If you love a thick, cheesy, Alfredo Sauce, then you have GOT to try my Vegan Garlic Alfredo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes.
Thick, cheesy, decadent Alfredo - with absolutely NO added fat of any kind. That's right.....NO cashews in THIS sauce. Read on to discover my secret ingredient.
This recipe really should never have happened. Seriously.
I had JUST published my Vegan Portabella French Dip recipe and had absolutely NO plans on even COOKING that night, let alone releasing a new recipe.
But, the girls had been gone all day, and I knew they'd be hungry.....and 'I' was hungry, so I literally just started grabbing ingredients and threw this together at the last minute.
They say that's where some of our best recipes come from.....and I think my family would agree.
My wife absolutely LOVES this Vegan Garlic Alfredo, and to put it in young people's language.....my 30yr old daughter said, and I quote....
"This stuff is the s.h.i.t.!!"
SO I guess it's really good.....
But what's wild about this sauce - which is what really makes this dish by the way - is that there is no added fat of any kind.
No dairy
No oil
And no nuts ..... not even cashews.
I'll tell you the secret to this thick, rich, sauce in the instructions below...
So let's get to it...
Vegan Garlic Alfredo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
I was thinking pasta would be a simple, easy dinner that night, so I grabbed an 8oz box of Spelt Penne my wife had just picked up from the store and set it aside. I'd cook it once I figured out the sauce.
I knew I wanted a garlic sauce, so I took 6-8 large garlic cloves and minced them. I used 8 cloves - but I REALLY like garlic - so adjust according to your own individual taste. Use a tablespoon of veggie broth as needed to prevent sticking.
I also chopped up about ¼ of a medium white onion and added that to the pan with the garlic. Sauté the veggies until just softened.
Now the base for the sauce was going to be the tricky part - as most vegan bloggers would have already pre-soaked a bunch of cashews.
Cashews DO make a creamy sauce, but I didn't have any soaking, AND I know a lot of my readers are watching their fat intake....
So what else could I use besides cashews?
I looked in my pantry and instantly saw something that might work. I have used them before in making my Vegan Potato Salad and Vegan Pasta Salad Dressing.... so maybe, just maybe, this can of White Beans would make a good base for my Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce.
I opened a 15oz can of S&W White Beans (I'm pretty sure any small white bean would work... navy, great northern, etc) and dumped the whole can into my blender, juice and all and gave it a whirl.
Puree the beans until smooth.
Now add the sautéed garlic, onions, 1 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk, 3 Tbs Flour, 1 Tbs Lemon Juice, and ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast and blend until very smooth.
Pour the Alfredo Sauce back into the pan and simmer over low heat until it just begins to thicken.
Finally, to add a little saltiness, and a little bit of Umami (savory taste)...... I whisked in 2 tsp of Yellow Miso.
And there ya go.
A very simple Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce - without any added fat.... and it tastes pretty gosh darn DELICIOUS if I do say so myself!
At this point, go ahead and prepare your pasta according to the package instructions. Just before the pasta is finished cooking, remove it from the heat, drain, and place it back in the pan with about ½ cup of Sun Dried Tomatoes (look for the dried ones, not packed in oil).
Stir in some cooked broccoli optional but good) and about 2 cups of the Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce. Mix thoroughly.
Garnish with Vegan Parmesan and any leftover Alfredo Sauce and serve.
You can thank me by giving me a like on Facebook or leaving a comment 🙂
Enjoy!
Vegan Garlic Alfredo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 0 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This rich, decadent, nut-free Vegan Garlic Alfredo will surprise you with its secret ingredient. Who knew Alfredo could be so creamy without any added fat?
Ingredients
- 8 oz Penne Pasta ((I used Spelt))
- ½ cup Sun Dried Tomatoes ((no oil))
- 1 cup Steamed Broccoli ((optional))
Garlic Alfredo Sauce
- 6-8 cloves Garlic ((minced))
- ¼ White Onion ((chopped))
- 1-2 Tbs Veggie Broth ((for sautéing))
- 1 can White Beans ((15oz can - any small white bean))
- 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 3 Tbs Flour
- 1 Tbs Lemon Juice
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
- 2 tsp Miso
Instructions
- Mince and chop garlic and onion and saute in veg broth until softened.
- Add beans and their liquid to blender and puree until smooth.
