Vegan and gluten-free Fettuccine Alfredo is the 15-minute dinner that’s so delicious you’ll make it on repeat, just like I do! When you find an easy and satisfying vegan dinner that’s made with pantry staples and you can pull off on a hectic weeknight…it becomes a weekly indulgence! Bonus that the dairy-free creamy alfredo sauce is rich and garlicky, thickened with white beans and no cashews. The best part…. it’ll be ready in just 5-minutes. Winner-winner—vegan pasta dinner.
Ingredient notes
- pad thai rice noodles: I love this gluten-free pasta option that mimics the size/shape/texture of fettuccine. It’s totally satisfying with the alfredo sauce, and yet, still light enough that it doesn’t weigh me down.
- Garlic: take the 4 cloves as a suggestion…I prefer more, and since the garlic is getting cooked, it’s far easier to digest. The sauteed garlic is just the flavor bomb a vegan dish like this alfredo sauce needs to make it rich with taste.
- Green peas: frozen peas work well in this recipe. Canned beans will be too mushy. If you don’t have frozen peas, use shelled edamame instead.
- Nut free vegan alfredo sauce: substitute the almond milk for oat milk, soy milk or any type of milk that works with your dietary needs.
- Nutritional yeast: for the “cheesy” vibe, available in the spice aisle at most grocery stores.
Make it
Before you begin, bring a pan of water to a rolling boil. Doesn’t matter what type of pasta you’ve chosen, you’ll need to cook it in boiling water. The vegan alfredo sauce takes just 5 minutes to make, so it will be done and ready by the time the noodles have cooked.
Saute the garlic in olive oil to build flavor. You can also use veggie broth if you follow a plant-based oil-free diet. You’ll want to stir the garlic constantly so it doesn’t burn. Let it turn slightly golden, and totally aromatic and then remove from the heat.
Load the beans, nutritional yeast, almond milk, veggie broth, salt and pepper into a blender. Transfer the garlic oil into the mixture as well.
Blend until thick and creamy. Scrape down the side and blend again. Set aside.
Stir the pasta, a couple of times, while it cooks so the noodles don’t stick together. Set a timer for 2 minutes LESS than the package suggests. Drain and then transfer to a large skillet.
Add the peas to the hot pasta. It’s ok if they’ve come straight from the freezer, the hot pasta will melt them right away.
Pour 1 ½ cups of alfredo sauce onto the peas and pasta. Mix well.
Pour on remaining sauce and continue to stir as everything heats through.
Serve warm. Garnish with some crushed red pepper or fresh herbs, to taste.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- I prefer to use a stainless steel pot/pan to saute the garlic because it will stop cooking when removed from the heat. A cast iron skillet will hold the heat and continue to cook it for awhile after it’s taken off the burner.
- If you don’t want to dirty two pans, saute the garlic in a skillet and then transfer to the blender for the sauce. Use the same pan to heat the pasta, sauce and peas.
- For an even thicker sauce, cut back on the veggie broth to ¼ cup.
- My pasta package said to cook 7 minutes. I found 5 minutes perfect for al dente pasta that was going to continue to cook in the sauce.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 14.5-oz can cannellini beans
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup almond milk
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
For Fettuccine Alfredo
- 1 8-oz package rice noodles*
- 8 oz. frozen green peas
Instructions
Alfredo Sauce
- Drain and rinse beans. Place in the cup of a blender. Add broth, milk, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.
- Heat small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Swirl in olive oil and then add the garlic. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Remove from heat when it's lightly colored, but before it burns.
- Add the garlic oil to the blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and then blend again until smooth and creamy.
For Fettuccine Alfredo
- Cook the noodles according to package directions, checking at 2 minutes less than the instructions suggest. You'll want al dente pasta for this recipe.
- Grab ½ cup pasta water before draining.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in ½ cup alfredo sauce and add the frozen peas. Stir until they're heated through. Add the pasta and another ½ cup sauce. Use tongs to gently toss so that all pasta is coated in sauce and the peas are evenly distributed. If the alfredo is too thick, use the pasta water, a couple tablespoons at a time to thin as desired.
- Sprinkle on some fresh herbs for a boost of flavor and color and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
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