This Dairy Free, Vegan Alfredo Sauce With Fettucine is an easy dinner recipe that's rich, creamy, and oh-so-satisfying!
When I was younger, I thought fettuccine alfredo was IT.
Thick fettuccine noodles swimming in a sea of cheesy, creamy alfredo sauce...YUM!
Of course, my much younger metabolism could more easily withstand the onslaught of carbs, dairy, and fat that traditional fettuccine has in one sitting back then.
During the past decade, fettuccine alfredo and I have become near strangers, only seeing each other during impulsive craving moments of weakness. But since going dairy-free, I've been playing around with some recipes to see if I could rekindle the ol' fettuccine flame.
I'm happy to say, I've come up with a veganized recipe put fettuccine alfredo back into my life again.
Vegan Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccine
This vegan alfredo sauce is just as rich and creamy as the original.
The coconut milk gives it a bit of a nutty flavor, which you would normally get with traditional parmesan cheese anyway, but it's just a different kind of nuttiness to it. If you prefer, you can also use almond milk or soy milk.
The Dijon mustard adds just a hint of a tanginess to the sauce.
And of course, this dish requires lots of minced garlic, freshly cracked black pepper, and freshly chopped parsley.
Nutritional Yeast
What gives the dairy-free, vegan cream sauce the "cheesy" flavor is a quarter cup of nutritional yeast.
If you've never had Nutritional Yeast before, you should know it's different than the quick rise yeast you use in baking. It is a deactivated yeast that is usually sold in flake or powder form in the bulk aisle or baking aisle of grocery stores. Luckily it has become more popular in the past few years and easier to find nationwide.
I use the Bragg brand of nutritional yeast flakes; it's a popular one that you can purchase online and in many grocery stores around the United States.
It has a nutty flavor that (loosely) resembles parmesan cheese, which makes it an excellent cheese substitute in this fettuccine alfredo recipe and in so many other "cheesy" vegan dishes.
What pasta goes with vegan Alfredo sauce?
I find that wider, thicker pastas like fettuccine, tagliatelle, papperdelle, and linguine go best with this dairy-free alfredo sauce. The thick sauce needs a long, thick pasta that it can cling to.
You can also use pasta shapes that help hold the rich, creamy vegan alfredo sauce in. Pastas such as fusilli and rotini could work.
A satisfying, creamy, dairy-free vegan alfredo sauce
I love this dish, you guys. It truly satisfies any cravings for rich, creamy pasta and if you're mostly dairy-free for lactose/casein intolerance reasons like I am (and not because you're vegan), it's a great dish to add some shrimp, salmon, or chicken.
This dairy-free vegan alfredo sauce with fettuccine is an easy dinner recipe that also heats up well for leftovers the next day!
More Dairy-Free Recipes
Vegan Cashew Queso Dip- One Pot Lasagna Soup (Dairy-Free)
- The Ultimate Creamy Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta (Dairy-Free)
- Thai Peanut Curry
- Lemon Garlic Scallop Pasta (Dairy Free)
Dairy-Free, Vegan Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccine Recipe
Dairy-Free Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccine pasta
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced use less or more, depending on how much you like garlic!
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 14.5-ounce can coconut milk
- ⅓ cup vegetable stock or broth
- 2 tablespoons reserve hot pasta water use more if your sauce needs it
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon parsley freshly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
- In a large saucepan, add vegan butter and garlic over medium heat. Sauté garlic for 1-2 minutes, until butter is just melted.
- Sprinkle flour into the pan and stir just until the flour is incorporated into the butter. Slowly add in the coconut milk and vegetable stock; use a whisk to stir away clumps and combine ingredients.
- Whisk until the mixture comes to a low boil then starts to thicken a bit. Add two tablespoons of hot starchy pasta water (the water from the pot in which you cooked the pasta) and continue to stir continuously for another minute. The sauce will continue to thicken, so it shouldn't be super thick yet at this point, but it should be thicker than when you started stirring the liquid.
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and nutritional yeast flakes. Stir until the flakes have melted. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and gently toss together with the sauce, coating all of the pasta evenly.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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This post contains affiliate links. This post was first published February 8, 2018, and has been updated with additional content.
Kayla says
This recipe is a family staple now! The only thing we change is that we add a TON of garlic powder. Revolutionary.
Bessie says
Absolutely delish (say I and 6 kids; some of them picky eaters!). I made it gluten free by subbing cassava flour for the flour and of course used gf pasta. I also subbed avocado oil for the vegan butter and chicken broth for the vegetable broth. A new versatile, family favorite sauce!!
