Healthy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce (Vegan, No Cashews)
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
Cook Time
15 mins
-
Total Time
30 mins
-
Servings
8 servings
-
Calories
270 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
American
Healthy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce (Vegan, No Cashews)
Description
Healthy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce combines steamed cauliflower with a sautéed garlic and tahini base. The tahini adds creaminess and richness while mimicking the texture that nuts or dairy would provide. The cauliflower is cooked until fork-tender and blended with soy milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, white miso paste, and seasoning including salt, onion powder, mustard powder, nutmeg, and black pepper to create a velvety sauce. Miso contributes a subtle umami depth that complements the tahini and nutritional yeast.
This sauce is poured back into cooked pasta, coating it with a creamy texture balanced by a mild tang from the lemon juice and a garlicky savory undertone. It offers a plant-based, nut-free way to enjoy a classic Alfredo flavor and consistency. The use of vegetable broth in the initial sauté helps add moisture and aroma to the sauce.
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for up to five days. While freezing the pasta with sauce is not recommended, the sauce itself freezes well. Substitute cashew or macadamia butter for tahini if preferred, but this will change the flavor. Adjust salt levels if miso is omitted. This recipe provides a versatile sauce suitable for a range of pasta dishes.
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 small/medium cauliflower Approx. 6 to 7 inches in diameter, head, cored and cut into equal-size florets
- 1 pound pasta dry, of choice
Other sauce ingredients:
- 1¼ cups soy milk plain, unsweetened, or other non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons White miso paste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon mustard powder ground, optional
- tiny pinch of ground nutmeg or whole nutmeg grated, optional
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together the tahini and broth. Preheat a sauté pan over medium-low. Add the garlic and tahini-broth mixture to the pan. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender.
- Rinse out the sauté pan. Add the cauliflower florets and about an inch of water. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until fork tender, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cauliflower to the blender.
- Add the other sauce ingredients to the blender (1 ¼ cups milk, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 2 teaspoon miso, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ⅛ teaspoon mustard powder, tiny pinch of nutmeg, black pepper, to taste). Blend until velvety smooth, stopping as needed. Note: if your blender has a vent/spout in the lid, remove the cap to allow steam to escape.
- Cook pasta in generously salted water according to package directions then drain in a colander. Pour the alfredo sauce into the pot, return the pasta to the pot, and stir to coat. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley, lemon zest, and vegan parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- The sauce freezes well, but pasta with sauce does not freeze as reliably.
- Tahini can be replaced with cashew or macadamia butter, though this affects flavor and is not nut-free.
- If miso paste is unavailable, increase salt to compensate for umami flavor.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 270 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 270kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 49g | 16% |
| Protein | 13g | 26% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 375mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
