Delicious and simple, this Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Recipe is the perfect recipe to make for dinner in the middle of the week! It only requires minimal input, is loaded with nutrients from the cauliflower and creates the creamiest pasta sauce you could dream of.
This Vegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe is super versatile and you can simply use it alongside your favorite type of pasta, making it a great all-rounder and the perfect pasta sauce recipe to add to your regular meal plans.
This recipe is
- made to a vegan recipe
- easily made gluten-free (simply use gluten-free pasta!)
- naturally dairy free
- super rich and creamy
- moreish & delicious
- quick to make and perfect for a midweek meal
- easy to follow
- full of nutrients
- delicious alongside your favorite pasta
This recipe for cauliflower alfredo sauce simply makes the perfect creamy pasta sauce - and it's healthy too as it is loaded with cauliflower. It's definitely a delicious way to add more vegetables to your diet. If you love cauliflower recipes and creamy sauces, then you should definitely also try this indulgent Vegan Cauliflower Cheese by my friends Jess & Dan from Vegan Punks!
I love pairing this delicious vegan pasta sauce with plant-powered tortellini, but the sauce is fantastic with any type of pasta, including gluten-free. See the extra tipp below to read which type of pasta I recommend most with this creamy pasta sauce.
The sauce is mainly made from cauliflower and ingredients such as nutritional yeast and white miso paste and holds a tasty load of healthy nutrients. Indulgence plus nutrition whilst keeping it simple - a perfect combo!
Ingredients and Notes
- cauliflower - aim for a medium-size head of cauliflower (300 - 400 grams)
- onion - I use brown onion in most of my recipes, but you can also use white onion, which tastes a little sweeter. The onion needs to be sautéed until soft before blending it into the sauce.
- garlic - sauté the garlic in a little oil until fragrant before adding it to the sauce. That develops its full aroma and makes it less pungent. You can also use roasted garlic.
- salt and pepper - to season to taste
- nutritional yeast - a staple ingredient in vegan cooking! Adds a delicious, nutty cheesiness to the sauce.
- bouillon cube - I like to use vegan-friendly vegetable bouillon cubes from the UK brand Kallo.
- plant milk - I use unsweetend soy milk
- smoked paprika powder
- miso paste - I use sweet white miso paste. It adds additional flavor depth to the sauce and has a lightly sweet and cheesy note.
- coconut oil - use refined coconut oil to avoid the coconut flavor. The added oil adds as a healthy fat in the sauce, making it extra creamy and divine.
This recipe calls for half the head of a medium-sized cauliflower - that should be between 300-400g of cauliflower florets. The full recipe creates enough sauce to cover 2-4 portions, depending on how saucy you like it.
Equipment
- large saucepan and steamer basket
- 1 small non-stick frying pan
- high-speed blender
If you're looking to buy a new blender, you might want to consider buying from Greenis. I have used one of their blenders for years - it's super powerful and has never let me down. Not only do they have a range of great blenders, but if you use my affiliate link, you'll be supporting this recipe blog.
Alternatively, you can also use a stick blender to blend up the sauce ingredients, though the result might not be quite as smooth as using a high-speed blender.
Instructions (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Preparing the cauliflower
You can either cook, steam or roast the cauliflower for the sauce. I prefer the steaming process as it treats the cauliflower a little more gentle than the other options. If you don't have a steamer, you can cook or roast it instead - which will slightly change the taste of the sauce, but still be delicious.
In the meantime, cook your favorite pasta according to packaging instructions.
Step 2: Blending
Sauté the onion and garlic until soft in a little oil or water.
Transfer the cooked onion and garlic to a blender alongside the cauliflower and the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. You can adjust the creaminess of the sauce by adding more pasta water to the blender.
Pour the smooth sauce into a saucepan to heat it all the way through (if needed) and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Assembly
For best results, I recommending mixing the cooked pasta with the sauce in a saucepan before serving. That way the pasta will be wonderfully coated in the creamy sauce.
Extra tip: The right pasta for alfredo sauce
You can simply choose your favorite type of pasta alongside this cauliflower alfredo sauce. The sauce is also delicious alongside gluten-free pasta!
I prefer to choose pasta with ridges or pockets that holds the creamy alfredo sauce particularly well, such as fusilli, conchiglie, orecchiette, campanelle or vegan tortellini, like I've used on this occasion.
Similar recipes to try:
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Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ medium head of cauliflower washed and leaves removed
- 1 small brown onion chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 100 ml drained pasta water
- 70 ml plant milk
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 1 tablespoon sweet white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil deodorised
Instructions
- Prepare your pasta according to packaging instructions. In the meantime, cook the onion and garlic in a little oil until translucent.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets and steam them until softened. You can use the stem too in this recipe.
- Transfer cauliflower, onion and garlic to a blender with the remainder of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the sauce to a medium size saucepan to heat through, combine with your pasta, season to taste with salt & pepper and serve hot.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes enough sauce to cover around 250g pasta
- Ensure to cook your onions & garlic in a little oil until translucent before adding them to the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Alternatively replace them with onion & garlic powder.
Looking for more vegan pasta recipes? Try some of my personal favorites such as Gnocchi Carbonara, Vegan Seafood Pasta, and Baked Boursin Pasta.
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Geordie
Not sure if I missed a step or there is a step missing from the method. I was left with an aftertaste of raw onion and garlic. There doesn't seem to be a step where these ingredients are cooked other than when the sauce is heated which doesn't do the job, especially if you're doubling up the recipe which I did. I think it would be a different dish altogether if the onions, garlic, miso etc were cooked together before the blending step.
romylondonuk
Hi Geordie! Oh no, so sorry about that, I had indeed forgotten to add this step in when I was putting this recipe together. Thank you so much for pointing it out! I've now updated it on the post and it will hopefully save others the misery 😉 Have a lovely day! 💚