Jenn Jenn says
I usually never leave comments on recipes, however, this one is a keeper. I've tried a couple of dairy-free fettuccine recipes and I didn't care for the taste. I'm not vegan but lactose intolerant so I seasoned skinless boneless chicken thighs and cooked them up 1st, removed and set aside and followed the rest of the recipe. When my sauce was done I added back the chicken and a can of lesure sweet peas. Great recipe!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Chicken added to this sounds amazing! So glad you loved it, Jenn! :)
Kristen says
Cheers!
I definitely have to give your props for this one!
Generally I really do NOT like creamy vegan sauces, especially those with nutritional yeast and/or mustard, but this one must've been sent to you by dairy-free gods or something, cause DAMN!
I used 2 cloves of garlic with half soy half rice milk in place of coconut milk (it's all I had) and added mushrooms and spinach to my bowl.
So tasty!
6 thumbs up! Now to go find some more thumbs..... 👍
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
So glad you loved it, Kristen! Your substitutions and additions sound great too.
CMW515 says
Wow oh wow!!! Blown away by the flavor, texture, the smell. It is by far the best plant base recipe on the web. I’ll never be making another or buying premade “vegan” fettuccine sauce ever again. I followed the recipe exactly even tried it regular mustard and it was great! I’ve added mushrooms and salmon to it and it just continues with magnificent flavor. Well done, well done!!!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
WOW, thank you so much for the great review of this recipe! I bet adding mushrooms and salmon would be amazing. Hope you continue enjoying this for years to come!
Allie says
How long does this last in the fridge?? I absolutely LOVE this recipe and make it at least once a week for me and my partner. Makes me so happy to be able to eat it again! We tend to make more than we can eat so I was just wondering how long it’ll keep. Thank you! ❤️
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Allie, I am so happy to hear you love this recipe and make it often! Yay! This recipe is best when it's eaten fresh or as leftovers the next day. But you can keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days; 4-5 days max. Hope that helps! :)
Rebecca says
could just the sauce be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge or even be kept frozen?
Paula says
Do you use light or full fat coconut milk?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Hi Paula! I use full-fat coconut milk but you could certainly use light coconut milk, it might just not be as creamy. If you do, let me know how it goes!
Paula says
Perfect! Thank you for the quick response....I am making this tonight for the fam....and will most likely use the full fat coconut milk but was curious what you use. I'll update my post later to let you know how it goes over with everyone.
Paula says
This is amazing!!! My whole family loved it!!! We haven't had Alfredo for the longest time due to dietary restrictions so everyone really enjoyed this. I also can not get over how simple it was to put together. Thank you so much for this recipe which is now a favorite of ours.
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Paula, that makes my day!! I am SO happy that you and your family loved it! Thank you so much for trying the recipe, and for commenting back here to let me know how it went. Enjoy!
Jamie says
This looks and sounds delicious! I love almond milk, so I'd definitely have to see how that nuttiness is in some fettuccine. Thanks for sharing!
cakespy says
I'm intrigued by the idea of a coconut based alfredo! It looks so creamy, rich, and delicious.
Renee @ The Good Hearted Woman says
This recipe is a perfect example of why a loyalty to your favorite blogs/bloggers is important.. Even as a part-time vegan, I'm always a little dubious about "dairy-free" cream sauces: so many I've tried online are clearly either untested or created by individuals with very different tastes than mine. However, having made so many of your recipes over the years, I know that I can trust you! 😉. I'll file this one away for the next time we need a good vegan pasta meal. Thanks, Marlynn.
Erin @ Platings and Pairings says
I would have never thought to use coconut milk in alfredo, it seems that all the versions I see either use cashews or cauliflower, but this sounds delicious, especially with the nutritional yeast. I'll be trying out your recipe for sure!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Thanks, Erin! I actually have another alfredo recipe that uses cashews:) https://urbanblisslife.com/dairy-free-spinach-alfredo-cashew-cheese-recipe/. That one is good too but if you're short on time, this coconut milk version is faster and has a creamier sauce to it.
Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama says
Nutritional yeast is the most-used ingredient in my kitchen, outside of salt, pepper and olive oil. It does wonders for vegan and dairy free cooking. I haven't yet tried my hand at a vegan alfredo sauce but this looks delicious!
Mary says
This sounds so good! I also love cooking with coconut milk. I love the flavor it adds. Also I'm so happy you didn't use cauliflower to "cream up" your alfredo. That item has been temporarily banned from my house ;) But THIS I can totally get behind. Just need to get me some nutritional yeast.
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Thanks so much, Mary! I do like using cauliflower but not for alfredo... just my personal preference ;) Nobody else in my house likes cauliflower except for me so I usually limit it to when I'm cooking for myself or for an outside crowd! :)
Melissa (Pen and Parent) says
This looks like a great dish to make for people who can't have dairy. I may have to give it a try.
Cindy says
I've been craving fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken and broccoli for a while now, but with my partner's dairy allergy, I haven't bothered making it (why bother if it's just for me?). Now I absolutely have to try this out!