Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce with Coconut Milk Recipe
Today we are making a Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce with Coconut Milk Recipe! Alfredo pasta is a classic Italian dish, tracing its roots back to the bustling streets of Rome. Legend has it that in the early 20th century, a Roman restaurateur named Alfredo di Lelio created this dish to please his wife. Little did he know that his simple yet decadent combination of butter and noodles would turn into a dish using butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic, heavy cream, salt and fettuccine to make a creamy alfredo sauce as a global sensation. Today, we’re giving this recipe a plant-based twist with these creamy vegan Coconut Milk Fettuccine Alfredo Noodles!
For this vegan version, we will imitate the rich creaminess of heavy cream in traditional Alfredo by embracing the luscious and creamy texture of coconut milk. Sautéed garlic adds a delightful aromatic kick, while nutritional yeast with herbs and cashews imparts that cheesy umami flavor in a vegan “parmesan” remake – a creamy pasta, made as a dairy-free version. Then you can top your recipe with fresh herbs or some lemon juice to serve up this vegan fettuccine alfredo!
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce with Coconut Milk Recipe
Cheesy Without Dairy: This recipe is a bit of a twist on traditional alfredo! Here we will make a vegan parmesan cheese, out of spices, nutritional yeast and cashews to create a cheesy, nutty flavor and a parmesan-cheese-like texture. This is the perfect way to add a touch of cheesy flavor, but without using any dairy (and getting in B-vitamins from the yeast)! You’ll be surprised how delicious this healthy version of parmesan tastes, as compared to the dairy-based version.
Substitutions: Noodles
Noodles: Traditionally, fettuccine alfredo uses, well … fettuccine! You can find gluten-free fettuccine to make this recipe gluten-free. I’ve tried this and it works great, provided you don’t use some black bean noodles or a different type that doesn’t have that regular wheat noodle texture. I really like Banza brand for gluten-free, high-protein pasta that mimic gluten-based ones. You don’t even have to choose fettuccine to use this creamy sauce – you can use any version of your favorite gluten-free pasta or regular pasta.
Substitutions: Milk & Butter
Butter: Do not substitute this ingredient, as olive oil or other oils will not give that traditional alfredo sauce taste. Melt Organics makes delicious salted vegan butter sticks. Note that this is not referring to a margarine-type spread. Personally, I use these butter sticks linked above in replacement of all the dairy butter in every recipe.
Full-Fat Coconut Milk: Choose full-fat, canned coconut milk for the richest creamy white sauce. Not low-fat and not carton, as the taste and texture varies due to the different fat content.
However, if you want to make the coconut milk sauce low-fat and not as rich, feel free to use a lower-fat non-dairy milk like oat milk, or the “lite” (lower fat) version instead of a can of coconut milk. I like Thai Kitchen brand of full-fat milk, due to the ingredient list also not having other preservatives and additives like other coconut milk brands do.
Substitutions: Nuts & Spices
Garlic: For best results, stick with fresh garlic instead of a pre-made paste.
Cashews: Use raw cashews that are not roasted or salted. If using roasted and salted cashews, it will have an underlying cashew taste, which we don’t want for a cheesy parmesan flavor. Substitute with raw almonds or pine nuts instead.
Nutritional Yeast: When using nutritional yeast, it doesn’t taste exactly like cheese. And it really shouldn’t, seeing as cheese made from cow’s milk is not going to exactly mimic a plant-based substitute. However, nutritional yeast is wonderful and a good source of vegan protein and B vitamins. You can find this in the natural foods or vegan/gluten-free foods aisle of the grocery store. Bob’s Red Mill is my favorite brand for this!
Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce with Coconut Milk Recipe Notes
- Finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, fresh basil, lemon zest or chives for a burst of freshness and color.
- While fettuccine is a classic choice, don’t hesitate to experiment with different spaghetti shapes.
- Make sure to use a very fine grater so the garlic is almost grated close to a paste.
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If you make this Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce with Coconut Milk Recipe, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce with Coconut Milk Recipe
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Large Pot
- Spice Grinder
Ingredients
For the Noodles
- ½ 454 g box fettuccine noodles
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 6 medium cloves garlic finely grated
- ¼ cup pasta water reserved after cooking pasta
- 1½ cups full-fat, canned coconut milk
- pink salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
For the Vegan Parmesan
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 6 tsp nutritional yeast
- 2-3 pinches pink salt
- 2-3 pinches garlic powder
Instructions
- Add the parmesan ingredients to a small spice grinder. Grind for a few seconds, until a parmesan-cheese-like texture is made. Set aside.
- Fill a large pot of water and 2-3 pinches of salt. Place it on the stovetop over high heat.
- Bring the large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- Add in the noodles. Cook them according to the directions on the package, about 9-10 minutes. Once cooked, drain the pasta water, reserving a ¼ cup in a separate bowl, and set the paste aside.
- Place a large skillet on the stove over medium-low heat. Add in the vegan butter.
- Once hot, add in the garlic. Stir the mixture every few seconds, until the garlic is lightly golden brown.
- Add in the coconut milk and pasta water. Bring it to medium heat and allow the sauce to come to a boil in 1-2 minutes, stirring every so often until the sauce is thickened.
- Add in the cooked pasta, stirring to coat with sauce. Stir for another 2 minutes until fully coated.
- Turn off the heat and sprinkle the vegan parmesan on top. Stir to combine, then serve!
Notes
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Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Stir in a splash of coconut milk and vegan butter to warm this up on the stovetop.
