This vegan fettuccine alfredo is the best homemade dairy free pasta! Made with simple ingredients and so rich and creamy. Perfect for family dinner or a fancy date night in! Dairy free, gluten free, and vegetarian.

A bowl of vegan fettuccine alfredo topped with fresh parsley and black pepper with a fork twirling some noodles.

The best vegan fettuccine alfredo

Plant based pasta night never tasted so good!

We are so completely obsessed with this ultra creamy fettuccine alfredo made without cream, cheese, butter, or any dairy at all!

The magic is in the homemade vegan alfredo sauce that’s made with just a handful of simple ingredients like raw cashews, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and a few spices.

It’s so luscious you would never be able to tell that there’s no dairy in it if you didn’t know!

It coats each and every noodle perfectly and takes less than 45 minutes to make from start to finish – and most of that time is just soaking the cashews.

If you’re short on time I also include a short cut for that step in the recipe.

You can dress it up with extra veggies or some protein or serve it just the way it is.

It would be a delicious dinner option for Meatless Mondays!

Pasta recipes made with cashew cream are our favorite (like this Creamy Vegan Vodka Pasta, Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff, & Cashew Cream Mushroom and Kale Pasta), but this is definitely the new front runner!

Why you’ll love this pasta

It is:

Super creamy
Easy to make
Savory and delicious
Vegan, dairy free, and gluten free
Perfect for date night or family dinner
Flavorful
Comforting
So tasty!

A bowl of dairy free fettuccine alfredo on a light brown colored background. Topped with black pepper and fresh herbs.

Ingredients for vegan fettuccine alfredo sauce

Ingredients and substitutions

All you need to make this easy creamy pasta from scratch are these simple ingredients!

There’s a few additions and substitutions you may want to make throughout the recipe to customize it to your preferences that I will share below.

Here’s what you need

Pasta – Any type of pasta will work, but I used this gluten free fettuccine. Feel free to use another shape like fusilli, pasta shells, linguine, spaghetti, or penne!
Raw cashews – Raw cashews are what makes the sauce rich and creamy. When blended with broth they transform into the most delicate, creamy sauce that makes the best dairy free substitute!
Olive oil – For cooking the garlic.
Garlic – For some savory flavor.
Nutritional yeast – Since we’re making this recipe without parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast stands in for that same cheesy, savory flavor in the most amazing way!
Lemon juice – To brighten up all the other flavors.
Spices – Garlic powder and onion powder add some additional savoriness to the sauce.
Vegetable broth – Used to blend with the cashews to make the sauce. If you don’t have veggie broth / stock on hand you can use water instead.
Salt and pepper – To taste.
Parsley – For serving!

Optional add ins

While absolutely delicious on it’s own, this pasta is also the perfect starting point for some tasty variations!

For more vegetables you could add roasted mushrooms, broccoli, peas, kale, or spinach.

How to make

Making this pasta recipe is as easy as blending up the simple dairy free sauce and tossing it with your pasta of choice!

Here’s the step-by-step

Soak the cashews. Before you start cooking – soak raw cashews in just boiled water in a heat proof bowl for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. If you’re in a hurry you can simmer the cashews on the stove top for 10-15 minutes until they are pale and plump.
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions, undercooking by about 1 minute (it will continue to cook a bit more in the sauce). Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain and set aside.
Make the vegan alfredo sauce. While the pasta is cooking prepare the alfredo sauce. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add smashed garlic cloves and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and lightly caramelized. Add it and the olive oil to a blender along with remaining sauce ingredients. Reserve the skillet for the next step. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, with no pieces of cashew remaining. Season to taste with more salt and black pepper.
Combine the pasta and sauce. Add cooked pasta to the skillet over medium low heat. Pour in alfredo sauce and toss to combine. Don’t worry if the sauce seems thin, it will thicken as it heats up. Toss occasionally until everything is warmed through, the sauce has reduced slightly, and evenly coats the pasta. If the sauce gets overly thick, thin with a bit of the reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with parsley if desired.

How to make the alfredo sauce thicker or thinner

One of the best things about cashew cream sauces (besides how perfectly creamy they are!) is that they’re very easy to make thicker or thinner.

This sauce will seem quite thin when first blended, but it will thicken up after being warmed and tossed with the pasta.

If you still need to adjust the consistency here’s some tips.

To make this sauce thicker: This sauce will naturally thicken as it warms with the pasta. It usually takes 2-3 minutes over medium low heat to thicken enough to coat the noodles.

If it needs to thicken further leave it on the heat for an additional minute or two, tossing occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

To make this sauce thinner: If the sauce becomes too thick all you have to do is thin it out with a little bit of reserved pasta water, broth, or plain water until desired consistency is reached.

Two side by side bowls of dairy free fettuccine alfredo on a light brown colored background. Topped with black pepper and fresh herbs.

Can you prep the sauce ahead of time?

The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. After blending simply transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerator: This dairy free pasta will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in a sealed container.

To re-heat: To re-heat, warm the pasta on low in a skillet or in the microwave.

If the sauce has thickened slightly in the refrigerator add water, unsweetened nut milk, or broth a little bit at a time, stirring in between, until desired consistency is reached.

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Love this recipe? Try these other pasta recipes!

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Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!