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30-Minute Cashew Alfredo

Creamy, saucy cashew alfredo in 30 minutes! The perfect plant-based sauce for all your pasta night needs.
Author Minimalist Baker
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Big plate of Vegan Cashew Alfredo made with zucchini noodles
4.83 from 93 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 (1/4-cup servings)
Course Sauce
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Italian-Inspired, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

ALFREDO

  • 1 1/4 cups raw cashews (soaked)
  • 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch (optional)
  • 3-4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2-3 cloves garlic* (crushed)
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1-2 Tbsp vegan parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
  • 1-2 cups unsweetened plain almond or rice milk (plus more as needed)

FOR SERVING optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Soak cashews in very hot water for 20 minutes. Then drain and add to a high-speed blender.
  • To blender, also add arrowroot starch (for thickening), nutritional yeast, garlic, sea salt, vegan parmesan cheese, and lesser amount of  unsweetened dairy-free milk (1 cup (240 ml) as original recipe is written).
  • Blend on high until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more garlic for kick/zing, nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese for cheesy flavor, salt for saltiness, or dairy-free milk if too thick.
  • Transfer to a rimmed skillet and cook over medium-low to medium heat for 5 minutes, whisking frequently. The sauce should thicken and bubble. Add more dairy-free milk as needed to thin (I typically add up to 1/2 - 1 cup (120-240ml) more // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Then it's ready to serve!
  • Enjoy with zucchini noodles or your favorite pasta. It could even be enjoyed layered in lasagna! Top with additional Vegan Parmesan Cheese and Roasted Tomatoes for more flavor.

Video

Notes

*2-3 cloves garlic yield ~1 1/2 Tbsp crushed garlic.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without additional toppings / garnishes or pasta.
*Prep time does not indicate total hands-on prep time, but also includes prep completed while other items are cooking.

Nutrition (1 of 6 servings)

Serving: 1 quarter-cup servings Calories: 166 Carbohydrates: 10.8 g Protein: 4.8 g Fat: 12.7 g Saturated Fat: 2.5 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 176 mg Fiber: 1.3 g Sugar: 1.4 g