- Add garlic, onions, almond milk, flour, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast to bean puree and blend until very smooth
- Pour blended Alfredo Sauce back into the pan and simmer on low heat until thickened.
- Remove sauce from heat and whisk in miso paste until smooth.
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain and return to pan.
- Stir in tomatoes, broccoli, and about 2 cups of Alfredo Sauce and stir to combine.
- Serve and garnish with additional Alfredo Sauce and Vegan Parmesan.
Notes
Recipe Link ----> Vegan Parmesan
Sheri
O wow! If I wasn't on a road trip I would be in my kitchen making this immediately!! Looks delicious Chuck!!
Richard Ruth
Try putting a pinch of nutmeg in this sauce.
Donna Spencer
This pasta recipe looks really interesting. Just a comment. The first thing I saw when I clicked on your site, was an ad for Tysons. Disturbing when clicking on a vegan recipe.
Jo-Anne Lowe
I didn't see a Tyson ad...
Recipe looks great!
Donna Spencer
You're lucky. When I clicked on to reply today up popped two Tyson's ads. One on the bottom of the page and one on the side.
Tallulahbelle Aubergine
Ads are usually personalized according to your own search history. I don't see Tyson ads either. I see ads for jewelry that I was looking at earlier.
Gloria Parker Kersh
This looks amazing and will be printed and tried. Thank you so much!!
Leasa Swartz
What a unique approach to a creamy sauce. Love it.
Iris
Made this today. OMG delicious! Can you freeze the sauce?
Elsje Massyn
Brilliant idea for another version of creamy sauce for pasta - who would have thought of white beans??. In South Africa nuts are extremely expensive so the white bean version is the BOMB!!
Thanks for the excellent post = please keep them coming!!!
Lauren Culp
How much sauce does this make? The recipe is on my menu this week and I'll be doubling the pasta, do I need to double the sauce? Looks fabulous! I have some smoked sun dried tomatoes that I think will be crazy good.
Barbara Wroten
We made a double recipe for 1 lb of penne pasta and it was enough for 4 very hearty appetites served with a green salad.
★★★★★
Taffy Zorro
Hmm... I think I want to try this sauce as a base for a WFPB pizza!
DeAnne
For those of us who don't used canned beans, would regular water due & if so how much? Thanks
Bobbi
You have a culinary gift. Thanks for sharing it with all of us.
Barbara Wroten
We made this for non vegan company last evening and it was marvelous! Lots of ingredients but comes together easily and was rich,thick, creamy and delicious. We inadvertently left out the miso and didn't miss it.
★★★★★
Pamela Hawkins
One word of caution, DON'T use vanilla flavored almond milk. It ruins the whole thing. I have to try it gain with plain almond milk
Linda
Delicious s. Received husband’s seal of approval. Highest award possible in our house.
★★★★★
Linda
I just used the recipe for the. Alfredo sauce since I had some ravioli already....and I added some finely chopped mushrooms to it, sauteing after the shallots and garlic....I used white miso...but it cane out great and my husband really enjoyed it....he is a more reluctant vegan/vegearian....thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Lisa Whitford
So good and easy! Thank you, thank you!
★★★★★
Ali Margello
I loved the concept of this recipe but have a daughter who is anti-bean. She can sniff them out anywhere! I substituted riced cauliflower. I boiled it, drained and used instead of beans and it was fantastic! The miso makes this recipe. I also love the idea of a little nutmeg.
LaTrice Mays
Hello Chuck I need help where do you find Umami? and yellow Miso? I see misos in the stores and never know which one to buy? Cant wait to make this tonight!
Chuck Underwood
Umami is a taste - like salty, sweet, savory, etc. You can use any miso but the red is a little stronger than the others.
VeggieTater
YAY, thank you, no oil or added fat, I really have to watch it! I was making this and steamed some cauliflower to add to the pasta, I like it with a very slight bite but while trying to multitask it got overcooked and mushy! So.. I just tossed it in the blender with the beans and stuff and it was great! Extended the amount, cut the calorie density, and was undetectable to the other eaters! Also, I don't use regular flour much and had none, so just whizzed some oats to powder and used that. Bonus... it adds a nice smoothness to the sauce that gives a similar effect of fat. I don't think I can ever finish a recipe as written, but it was amazing anyway!
★★★★★
Alex
Wow this is the first vegan alfredo ive made that not only tasted amazing but had a great texture. Sooo good!
★★★★★