Quick and easy Cauliflower Alfredo that's rich, creamy, delicious, and low fat! It's a great, healthy, and lightened-up alternative to traditional Alfredo sauce.
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"Honestly the most delicious non cheese-cheese dish ever!! Such an easy recipe to follow and so effective, I will definitely be eating this again!" - Sophia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Looking for a healthy Alfredo recipe? Cauliflower Alfredo is the answer!
We are skipping the cream-filled, calorie-laden ingredients and using cauliflower as a base for this rich and creamy, lightened-up Alfredo sauce.
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What does Cauliflower Alfredo Taste Like?
Obviously, this dairy-free, cauliflower-based sauce doesn't taste quite like a traditional Alfredo but its flavor is still really delicious and it's loaded with vitamin C, fiber, and a decent amount of protein.
You will be amazed at how silky the blended cauliflower gets. The finished sauce is super creamy and coats and clings to the fettuccine perfectly, with no worries about huge amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol!
But, I'm not going to lie. It does taste of cauliflower. So, if you don't like cauliflower, please don't make it. If you want a creamy pasta dish that isn't cauliflower-based then check out my Vegan Carbonara, Vegan Roasted Garlic Alfredo, nut-free Vegan Cheese Sauce, or Cashew Cheese Sauce.
Ingredients
Here's what you need at a glance:
The miso and olive oil are optional ingredients. Miso makes the sauce "cheesier", and olive oil (or vegan butter) makes it slightly richer and glossier.
For a lower-calorie alternative to fettuccini, you could try using konjac noodles or zucchini noodles (zoodles!).
How To Make Cauliflower Alfredo
Making Cauliflower Alfredo is quick and easy:
- Steam or boil the cauliflower florets and stalks (no need to waste them!) until fork tender.
- Saute the onions and garlic.
- Blend them up with the other sauce ingredients, adding some plant milk to thin as necessary.
- Boil the fettuccine in a large pot, drain, then toss with the sauce over low heat.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve Cauliflower Alfredo with a fresh parsley garnish and a side of peas. There is something about the pop of green color and the little bursts of sweetness amongst the fettuccine tangles that I love.
A few other great accompaniments are:
Storing Leftovers
Leftover sauce keeps well in the fridge for 3 or 4 days or the freezer for up to 2 months. It can be used in lots of different ways:
- Add more nutritional yeast or some vegan cheese and mix with macaroni for a quick and healthy mac and cheese.
- Drizzle over pizza or use on the base of a homemade pizza instead of pizza sauce.
- Use in place of Béchamel sauce in lasagne.
- Stir through risotto and soups to make them extra creamy.
- Use in place of cream or canned soups in creamy casseroles.
Hungry For More?
Recipe
Cauliflower Alfredo
Author:Ingredients
For the sauce
- ½ medium (350g / 12 oz) cauliflower , florets and stalks
- 1 small onion , finely chopped (roughly golf ball size)
- 4 cloves garlic , finely chopped
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable stock
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt , plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika , or chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon white miso , optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , or vegan butter (optional)
- Approx ¼ cup (60 ml) plant milk , it must be unsweetened & unflavoured
For the pasta
- 14 oz (400 grams) fettuccine , (or other pasta of choice, gluten-free if necessary)
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
For the sauce
- Bring a large pan of water to a boil and add the cauliflower. Cook for about 7 minutes or until fork tender. Don't overcook it as it will get watery. (You can steam it if you prefer).Drain and add to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until completely smooth. Once it's smooth, add the milk gradually a drop at a time until the sauce is the thickness you want. You might need slightly more or less than stated and you might need to do this in batches if your blender isn't big enough.
For the fettuccine
- Bring a large pan of salted boiling water to a rolling boil then drop in the fettuccine and cook as per the package instructions.
- While it is cooking warm the Cauliflower Alfredo sauce gently in a pan.
- Cook the fettuccine until al dente (tender with a little bite), then drain and return to the pan. Pour as much cauliflower sauce as you need into the fettuccine and stir gently to coat. Serve immediately.
NOTES
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NUTRITION
This recipe was originally published on August 25th, 2017. The post has since been rewritten. The recipe remains the same. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
shirley says
So Yummy
Alexandria Phillips says
I was dubious. I have tried cauliflower alfredo before and I was not a fan. Every time it has that cruciferous veggie undertone. But this is amazing. My toddler is stealing all of my food too. Hoping the other kids love it too. I upped the nooch a bit and added a touch of lactic acid. But other than that followed the recipe.
Pam says
Made this tonight! I'm not big on nutritional yeast so was a bit wary. Glad I pushed through that!.. The sauce was amazing. Had I not known, I never would have guessed that there was cauliflower in it. My vegan wary husband said it tasted just like shrimp scampi.... without the shrimp. Delicious! Thank you again for an amazing recipe!
Rochelle says
This was very good! Easy to make. I served it on spaghettini and peas as a side dish one night, and the next night just on peas. My toddler liked it, so it's an extra win to get a few more veggies in his tummy. He wasn't eating quite as many peas without the sauce. It tastes more like garlic to me than cauliflower. Thanks, Mel!
Lysa says
I added a bit more salt and some parsley but this recipe is AMAZING!