Vegan alfredo sauce is thick and creamy and makes for a healthy dinner. With a few simple ingredients, you will have enough sauce for a week’s worth of dinners.
I just love vegan alfredo sauce because not only is it perfect for pasta but it can also be used to spice up other dishes. Add it to rice and have a soup or use it as a gravy over potatoes. The options are endless.
This vegan alfredo sauce makes plant based eating easy, especially if you are looking for a versatile cooking option.
Here is why you’ll love this recipe:
-Thick and creamy
-Full of healthy dietary fiber
-The cauliflower is boiled in vegetable stock, so not only are we adding flavour, but when we use the stock we are keeping all those nutrients from the boiled cauliflower.
-This sauce keeps in the fridge up to 5 days
In this article, you will learn how to make vegan alfredo sauce and how to make a delicious baked acorn squash vegan alfredo pasta.
How to make vegan alfredo sauce:
Everyone needs another vegan pasta recipe in their repertoire, especially one that is a fun take on a classic dish. I admit, if you are just starting out on a plant-based diet it can be a little daunting trying to figure out where to start. I recommend trying to stay away from plant-based meat substitutes in the beginning until you find your footing, as it is far too easy to become dependent on them. Next, I would look at your favourite dishes and figure out ways to make them plant-based. Creating or finding vegan pasta recipes is among the easiest.
Ingredients:
Vegetable stock – I recommend using regular vegetable stock instead of reduced sodium. The salt helps add flavour.
Cauliflower – For this recipe we use a whole head of cauliflower, look for one about medium sized.
Nut milk – There are many nut milks on the market, I suggest using one that is sugar free and neutral in flavour such as soy, almond, or cashew.
Onion and garlic powder – I love onion and garlic powder. They are a fantastic way to add lots of flavour to a dish without negatively affecting the intended taste!
Dried oregano – The perfect seasoning here. A little goes a long way.
Lemon juice – When cooking, I think it is so important to utilize acids. Acids have the ability to make other flavours sing. In this case, the lemon is not for lemon flavouring but to amplify others.
Salt and pepper – Whenever cooking, I believe you need to taste as you go because sometimes you just need a little more salt and a dash more pepper.
Cooking Overview: Baked butternut squash vegan alfredo pasta
Below, I outline the entire recipe, but if you want just the sauce follow that section only. However, I highly recommend making this entire dish because it is delicious!
There are 3 main steps: The making of the butternut squash, the alfredo sauce, and assembly.
Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- Knife
- Spoon
- Sieve
- Large Bowl
- Flipper
- Large pot
- Large pan
- Blender or food processor
- Spatula
Ingredients
Roasted Squash
- 1 acorn squash
- 1/2 juice from lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp coarse grind salt or sea salt
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- extra olive oil for topping
Suace
- 1 medium sized cauliflower
- 1/2 litre carton of vegetable stock
- 1/2 of a large onion
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup nut milk
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 juice from lemon
- 1/2 tbsp oregano
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp coarse grind salt or sea salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 4 stems of kale
- dried spaghetti or linguine pasta
Instructions
Squash
- Preheat oven to 420F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut squash in half lengthwise, and with a spoon, scrape out the guts. Place guts in a sieve and clean the seeds under cold water. Dry seeds and set aside. Now, slice the squash into half inch thick slices.
- Place slices into a bowl and add all ingredients from lemon juice to paprika. With your hands, toss until all slices are covered with dry mixture. Place slices on cookie sheet and make sure no pieces are overlapping. Leave a little strip of space on the side for the seeds. Add seeds and lightly drizzle them with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place in oven and bake seeds for 15-20 mins (remove and set aside on a plate) and bake squashes for 35-45 mins.
Alfredo sauce
- In a large pot, add vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then add cauliflower florets. Boil until tender. Then, remove from heat and let sit for 5 mins. In the meantime, add a chopped onion to a pan with oil and saute on medium heat until transparent.
- In a blender or food processor, add cauliflower, stock, onion, and ingredients from nut milk to paprika. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Then, add back to the large pan on low heat. Simmer until it reaches desired consistency. Taste, re-season to your liking, then add finely chopped kale. Be sure to stir occasionally.
- In a large pot, boil salted water (I used the same pot the cauliflower boiled in) and follow the cooking instructions for your pasta. I recommend linguine. Once the noodles are done, toss with a little oil to keep them from sticking.
Assembly
- Add pasta to a plate, top with alfredo sauce, baked squash and seeds. For garnish, I recommend finely chopped green onion and parsley.
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