Dairy-Free Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

By
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams is a restaurant professional and workshop instructor with a specialty in dairy-free cooking and baking.
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Updated on 05/5/22
Fettucine Alfredo
Tova Teitelbaum/E+/Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
277 Calories
16g Fat
25g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 277
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 216mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 3mg 14%
Calcium 183mg 14%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 237mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Fettuccine Alfredo is usually a cheese-laden Italian dish, but this dairy-free pasta recipe is healthier. It keeps the creamy goodness but leaves all the cheese and butter behind. This vegan recipe takes a little time and effort to prepare but is a comforting dish for any day of the week. Instead of Parmesan cheese and cream, this recipe uses soy milk and flour to thicken the sauce. Olive oil takes the place of butter, maintaining the taste, but giving the dish a nutrition boost of omega-3s.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces fettuccine pasta

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 1/4 cups soy milk, use a variety that uses a thickening agent, like Silk

  • 3 tablespoons fresh thyme

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Steamed greens, if desired, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Fill a 3-quart saucepan about halfway full with water.

  3. Bring water to a boil, and add the pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente and drain.

  4. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a small saucepan over low to medium heat, heat the oil.

  5. Add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until smooth.

  6. Continuing to stir, add the soymilk and fresh thyme and bring to a simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

  7. Serve with the fettuccine and steamed greens, if desired.

  8. Enjoy.

Tips

  • If you are also gluten free, try alternative kinds of pasta like lentil or chickpea pasta. You can also use another shaped pasta beside fettuccine, but you will be straying from the classic. You'll want to use a flour alternative in the sauce recipe.
  • Want Parmesan topping on your pasta? There's a vegan recipe to satisfy those cheese cravings. All you'll need for a cup of dairy-free Parmesan is three tablespoons of nutritional yeast, 3/4 cups of cashews, one teaspoon of salt, and a half teaspoon of garlic powder. Blend together and sprinkle away. This can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Recipe Variations

  • Veganizing cheesy pasta is easy. To add a unique taste to this recipe, boil or steam butternut squash until tender. Drain, if needed, and then blend with the soymilk from this recipe. With just those steps, you've added butternut squash fettuccine alfredo to your vegan pasta repertoire.
  • If you'd like more zing, add soy cream cheese to the mixture with lemon zest. Another option is to add sun-dried tomato for more flavor and color.
  • Another way to enhance this meal is by adding vegan meatballs. The vegan Parmesan cheese is added to tempeh with Italian spices and cooked in a saucepan. Other recipes use tofu, chickpeas, or even couscous as the "meat." The ingredients you choose will largely depend on the texture you prefer. Tempeh will give a grainier texture. If you avoid soy, beans and legumes are a good option. Use chickpeas, black beans, or cannellini beans to create your vegan meatballs.