Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce without Cauliflower Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I substitute for milk in fettuccine alfredo? ›

Although I'm not strictly dairy-free, soy milk is my go-to milk, so I always use it to make vegan sauces like the kind in my vegan squash casserole and sun-dried tomato pasta. I find that soy milk makes the best dairy-free alfredo sauce because it's naturally rich and creamy, and it has a neutral flavor.

Heartier herbs like thyme or oregano can be added in to simmer with the sauce. Add delicate herbs like parsley, basil, or chervil at the end to maintain their delicate, aromatic flavor. Quick tip: Swirl in a bit of leftover pesto to add another herbaceous twist to your Alfredo sauce.

Mix the cornstarch with some cold water to create a smooth slurry, then whisk it into the sauce while cooking over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add all-purpose flour. Another very common thickening agent that will give your Alfredo sauce a creamy texture.

To make mac and cheese without milk, the best choice is to find something that has a similar texture and a milk flavor. Things like heavy cream, almond milk, oat milk, yogurt, cream cheese, and even pasta water all work very well in boxed mac and cheese.

Sure you can. In Italy, Alfredo sauce doesn't contain cream. It's fettuccine pasta tossed with grated parmesan, butter and some of the hot pasta water in which the noodles were cooked.

The key ingredient in Alfredo sauce is cheese—generally Parmigiano Reggiano—and lots of it. To thicken Alfredo sauce, simply add more cheese than the amount called for in a recipe until you achieve the consistency you want.

There are dozens of variations of fettuccine Alfredo out there. You could sprinkle in fresh herbs and lemon zest or juice to cut the richness of the cream. You could also top servings with cooked shrimp or chicken for some protein, or toss in a vegetable like cooked asparagus!

This recipe for homemade alfredo sauce uses $4.33 worth of ingredients and makes 9.5 ounces, which is also roughly 46 cents per ounce. This means homemade alfredo sauce costs about the same as high quality jarred sauces, but tastes even better.

My alfredo is based with olive oil instead of butter and requires simple ingredients you likely have on hand right now. Pesto, parmesan cheese, milk, flour, garlic, veggie or chicken stock. That's it! And it's so creamy and delicious you wouldn't believe it's actually healthy.

There might be several reasons. Using the wrong kind of cheese. Not applying a correct amount of heat. Using the right kind of cheese, but not grading it small enough.

Should you put pasta water in Alfredo sauce? ›

After 12 ounces of fettuccine pasta noodles are finished cooking, reserve 2 cups of the pasta water to include in your sauce. The starchy water is essential to creating a thick, creamy sauce consistency.

Use Flour and Water

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

These are acceptable substitutions as a thickening agent: arrowroot, cornstarch (mixed with equal parts water), potato starch, rice flour, tapioca flour, a solid fat from duck, beef, chicken, or bacon fat, almond meal. Cheese, grated or the water the pasta cooked in.

Suitable options include using reduction, vegetable purees, dried mushrooms, egg yolks, cheese or cream, chia seeds, almond and coconut flour, flax meal, konjak powder, nut/seed butter, gelatin and xanthan gum.

Flour: Make a slurry of 2 parts water to 1 part all-purpose flour and whisk until very smooth. Slowly whisk in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce. Stir and simmer for about 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more as needed.

Use Cornstarch

To make a cornstarch slurry, whisk together equal parts of cornstarch and water—about 2 tablespoons of each. From there, add 1 to 2 teaspoons at a time.