This vegan Alfredo sauce is rich, creamy and full of flavor. Pair with pasta for a delicious plant-based how to make alfredo sauce! Before developing lactose intolerance, pasta dishes like homemade fettuccine Alfredo were in my weekly dinner rotation.
But it’s possible to make a dairy-free Alfredo sauce—and it’s easier than you’d think. The secret to this vegan Alfredo sauce is soaked cashews. When you blend raw cashews with water, it creates a silky smooth cashew cream, with little to no taste. It’s the perfect plant-based sauce base! Don’t miss our full list of surprising ways to cook with cashews.
What Is the Best Pasta Shape for Vegan Alfredo Sauce? There’s a reason why fettuccine Alfredo is a classic. Fettuccine has a wide, thick shape that allows for the maximum amount of creamy sauce in each bite. Other long noodles like pappardelle and linguine work well with vegan Alfredo sauce, too. If you don’t soften your cashews, the end result will be a grainy and gritty sauce. I recommend soaking the raw cashews overnight in room temperature water.
If you’re in a rush, place the cashews in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Once the cashews have soaked, drain the water and rinse them. Reserve about 2 cups of pasta water in a measuring cup, then drain and return pasta to pot.