DAIRY-FREE PUMPKIN ALFREDO
on Sep 23, 2024
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Cashews, pumpkin, onions, garlic, and sage are blended into an extremely lucious vegan alfredo sauce and stirred into gluten-free fettuccine noodles.
Looking for the ultimate comfort meal? Well, you’ve landed on it. This Dairy-Free Pumpkin Alredo recipe is a go-to meal that looks impressive but is super simple to make.
Traditional alfredo is made with butter, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese — a dairy trifecta! To keep its mouth-watering flavor without the dairy, I’m using soaked cashews as the base for the vegan sauce.
Using cashews is a pretty common swap for a lot of plant-based takes on dairy sauces and dips (be sure to check out my Creamy Cashew Queso too). The sauce doesn’t taste like cashews, but they provide a rich and cream-like consistency when blended.
To really enhance the creaminess factor, and to make this a fall-appropriate meal, I’m adding a can of pumpkin puree too. This addition takes the sauce over the top while also sneaking in some veggies into the mix.
While the thought of making your own homemade alfredo sauce may seem daunting, I promise this recipe couldn’t get easier. Everything is added to a high-speed blender and it does all the work for you.
Cook your pasta, add the sauce, and you’re ready for a comforting, cozy night. Enjoy!
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Key Ingredients for Dairy-Free Pumpkin Alfredo
Here are the key ingredients you’ll need for a fall-inspired heavenly pasta dish.
- Onion and Garlic: The smell of sauteed onion and garlic is always a good start to a recipe.
- Cashews: Typically, I’d use raw cashews but I only had roasted cashews when I filmed this recipe and they worked fine. Just be sure to soak them for at least 4 hours.
- Pumpkin Puree: You’re looking for 100% pumpkin here. You could also use roasted butternut squash.
- Nut Milk: You’ll need just over a cup to thin out the pumpkin and cashew-based sauce. My preference is almond milk for this recipe, but cashew or even coconut would work too.
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Pin It- Nutritional Yeast: Rich in B vitamins, this ingredient gives the sauce its cheesy flavor without the dairy.
- Nutmeg: Just a tad of this secret ingredient gives the sauce a bit of depth and warmth.
- Sage: This herb seems to make all of its appearances in the fall and winter season. I lightly fry it in a pan and blend it with all of the sauce ingredients for a light earthy flavor profile. It has a distinct taste, so if you don’t have sage you can omit it.
- Pasta: Gluten-free fettuccine (such as @jovialfoods brown rice fettuccine) is a great choice here!
- Garnish: Top with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
First, grab your pasta of choice and follow the instructions to cook it. Set the cooked pasta aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. The onions should be soft and translucent and the garlic should be slightly fragrant but not burnt.
Remove the onion and garlic from the skillet and add another tablespoon of olive oil.
Add the sage leaves and simmer in the sauce for a few minutes. You’re looking to lightly fry the leaves here so they’re just a tad crispy.
To make the alfredo sauce, add the soaked and rinsed cashews, pumpkin puree, lemon juice, almond milk, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, salt, pepper, onion mixture, and sage leaves to a blender and blend until really smooth.
Taste and add more salt and nutritional yeast for flavor or almond milk to thin. You’re looking for a thick sauce consistency, but not too thick as it will thicken up as it heats in the pan.
Add the creamy pumpkin alfredo sauce and cooked pasta to the skillet, tossing gently to combine.
Remove from heat and serve immediately with chopped fresh parsley. ENJOY!
Other Dairy-Free Noodle Dishes You’ll Love:
- Korean Glass Noodle Stir Fry
- Easy Dairy-Free Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Firecracker Beef Noodle Bowls
- Mongolian Beef Ramen Noodle Bowls
DAIRY-FREE PUMPKIN ALFREDO
Ingredients
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- ½ cup soaked raw cashews (I only had roasted cashews and they worked fine!)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk + more as needed to thin
- 2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 6-8 sage leaves
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta
For Serving:
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to package instructions. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes (you want the onions to be soft and translucent and the garlic to be fragrant but not burnt).
- Remove the onion and garlic from the skillet and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sage leaves and simmer in the sauce for a few minutes. You’re looking to lightly fry the leaves here.
- To make the alfredo sauce, add the soaked and rinsed cashews, pumpkin puree, lemon juice, almond milk, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, salt, pepper, onion mixture, and sage leaves to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt and nutritional yeast for flavor or almond milk to thin.
- Add the creamy pumpkin alfredo sauce and cooked pasta to the skillet, tossing gently to combine.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately with chopped fresh parsley.
- ENJOY!
