This vegan fettuccine alfredo recipe is the best you'll ever eat. It's made with a homemade dairy-free alfredo sauce, takes 30 minutes, has no cashews, and is high in protein when paired with the air fried tofu strips and green beans.
I consider this vegan alfredo recipe as more of a comfort food, but it's made healthier and more balanced by pairing it with the tofu and green beans.
I'm a big proponent of intuitive eating, which puts value on eating foods that are both healthy and satisfying. This recipe is just that. It's delicious and comforting while still providing 36g plant-based protein, 9g fiber, 37% DV for iron, and 31% DV for calcium per serving.
This is the best vegan alfredo sauce because it's made with vegan butter, flour, and unsweetened almond milk as the base. Read on below to see why I don't personally like to make a cashew alfredo sauce.
You can certainly try this recipe with healthier pasta types like chickpea, lentil, or whole wheat pasta. However, it definitely tastes best with good ole white fettuccine pasta, which is also easier to find at grocery stores.
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Ingredients
One of the best parts of this recipe is that it uses pantry staples and simple ingredients that most vegans will already have laying around in the kitchen.
- Super firm tofu (doesn't require pressing -- if extra firm tofu is all you can get, you'll have to drain and press it first which will add more prep time)
- Vegetable bouillon (I use Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base)
- Fettuccine pasta
- Vegan butter (I use Miyoko's vegan butter)
- Minced garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened plain almond milk
- White wine vinegar
- Nutritional Yeast
- Salt (I recommend vegans use Iodized salt unless supplementing)
- Ground black pepper
- Frozen green beans
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how you'll make the best vegan fettuccine alfredo you'll ever eat.
Make marinade with vegetable bouillon and water.
Cut each tofu block into about 6 flat rectangular slices. Brush marinade on both sides and place into air fryer in a single layer on foil.
Air fry at 400 degrees for about 10-20 minutes or until golden brown, flipping halfway. (Depending on the size of your air-fryer, you may need to work in batches.)
Heat a large pot of salted water over high to medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, add fettuccine noodles. Stir occasionally to keep the fettuccine noodles from sticking together as they boil. Cook until al dente.
If the pasta gets close to boiling over, simply reduce the heat a little.
Before making the creamy alfredo sauce, make sure all ingredients are ready and within reach as the process goes by quickly.
Heat a large pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add in vegan butter and fresh garlic. Let butter melt and whisk the butter and garlic together.
Once butter has melted, add flour and whisk together until smooth.
Add in almond milk and whisk until smooth.
Add the nutritional yeast, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine
Turn heat for sauce to low.
Carefully add the cooked pasta into the sauce using tongs and leave the hot pasta water in the pot (will use it to steam green beans).
Stir and cover sauce and pasta with a lid. Let cook for about 10 minutes until the alfredo sauce has thickened and the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
Add a steamer basket and lid to the pot with the pasta water. Add green beans and salt to taste to the steamer basket and cover with lid.
Let steam over medium to medium-low heat for about 10-15 minutes or until fork tender.
Cut air-fried tofu into strips.
Plate the vegan fettuccine alfredo with the air-fried tofu and steamed green beans. Enjoy!
Why This Is Really The Best Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Best Base for Cream Sauce
I've tried to make a creamy vegan alfredo sauce in various ways, including mixing tofu into the sauce or using raw cashews as the base for a creamy sauce. However, those variations simply do not taste as close to traditional fettuccine alfredo as this one.
I used to love alfredo pasta when I was still vegetarian. Traditional alfredo sauce is made with butter, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese. When making the vegan version, it's just not gonna cut it to use tofu or cashews.
This recipe uses vegan butter, unsweetened almond milk, flour, and nutritional yeast to best compete with the real thing. The nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor, and when mixed with a little garlic, it can act as a vegan parmesan cheese.
I've also used lemon juice to make this recipe in the past, but have found white wine vinegar to give it a much better taste without an overpowering lemon flavor.
Vegan fettuccine alfredo made with cashew cream or blended tofu simply does not come close to the flavor and texture of this one. If you've tried other variations of dairy free alfredo sauce and they weren't a success, just try this one and you'll thank me later.
