Fettuccine Alfredo was my husband’s favorite food long before he went vegan. It’s hard to top the decadent richness of heavy cream combined with the comforting familiarity of parmesan and pasta.

The biggest trial with this vegan conversion was finding a base for the sauce that captured the richness of the heavy cream and the sharp tanginess of the parmesan. Cashews are a common substitute for a cream when blended and parmesan when ground, so I knew that I needed to start there.

What that left me with was balancing the sweet and sour notes normally found in milk with ingredients I could find easily–here, sugar and lemon juice. Add a pinch of garlic and nutmeg on top, and you’ve got a dish that’ll satisfy that fettuccine alfredo craving you’ve been having since you gave up dairy.

Ingredients

• 1 heaping cup raw whole cashews
• 4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup oil (I use a butter flavored olive oil)
• 2 tablespoons flour*
• 2 cups almond milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• pinch ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Soak the cashews in the hot water for at least ten minutes or up to an hour.
2. In a skillet on low heat, combine oil and flour. Warm until the flour is incorporated with the oil.
3. As the oil warms, drain the soaked cashews and blend with the almond milk until smooth.
4. Pour cashew milk blend and remaining ingredients into the oil and flour mixture in the skillet. Cook until combined and thickened.

Notes

*For gluten free, sub 1-2 tsp arrowroot powder or thickener of choice and serve with gluten free pasta

If you prefer your alfredo sauce thicker or thinner, adjust the almond milk quantity accordingly.

Makes enough sauce to cover 12-16oz pasta.