins
So glad you liked it! Thank you so much! 🙂
Karen Franklin
Delicious and a hit with the family. I added some vegan parmesan cheese at the end it was great
Thank you!
Melissa Huggins
I'm happy everyone loved it! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Nancy Greider
You did it again.Right though the goal posts! I made it exactly as described. So far I haven’t put it over the noodles just ate what was left in the blender with a spoon Thank you
Melissa Huggins
Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! I like to eat it with a spoon too. Lol! Thank you for making my recipes 🙂
Andrea
Amazing recipe! I made it exactly as written and even my junk food loving husband loved it! Will be making this every week from now on! I don't know what real alfredo is supposed to taste like, but this recipe is amazing!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Andrea, YAY! I’m glad you guys loved it! Thank you for making it 🙂
Jessica
I can't wait to try this recipe! I'm wondering what other substitution there was for tapioca flour?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jessica, I like tapioca because it gives the sauce a slight stretch, but you can use any thickener such as arrowroot powder or corn starch. 🙂
Stacey Robinson
My 15 year-old son is vegan for health reasons and I have tried at least a half dozen vegan Alfredo recipes. This is by far, hands-down the best. And when I tasted it, I could not tell it was vegan. I am an integrative/functional medicine physician currently teaching a plant-based diet class and this is going to be the recipe in the comfort food session next week. Wow! Great job!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Stacey, this is the greatest compliment and I'm so honored that you'll be sharing the recipe in your class. Thank you so much!!
Alex
Really loved how good this tasted and how easy it was to make! My husband who is not vegan but really likes Alfredo sauce enjoyed this! Slowly trying to convert him, this was a win!!
Melissa Huggins
Yay! So glad you and your hubby loved it! Hopefully, you can find more recipes to sway him. Thanks for stopping by : )
Rayne
This sauce is amazing! I added onions and mushrooms to the butter and garlic and sautéed it all together, then wilted some spinach and added the sauce and chickpea noodles. It was soooo good! I added an extra tablespoon of nooch and about a tablespoon of Dijon for some extra flavor. Can’t wait to make it again! I love that it has potatoes and only a half cup of cashews to keep the fat content lower than a lot of other Alfredo sauces I’ve made. Also, with fewer cashews there is less of sweet taste. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Danielle
This recipe was the bomb! I have tried experimenting with a few other alfredo recipes and gave up because they came out tasting horrible. This recipe was delicious. I used organic spinach fettucine. Being vegan with dairy and egg allergies my entire life it's great when i can eat and make good comfort food dishes that everyone else can eat. Any suggestions on how to heat the leftovers up? microwave, on the stove, etc?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Danielle, I'm so happy to hear this. Thank you for making it. Sounds perfect with the vegan fettuccine.
You can reheat on the stove or the microwave. I usually add a little bit of vegetable broth and a drizzle of oil to thin out the sauce. In the future, if you think you'll have a lot leftover, you can also keep the sauce and the pasta separate and store them separately too. Makes it easier to reheat everything and avoids the pasta getting too soft. 🙂
CherryTart
Just wondering what gives this dish it’s cholesterol content?? Not having any animal products would by default make it cholesterol free?
Thanks for ACTUALLY ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS? Please do not ignore me again..
Melissa Huggins
Not sure if you missed my message above. There isn't any cholesterol in the recipe. There was a glitch in the recipe card nutrition counter. It's fixed now. Thanks
CherryTart
Where did you get the nutrition facts from ? I’m just wondering because it says that this dish has cholesterol in it? Which being a vegan dish and having no animals ingredients means that cholesterol is not a possibility. Where is that cholesterol coming from?
Just wondering.
Melissa Huggins
Thank you for catching that. Sometimes the nutritional counter glitches. There's no cholesterol 🙂 I inputted everything again. Have a Happy New Year! 🙂
Mila
made it without the tapioca starch and the saucy was still a perfect consistency!! really amazing recipe!!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Mila! This is wonderful to hear! I'm so happy it worked out for you. Thank you for sharing your feedback. 🙂
Yvonne
Simply the best dish I have made!!! Thank you!! I did thin it out with water a bit cause it was so thick but thank you so much! Trying to turn on boyfriend to vegan food! He hasn't had fettucine alfredo in years do to lactose intolerant but this will definitely change his mind!!!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Yvonne, thank you so much! Fettuccini Alfredo was always a favorite of mine too. I'm so happy to have it again in a healthier version. No more stomach aches. I hope your boyfriend likes it. Have a great weekend! 🙂
Gerri
I'm not one to leave comments, but I want you to know that I made this for dinner tonight, and it's far and away the best vegan alfredo sauce I've ever made. My 13 year-old son, who swore he wasn't eating any of my "vegan slop" for dinner tonight, not only was drawn out of his bedroom and his pissy attitude by the smell of this dish, but he even apologized to me as he helped himself to seconds!! I will definitely be checking out more of your recipes in the very near future. Thank you!!!!!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Gerri, this is the nicest comment and you've totally made my day. I'm so happy you liked it, and even happier that your son changed his mind about the "vegan slop". It's the greatest compliment! I hope you can win him over with future vegan recipes, too. Have a great week! 🙂