Healthy, creamy and garlicky alfredo sauce. A vegan, plant-based, oil-free alternative to create the amazing comfort food that is fettuccini alfredo.
Guys, this sauce is so good. Simple, versatile, healthy and creamy.
I'm calling it Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce, because most of the time, I slather this over pasta. Because, PASTA.
There are many iterations of a cauliflower sauce online, but where I first saw it used this way was over on Pinch of Yum. While I liked her version a lot because it opened my eyes to how delicious cauliflower sauce was, it was loaded with butter and not garlicky enough for me.
At first, I was substituting olive oil for the butter, but now that we're doing our utmost to remove added oils from our diet, a new version was needed.
This sauce is so popular in my house that I buy cauliflower in bulk, just to have it on hand. You can use frozen cauliflower for this, as well, if you don't have fresh.
So, I decided to make a vegan, no added oil version and here it is!
The sauce is made using just three ingredients (if you don't count salt and pepper):
- Cauliflower
- Garlic
- Almond Milk (or any plant-based milk of your choice)
You can use an inversion blender for this, but my Blendtec on the soup setting makes it ultra-smooth and almost frothy.
Pour this sauce over fettuccini and I dare you not to grab a fork and eat it straight out of the pan.
While fettuccini is traditionally used with Alfredo sauce in restaurants, I actually prefer linguini, personally. We have also used rigatoni, penne, bowties and macaroni with this sauce.
As far as add-ins go with the pasta, we enjoy it topped with sautéed mushrooms, peas, asparagus or broccoli.
But, you're certainly not limited to pasta. This sauce can be poured over steamed broccoli or rice. It can be used as a base for creamy soups or a no-flour gravy. My husband loves it baked with thinly sliced potatoes into an au gratin. I did say it was versatile, didn't I? We make this several times a month in our house, since it's so incredibly tasty and simple.
Enjoy!
Vegan No Oil Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Creamy vegan alfredo sauce made with no oil or nuts. Drench pasta in this creamy sauce for a slurp-worthy dinner. Plant-based and McDougall friendly.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets/pieces (about 2 pounds or 9 cups)
- 1 head garlic, coarsely chopped (8 large cloves or ¼ cup)
- ½ cup of almond milk, or other plant-based milk
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Add cauliflower to stockpot and cover with water. Boil over high heat until tender.
- Meanwhile, gently sauté garlic in small pan until fragrant. Add tablespoon of water, if garlic starts to stick. Cook only until garlic is fragrant or starting to brown on the edges, do not overcook or burn.
- Drain cauliflower and add to blender, along with sautéed garlic, almond milk and salt and pepper. Blend for about 60 seconds, or until completely pureed and smooth. Taste and add additional salt and/or pepper, as needed.
- Serve tossed with pasta (fettuccini, linguini, macaroni, rigatoni are all good options). Top pasta with (or serve as a side) steamed broccoli, sweet green peas and/or sautéed mushrooms.
Notes
This is delicious with sautéed mushrooms, peas, asparagus or broccoli. This sauce can be used not just with pasta, but also rice, as a base for creamy soups, as a base for gravy, poured over steamed broccoli, or baked with thinly sliced potatoes into an au gratin.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 78Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 112mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 5g
Nutritional calculations are done using online tools, such as recipe widget Create. Even though we have tried to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates.
MG says
Hello,
Interesting recipe. When you suggest using a head of garlic, is that one clove or the entire bulb? I have never heard of a head of garlic.
Thanks!
Abi Cowell says
Hi MG, I mean the whole bulb of garlic. Sorry for the confusion!
Abi
LT'sMom says
This recipe is great(you know when I make it,lol) I'm on a Keto diet but always looking to up my veggies. 🤓
Abi Cowell says
Thanks so much for letting me know you like it! You can't go wrong with upping your veggies. Glad I could help you do that in a small way. 😀
Emily says
Can it be saved in the fridge for any length of time?
Abi Cowell says
Hi Emily, Yes! You can save this in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I am testing how well it freezes, so I'll report back on that!
Pam Nortje says
Hello Abi, so glad to have found this sauce. Unfortunately I'm a little confused as to how much a single portion is (98 calories), It says yield 5 cups, then further down it says yield 4 serving size 1 but how much is the single serving size. I hope I will receive a reply as I would really would love to use your sauce. Thank you so much, Pam
Abi Cowell says
Hi Pam,
So sorry for the delay in getting back to you! Thank you for pointing that out. I have adjusted the nutrition information to make it clearer. This sauce yields 5 cups. For a 1 cup serving, it is 78 calories for the sauce alone (not counting whatever you mix it into, whether that's pasta, veggies, etc.).
Hope that helps!
- Abi