This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
Even since I was a kid, I’ve never been one of those people who squealed over pasta primavera, who even ordered a reasonable marinara, who ever got excited a cheesy baked ziti. Nope, it’s alfredo all. the. way. for me.
Which is unfortunate seeing as how, you know, it’s laden with cheese, cream, and butter, none of which are a) very healthy or b) very vegan. So when I went vegan, I knew I had to recreate this dish. Of course, there’s my avocado alfredo which is creamy, garlicky, and oh-so-rich, and I’m working on a cashew- and miso-based concoction to share with you. But there are (frequent) times when all I want is a classic bowl of tangy, rich, totally heavenly sauce just absolutely smothering some tender fettuccine, and in those times? This fits absolutely obliterates, destroys the bill.
I came up with this recipe for the vegan dairy brand Tofutti with whom I partner (check out that sweet rectangular ad in the sidebar >>>), and you may have seen some of my previous Tofutti recipes like my..
- strawberry cheesecake milkshake (omg.)
- ricotta and tomato layered pasta bowl (nom.)
- lemon ricotta cheesecake with blueberry white wine sauce (omgomgomg…. NOM)
- chocolate cupcakes with peppermint frosting, or..
- vegan cronuts with blackberry-cream cheese filling and lemon glaze (I know. I know! It almost hurts how good they are)
So suffice it to say, Tofutti products and I have a pretty stellar working relationship, and they once again exceeded my expectations in this classic alfredo! By using Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, I found a totally smooth creaminess and richness, and by adding in a bit of Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream I found a necessary tang that comes with the cheese-and-butter edition and is so often missing from vegan takes.
O and I totally devour this every time I throw it together, which is unsurprisingly often considering how a) delicious it is and b) how extremely easy it is to make. It’s also super versatile, lending itself well to folding in almost any veggies, proteins, herbs, or spices (even, say, a Cajun-blackened chicken, if you’re just trying to avoid dairy and aren’t vegetarian!). We’ve served it with steamed broccoli and chopped Roma tomatoes, which was bright and springy, yet still rich and so satisfying; it’s perfect, too, with just a handful of baby spinach stirred in right before serving. However you do it….
do it.
Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
For the Alfredo Sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic minced
- 4 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup plain almond milk unflavored, unsweetened; at room temperature
- 2 ounces Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream ¼ cup, at room temperature
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon miso paste
- ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- dried or fresh herbs optional
Serving Suggestions
- veggies of choice optional; see Notes
- 4 servings cooked pasta or cooked zoodles
Instructions
- Heat medium skillet over medium heat. When pan is hot, add butter and heat until melted, swirling pan occasionally to distribute butter.
- When butter is melted, add minced garlic and sauté one minute or until garlic is fragrant.
- Add Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese to skillet. Immediately reduce heat under pan to medium-low.
- Let cream cheese melt slightly. Add almond milk, sour cream, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and miso paste to skillet and whisk until mixture is very smooth and heated through.
- Whisk in ½ teaspoon salt and desired herbs (optional) and taste. Adjust seasoning as needed, then stir in any veggies if using, pour sauce over cooked pasta, and serve immediately.
- Veggies: A totally optional mix-in! Broccoli florets, baby spinach, roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, diced mushrooms, green peas – anything you like will work here, or you can enjoy the sauce as-is.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @40aprons on Instagram and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!
Never Miss A Meal!
New Recipes Straight To Your Inbox
A curated selection of our most recent recipes, delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
Leave A Review
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Will this cheese sauce freeze well? Also, do you need the nutritional yeast? What does that do? Is it a binder? I’m not vegan. I have a tub of this and want to use it in a recipe with spaghetti squash. I’ve not made your recipe yet. Thanks.
Hey, Susie! Nutritional yeast gives the sauce a cheesy flavor while keeping it vegan and dairy free. Without, this sauce won’t taste cheesy at all. And you should be able to freeze it fine, but you may notice a change in the consistency after thawing it again.
Enjoy!
Tastes like hollandaise sauce
We can see the similarities, but also believe it tastes like a fair vegan alternative to traditional Alfredo. 🙂
I am just starting to use non dairy products in my cooking so am not familiar with tastes yet. I have started to use oat milk, finding its taste ok. Could I use that instead of almond milk and not change the taste?
Oat milk will work!
This is SO delicious! Incredible flavor—way beyond any vegan Alfredo recipe I’ve tried before. Thank you so much!
I made this tonight, its awesome!
I used Miyoko’s vegan cream cheese and chives. I didn’t have any lemon or miso paste and it was still yummy!
So glad you loved it!
This is delicious!! My whole family loved it. I added shallots and kale.
Thank you!
This is absolutely mind blowing! I can’t put my fork down. I am so ecstatic to have found this recipe. Great job Cheryl! My family loves cheese and I constantly lecture how unhealthy it is and now I’m making this for every one .life is Gooooood again!?
I am soooo glad you like it!!