Fettuccine Alfredo was one of my favorite dishes growing up, so I was eager to re-create and perfect it, vegan-style. This is just as decadent and creamy as the kind I grew up eating and made entirely from plants! It’s also made without a drop of butter. Most Alfredo recipes call for upward of half a cup of butter, which you’ll see is totally unnecessary. This recipe is now a go-to in both of our homes and is an excellent dish to make when friends come over for dinner. And because it’s all cooked in one pot, you’ll have minimal cleanup at the end.

Ingredients

1 cup raw unsalted almonds
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
5 large cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or the equivalent amount of vegetable bouillon and water)
1 (16-ounce) package fettuccine
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon salt (only if using low-sodium broth)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste, for garnish
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions for Alfredo

1. Using a high-powered blender, blend the almonds and 3 cups of water until a creamy milk forms. Over a large bowl, pour the liquid through a nut milk bag to strain out the pulp and gently massage the bag until all the milk has passed through and only a thick crumbly clump of almond pulp remains. Set aside the silky-smooth almond cream and discard the pulp (or save it to use in another recipe).

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 4 minutes, until soft and fragrant.

3. Add the vegetable broth and homemade almond milk, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.

4. Add the fettuccine to the pot and cook uncovered for the amount of time suggested on the package or until the noodles are cooked and tender. This will take 9 to 12 minutes but can vary depending on the type of pasta you use. Stir the pasta frequently to prevent it from clumping and sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5. While the pasta is cooking, mix the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl until the cornstarch dissolves.

6. Two minutes before the pasta is done, add the cornstarch and water mixture, salt, and ground black pepper to the pot. Cook for 2 to 5 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.

7. Turn the heat off and allow the pasta and sauce to rest on the stove for 5 minutes to thicken. If the sauce is still very liquid, turn the heat on while mixing the pasta and sauce for another 1 to 2 minutes—but keep in mind that the sauce will continue to thicken with time.

8. Plate the pasta and garnish with the cracked black pepper and parsley.

Love Your Leftovers: Wondering what to do with the remaining fiber-rich almond meal from the almond cream you made? I usually pop it in my fridge and add it to my morning smoothies. You can also go to FriendlyVeganCookbook.com and find countless other recipes to use it in (cookies, muffins, and beyond).

Reprinted with permission from Friendly Vegan Cookbook by Toni Okamoto and Michelle Cehn, BenBella Books, Inc. 2020. Photo credit: Zhoro Apostolov

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