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4.96 from 412 votes

Cauliflower Alfredo

This gluten-free and nut-free homemade Alfredo sauce is a lighter alternative to traditional Alfredo, but it's still rich, creamy, and full of flavor!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time13 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fettuccine
  • 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ cup whole milk

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 8-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic with crushed red pepper until the garlic is soft and fragrant, but not browned, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked cauliflower to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
  • Transfer the cauliflower mixture to a blender along with the reserved cooking liquid and milk. Cover the vent in your blender lid with a thin kitchen towel to allow venting and puree until the sauce is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk, or olive oil.
  • Toss the alfredo sauce with cooked fettucine and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 4-5 days in the fridge. 
Freezing: You can freeze Cauliflower Alfredo as long as you don't use any dairy in it. The dairy may separate when frozen with the sauce, which will make it unappealing. To thaw and reheat, transfer frozen sauce to the fridge overnight, then reheat over low heat on the stovetop. 
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • To make it gluten-free, you can use any gluten-free pasta of your choice.
  • To make the sauce more creamy, you can use more milk and olive oil instead of the cauliflower cooking water.
This recipe has been updated, but if you like the original version, you can still find it here:
This recipe has been updated from a vegan recipe using plant milk to using regular milk or milk of choice, plus added seasoning and shallot. Simply swap for plant milk to match the previous recipe.
  • Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 8-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Reserve 1 cup of the boiling water.
  • Heat the olive oil a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the minced garlic until soft and fragrant, but not browned, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked cauliflower to a blender. Add the sautéed garlic, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, milk, salt and pepper. Cover the vent in your blender lid with a thin kitchen towel to allow venting and puree until the sauce is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk, or olive oil.
  • Serve with cooked fettuccine

Nutrition

Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 280mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg

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