This roasted cauliflower alfredo sauce is dead easy to make and uses vegan pantry staples like miso, nutritional yeast, and spices to make a well-rounded uber creamy pasta sauce. The base is cauliflower! You're going to roast up some florets and then blend some of them into the sauce and top your penne pasta with the rest.
You might remember when I whipped this cauliflower alfredo sauce up on the fly with Lindsay Ell on a recent episode of #hotforfoodtakeover! It was so genius I had to perfect the recipe so you could have it too. You'll be wowed by how creamy the cauliflower gets when you blend it.
If this cauliflower alfredo isn't your jam check out my cashew-based fettuccine alfredo sauce here and a zucchini-based carbonara here!
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what you need
- 1 head cauliflower
- penne (or pasta of choice)
- olive oil
- dried or fresh thyme
- granulated garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- onion powder
- sea salt
- ground black pepper
- nondairy milk
- nutritional yeast
- lemon juice
- mellow white miso
- tahini
- garlic cloves
- fresh parsley
how to make cauliflower alfredo sauce
Toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, thyme, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and ground pepper until evenly coated.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 450°F, flipping halfway through, until the cauliflower is a deep golden brown color.
Combine all the sauce ingredients with 1 heaping cup of roasted cauliflower in a blender until very smooth.
Add sauce to the cooked pasta and stir to combine
Add in some roasted cauliflower florets to the pasta and sauce.
Plate the pasta, add more roasted cauliflower florets on top and garnish with parlsey.
variations
This cauliflower alfredo sauce is already gluten-free so feel free to swap the penne for a gluten-free pasta that you like to make the whole dish glutne-free friendly! I also think this recipe is super kid friendly. You might leave the whole pieces of roasted cauliflower off the top and add in steamed peas or broccoli instead. They'll love the creamy sauce and it's got hidden veggies... sneaky!
If you want to make the cauliflower alfredo sauce a little spicy you could season the cauliflower with chipotle chili powder or a bit of cayenna or chili flakes before roasting. Or just add chili flakes to the final portion to your taste.
equipment
- high-powered blender - I always recommend a Vitamix or a Nutribullet. The latter is less expensive, and it does the trick to get things whipped including raw nuts, and of course, the roasted cauliflower.
- large stock pot
- sharp knife
- cutting board
- baking sheet
- spatula
roasted cauliflower alfredo sauce
Ingredients
roasted cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 6 cups)
- 4 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
pasta & sauce
- 3 C / 275g dried penne
- 1 C reserved starchy pasta water
- 1 heaping cup roasted cauliflower florets
- ½ C nondairy milk
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon mellow white miso
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 to 2 peeled garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ C finely chopped fresh parsley, as garnish
- ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- On a large baking sheet toss cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sea salt and ground pepper until evenly coated. Lay out into an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until florets have a deep golden brown color on them and are tender.
- Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil and once at a rolling boil and a generous amount of sea salt and the penne. Cook until al dente. Before draining remove about 1 cup of starchy pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta but do not rinse. Place drained penne back into the pot you cooked it in and set aside.
- Once cauliflower is roasted, place a heaping cup full into a high powered blender. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, ⅓ cup of the starchy pasta water, nondairy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, miso, tahini, onion powder, garlic cloves, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Blend on high until very very smooth and silky. If needed, add a bit more pasta water to get the sauce smooth.
- Pour all the sauce over the penne in the pot and stir over medium low heat until heated through for serving. Add more pasta water at this stage if the sauce starts to get too thick or chalky. Stir in some of the cauliflower florets and coat in sauce and leave some remaining florets to garnish the final dish. Serve with more roasted cauliflower on top, parsley, and more ground black pepper to taste.
- When reheating leftovers you might need to add a bit of water or nondairy milk to loosen up the sauce again.
Daina
Easy and delicious! Using cauliflower as a creamy sauce base instead of cashews makes for a much lighter sauce, loved it!
Kari
So good! I didn’t add the extra cauliflower on top. It all went into the sauce. And that sauce was the best Alfredo sauce I’ve had... even before going vegan.
Lauren Toyota
awesome! So glad you liked this 😀
Leigh
Delicious. Made it twice already and am eating it right now for dinner.
Stine
I made this tonight and it tasted amazing! The sauce is tasty and amazing. I'll try to add some coconut bacon next time, and maybe blend in some tofu in the sauce to add some protein. Thanks for a great recipe!
Lauren Toyota
awesome!
Tom
Lauren, This is my new favorite. I'm totes hot for this Cauliflower Alfredo, and because its cauliflower, I can pretend its healthy. Thanks much. You rock 🎸
Lauren Toyota
It ISSSS healthy! hahaha glad you love it 😀
Saga
This is the best recipe we've ever made! Absolutely incredible 😮
Lauren Toyota
so glad!!! thanks 😀
Donna Reeves
Aqua faba can be substituted for the oil. This is the bomb. Thank you for a healthy dish to add to my regular rotation.
Sara
Yup. This was delicious. Like super delicious.
Gabby Papa
so so goood! the flavor and the texture of the sauce is right on. Not to mention it's nutritious! I didn't have plant milk so I just added like 1/4 cup of soaked cashews and some extra pasta water and it still turned out great. My non-vegan boyfriend loved it too 🙂 Thanks Lauren for another great recipe!
Devonne Lopez
About to try it...super excited. Let y'all know how it went
McKenzie
My mouth is so happy, and so it my stomach!! Great flavor, no guilt. Even non-vegans are sure to swoon!
Erin
Wow I have book marked this recipe for weeks and finally made it... I don’t know how I lived before! Haha. The sauce is fantastic and much lighter than a cashew sauce (equally amazing) but sometimes a little too heavy. I sprinkled some chilli pepper flakes on top for a little heat and OH MY GOODNESS! I pretty well live out of the Hot For Food Cook book now 🙂 <3
Lauren Toyota
LOVE TO HEAR IT! thank you so much 😀
Kayla
Seriously delicious. The roasted cauliflower was so good. Pretty simple to make as well! Thank you for sharing!
Lauren Toyota
glad you liked it 😀
Oksana
This is so delicious! My three-year-old helped to make it and he loved it as well, And so did my 16 month old. I forgot the thyme in the roasting process, and did not have tahini on hand but the taste was still amazing . I've tried other sauces in the past and they were always lacking something. This one is a keeper! Thank you
Lauren Toyota
that's amazing!
J Weeseekase
This recipe is insane. Truly. I didn't have miso so I just used a bit of President's Choice vegan mozzarella (not that it's the same thing, but I had it so I figured why not) and it turned out so amazing. It also blends super easily! I don't have a high powered blender and I still managed to get it super smooth with minimal blending. Definitely recommend. Lauren is a badass.
Lauren Toyota
woohoo! thank you so much
Lauren
This was AMAZING. I didn’t have miso and couldn’t find any so I used soy sauce and it was just amazing. I’ve tried cauliflower Alfredo sauce before, but this is just on a whole other level. I sent the recipe to 5 different people after the first bite. This will be on my weekly rotation for sure! Insane! Thank you, Lauren!
Larry Armbruster
This roasted cauliflower Alfredo sauce sounds like a perfect balance of comfort and nutrition—creamy, flavorful, and completely plant-based. Roasting the cauliflower first adds such a rich depth that pairs beautifully with the umami of miso and nutritional yeast. It’s a great way to elevate a simple pasta night into something wholesome yet indulgent.