Zesty Vegan Pasta with Cashew Alfredo Sauce (2024)

Here’s a simple recipe for Date night Vegan Alfredo for Two, with the most delicious Vegan Alfredo Sauce (made with cashews or hemp hearts), tossed with sauteed mushrooms, peas, Meyer lemon zest and a secret ingredient that gives this extra complexity and depth. For extra awesomeness- try this with Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle and simple Smoked Mushrooms!

How to Make Vegan Alfredo Sauce from Scratch:

Hello friends! I can’t tell you how often this Vegan Alfredo Sauce has been a lifesaver in our catering business through the years. What I love about it is how easy it is to make (sauce =10 minutes) and how many ways you can use this and adapt this.

Here we’re serving it with a simple quick pasta, but its uses are endless. I use it interchangeably as a vegan “bechamel” – to use in vegan lasagnas, mousaka, as a sauce for baked shells or baked pasta, you get the idea.

One stipulation: If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you’ll need to soak your cashews in water beforehand, or alternatively, you can substitute hemp hearts -also a great option for those with nut allergies!

Can I Use Almond Milk as a Heavy Cream Substitute?

The Vegan Alfredo Sauce gets its luscious “creaminess” from cashews (or hemp). The reason we don’t use almond milk in this recipe, is that the blended cashews (or hemp seeds) add a much richer consistency compared to Almond milk, mimicking the texture of heavy cream.

Date Night Vegan Alfredo | 30-second video

This vegan version of fettuccine alfredo is made even more flavorful with the addition of onion and garlic.

But what gives this flavorful Vegan Alfredo Sauce it’s “depth”, is a little white miso paste.

It’s so subtle, you can’t point it out in the finished dish, but it just adds that little something that brings it up a notch.

After the garlic and onions are tender and golden, just blend them up with cashews, veggie broth, miso, nutritional yeast, salt and a pinch of nutmeg.

Blend until creamy and smooth. Here I’m using a high-powered blender, so no need to soak the cashews.

In the meantime, you can be boiling your pasta. If adding other veggies like peas, asparagus, or even broccoli, just toss them in the pasta water for the last minute or two of cooking to quickly blanch.

Here we’ve also sauteed some mushrooms to add to the mix. To further elevate, drizzle with a little truffle oil.

Or try Smoked Mushrooms– which sound fussy but litereally take 15 minutes, and can be made on your stove top!

Add the drained pasta and Vegan Alfredo Sauce to a saute pan and gently warm.

Toss in half the mushrooms and leave a few for garnishing the top.

Sprinkle with a little cracked pepper and chili flakes.

Meyer Lemon zest is another way to bring this up a level.

Then divide among two bowls.

Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley and vegan parmesan!

Serve with a tasty green salad.

More vegan pasta recipes you may like!

• Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Toasted Walnuts, Parsley, Garlic & Lemon zest
• Orecchiette with Creamy Carrot Miso Sauce
• Charred Asparagus Kale Pasta with Lemony Cannellini Beans
• Garlicky Chard Pasta with Lemon and Toasted Bread Crumbs
• Vegan Mushroom Artichoke Pasta with Roasted Sunchokes

Sprinkle with this Vegan Cheesy Sprinkle if you like!

And voila, Date Night Vegan Alfredo in under 30 minutes!

Happy Valentines Day,

xoxoxo

Print