This simple vegan Alfredo sauce is super creamy and wraps thick ribbons of tagliatelle in a delicious savoury coat. Vegan Alfredo sauce is usually made with cashew cream but I’ve had a few requests via my Facebook page for more economical vegan food so, today, I am sharing my recipe for sunflower cream instead!

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Using Sunflower Seeds For Vegan Cream Sauces

Sunflower seeds are readily available in supermarkets and wholefood stores, they are at least half the price of cashews and are a more sustainable choice for those trying to cut down their food miles.

They are also rich in B vitamins and are a good source of protein but, far more importantly, they make a fabulous sunflower cream which tastes just as good as the cashew version!

Vegan Cream Sauces

Vegan cream sauces were one of those amazing revelations when I first went vegan – my family couldn’t tell the difference between dairy cream and vegan cream in cooking!

The only noticeable difference is that vegan cream doesn’t leave us with that heavy, slightly nauseous feeling we had after a dairy cream meal had been consumed.

My eldest is dairy intolerant so a whole new world of recipes opened up before him when he chose the vegan life in 2015. I can’t wait to pop this vegan pasta Alfredo in front of him when he returns from Berlin next week! 

Pasta Toppings

I topped my pasta Alfredo with cavolo nero and cherry tomatoes – I like the way the acidity and sweetness of tomatoes cuts through the creaminess of the Alfredo sauce and I always try to include something leafy and green with my meals – goodness, how I love kale! They were very gently fried together in a little olive oil with some salt and a little black pepper. You could stir them through your pasta but I plonked them on top because they look so pretty! 

How To Get A Cheesy Flavour In Vegan Pasta Dishes

If you’re new to vegan cooking the only ingredient here that you may not have come across is nutritional yeast.

Nutritional yeast is the (not so) secret magical vegan ingredient to add a savoury cheesy flavour to vegan food.

I buy mine at my local wholefood shop but you can also buy it in Holland and Barrett or online.

I would thoroughly recommend that you invest in a pot of the lovely stuff and that you buy the one which contains B12 which is the only vitamin which can be tricky to find in a vegan diet – this and a jar of Marmite will sort you out!

Apart from that, I think the rest of the ingredients should be pretty familiar to you all! I have used oat milk in my vegan Alfredo sauce but you could use any plant milk in its place. 

How To Get A Smooth Sauce

While this recipe is very simple, and you can make it using a food processor, you will only get the smooth creaminess with a high speed blender.

A high speed blender is a really good investment if you are going to be cooking a lot of vegan meals. It’s great for soups, smoothies, sauces, spreads and dips and I use mine almost daily!

Looking For More Simple Vegan Dinners? Try My:

• Mushroom Stroganoff with Mustard Mash
• Vegan Pizza Rolls
• Green Lentil Burgers with Sweet Pepper Sauce.
• Roast Potato Curry

Vegan Alfredo Sauce with Tagliatelle with Kale and Tomatoes

This easy gluten free vegan recipe for vegan Alfredo sauce is rich and satisfying. Quick to make and ideal for lunch or dinner my vegan pasta Alfredo is a regular on our menu! 

5 from 8 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 530kcal

Author: Chris Mosler | Thinly Spread

Ingredients

• 300 g tagliatelle (use gluten free to make this GF)

For the Sauce

• 75 g sunflower seeds
• 1/2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 small onion (about 75g, 1/2 cup), peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• 250 ml oat milk
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
• ground black pepper to taste

For the Vegetables

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 75 g cavolo nero kale, chopped (stem removed and discarded)
• 150 g cherry tomatoes, quartered

UK Measurements - US Measurements

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Instructions

• Soak the sunflower seeds in a bowlful of boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain. 
• Gently heat the oil in a small pan and fry the onion for about 5 minutes until soft but not browned.
• Add the garlic and fry for a further minute. 
• Put the drained seeds, the cooked onion mixture and the remaining sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
• Cook the Tagliatelle according to packet instructions, drain (reserving some of the cooking liquid) and rinse under a cold tap.
• Pour the sauce into a large pan and heat gently. 
• Add the cooked pasta and stir until thoroughly coated (add a little of the reserved soaking liquid if the sauce is too thick). Cover to keep warm.
• Heat the oil for the vegetables in a large frying pan. Add the kale and tomatoes and fry gently for a few minutes until the kale has wilted. (Add a spoonful of water if necessary) Remove from heat.
• Serve the pasta topped with the cooked vegetables and more black pepper to taste.

Notes

Nutritional information is only an approximate guideline. Calculations will vary according to the ingredients you use and your cooking methods.

Nutrition

Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 659mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2246IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 4mg

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