Favorite Pasta to Use
There's nothing wrong with having white pasta here and there. The recommendation is to eat at least half of our grains as whole grains, so there's room for a little fun too.
But if you're completely against regular white pastas, try this out with a whole grain pasta, legume-based pasta, a favorite gluten-free pasta, or other pasta of your choice and let me know how it goes.
Best Plant Milk for Cooking
As far as non-dairy milk, unsweetened plain almond milk is the way to go for this recipe (and for most savory vegan recipes in my opinion). It has a mild taste that doesn't drastically affect the taste.
I've tried soy milk before, and it alters the end result negatively. Coconut milk would have a nice creamy texture but would give too much of a coconut flavor. I haven't tried cashew milk or oat milk, but if you use these instead, let me know in the comments how it turned out.
Equipment
This recipe uses an air fryer and the stove to cook. For the stove, you'll need a large pot, steamer basket with a lid, large pan with a lid, metal tongs, and metal whisk.
I love my Cuisinart stainless steel cookware set which includes all of the pots, pans, steamer basket, and lids you'll need. It's helpful to have pots and pans that are fully stainless steel like this one so that they can also be put in the oven.
If all you can find at the store is extra firm tofu, its helpful to have a tofu press. You can also wrap tofu in a clean kitchen towel and press it under something heavy like a pan or book, but a tofu press makes it much easier and I love the look of mine.
Storage
This recipe is best eaten fresh, but can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. If the pasta dries out, you can add a little more unsweetened almond milk before reheating.
Unfortunately, this vegan fettuccine alfredo does not freeze very well, so I recommend eating it fresh or storing it in the fridge.
Recipe
Best Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo (30-Minute, No Cashews)
Equipment
- 1 Small Bowl
- 1 pastry/basting brush
- 1 large pot
- 1 large pan with lid
- 1 whisk
- 1 tongs
- 1 Air Fryer
- 1 steamer basket with lid
Ingredients
- 2 14-oz super firm tofu (if your only option is extra firm tofu, you will need to drain and press first which will add about 15 minutes of prep time)
- ½ tablespoon vegetable bouillon (I use Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 16-oz fettuccine pasta
- 4 tablespoon vegan butter (I use Miyoko's vegan butter)
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
- ½ tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus a little more for salting pasta water and for green beans to taste)
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 16-oz bag frozen green beans (or 4 cups if using fresh)
Instructions
- Make marinade with vegetable bouillon and water. Cut each tofu block into about 6 flat rectangular slices. Brush marinade on both sides and place into air fryer in a single layer on foil. Air fry at 400 degrees for about 10-20 minutes or until golden brown, flipping halfway. (Depending on the size of your air-fryer, you may need to work in batches.)2 14-oz super firm tofu, ½ tablespoon vegetable bouillon, 1 tablespoon water
- Heat a large pot of salted water over medium high to high heat and bring to a boil.
- Before making the sauce, make sure all ingredients are ready and within reach as the process goes by quickly.
- Once the water is boiling, add fettuccine noodles. Stir occasionally to keep the fettuccine noodles from sticking together as they boil. If the pasta gets close to boiling over, simply reduce the heat a little.1 16-oz fettuccine pasta
- Heat a large pan over medium to medium high heat. Add in vegan butter and garlic. Let butter melt and whisk the butter and garlic together.4 tablespoon vegan butter, ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- Once butter has melted, add flour and whisk together until smooth.2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Add in almond milk and whisk until smooth.3 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
- Add the nutritional yeast, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.½ tablespoon white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper to taste
- Turn heat for sauce to low. Carefully add the pasta into the sauce using tongs and leave the hot pasta water in the pot (will use it to steam green beans). Stir and cover sauce and pasta with a lid. Let cook for about 10 minutes until the alfredo sauce has thickened and the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add a steamer basket and lid to the pot with the pasta water. Add green beans and salt to taste to the steamer basket and cover with lid. Let steam over medium to medium low heat for about 10-15 minutes or until fork tender.1 16-oz bag frozen green beans
- Cut air-fried tofu into strips. Plate the vegan fettuccine alfredo, tofu and steamed green beans. Enjoy!
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