Vegan Zucchini Pasta (Zucchini Alfredo Sauce)

Bowl of creamy vegan zucchini pasta with fresh basil.

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Zucchini Pasta (Zucchini Alfredo Sauce)

This vegan zucchini pasta recipe is extra luscious, creamy and comforting, yet it is filled with wholesome zucchini for a lighter meal without any compromise on texture. Completely vegan and dairy-free, but so packed with flavor that no one will be able to tell. Such an amazing plant-based twist on a classic Alfredo pasta sauce recipe that can be made in under 30 minutes!

Prep Time15

Cook Time12

Total Time27

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Alfredo pasta, creamy pasta, vegan pasta

Servings: servings

Calories: 404kcal

Author: Jessica Laroche

Equipment

Large pot
Large pan
Blender

Ingredients

¾ cup raw cashews
1 yellow onion diced
3 small zucchini (or 2 large) diced
4-5 cloves of garlic crushed
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
½ lemon juiced, or to taste
salt and black pepper to taste
handful of fresh basil optional, plus more for serving
16 oz pasta of your choice I used small rigatoni
¾- 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water or plain dairy-free milk or enough for the desired consistency

Instructions

Soak the cashew in boiling water until ready to use.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente (follow the directions on the packaging). Once done, reserve some pasta cooking water aside (at least 1 cup) and drain the pasta. Set aside.
Warm up a large pan with a little oil, then add the onion with a pinch of salt. Stir and cook on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Then, add the zucchini and keep cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir well, let it cook for about 2 minutes.
Drain the cashews and transfer to the blender, then add the cooked vegetables, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and another pinch of salt. If using basil, then add it too. Pour about ½ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water (or plain dairy-free milk), then blend until smooth. Add more water/milk until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste and add more salt/nutritional yeast/lemon juice to taste.
Transfer the cooked pasta back to the large pot, then pour the sauce over. Stir and warm up if necessary, then serve with extra chopped basil. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Pasta: make sure to cook the pasta al dente or even slightly undercook it! They will keep cooking a little longer in the creamy zucchini sauce, so you want to avoid overcooking the noodles.
Consistency: don't forget to keep some pasta cooking water aside to add to the blender, and also to adjust the sauce consistency at the end in the pan.
Blending: a high-speed blender works best to blend cashews since they are a little harder. To avoid a gritty texture, make sure to soak the cashews in boiling water to soften them before blending, and also, blend for long enough, especially if you don't have a high-speed blender.
Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.

Nutrition