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This Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce is creamy and delicious, while being deceptively simple! In lieu of the heavy cream, butter and cheese found in traditional Alfredo sauce, this particular version gets its creamy texture from pureed cauliflower— but when you serve it, most people can’t even tell.
This sauce is naturally Vegan and Paleo-friendly, but make sure to choose a pasta that also fits your dietary needs by looking at the label. Zucchini noodles make a great grain-free option!
Benefits of Cauliflower
Cauliflower is the ultimate “chameleon” of vegetables, if you ask me. It can easily transform into Cauliflower Fried Rice, Cauliflower Pizza Crust, or a creamy sauce, like this one. Cauliflower also hides well in a Low-Sugar Smoothie, if you’re trying to use a little less fruit.
Here are some of the nutritional benefits of cauliflower:
- There are 3 grams of fiber in just 1 cup of cauliflower. (That’s 10% of your daily needs!)
- Cauliflower is high in antioxidants and flavonoids, which may help to lower the risk of cancer and heart disease. (source)
- 92% of cauliflower is water, and eating water-rich foods have been shown to aid in weight loss.
- Cauliflower is high in choline, which is involved in brain development and a healthy metabolism.
How to Make Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Making this Cauliflower Alfredo is as easy as steaming fresh or frozen cauliflower until tender, and then blending it until smooth with the rest of the ingredients. The key to this sauce is slightly over-cooking the cauliflower, so that it’s very soft and easily blended.
In situations like this, I’m not concerned with losing a few nutrients by over-cooking, because the true benefit of eating this sauce is that it’s replacing the heavier version.Â
By avoiding the whipping cream, butter and cheese found in traditional Fettuccine Alfredo, you’ll be doing your body a favor every time you choose this sauce, instead! Your taste buds will be pretty happy, too.
This low-fat creamy sauce is dairy-free and nut-free, making it the perfect topping for your favorite pasta or vegetables. I could see it being delicious in a homemade lasagna, or even over a white pizza, too! The options are endless. If you follow food combining principles, this sauce is “neutral” and can be served with any other foods you like for streamlined digestion.
How to Make Cauliflower Alfredo (1-Minute Video):
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 12 ounces cauliflower florets (about 3 cups)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon fine Himalayan salt , or more to taste
- black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Saute the minced garlic in the oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow to cook for a few minutes, until the garlic is tender and fragrant, but not browned.
- Add the 1 cup of water to the saucepan, along with the cauliflower, and bring the water to a boil. (The water will not cover the cauliflower, and that's okay.) Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot to cook until the cauliflower is fork-tender and very soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the entire contents of the saucepan into a blender or food processor, and season with salt and pepper. Process until very smooth and creamy, with a texture similar to traditional cream sauce. (Always be careful when blending hot liquids-- the steam pressure can blow the lid off your blender. Cover the vent in your blender lid with a thin kitchen towel to allow venting.)
- Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot over your favorite pasta.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 64, Fat: 2g, Carbohydrates: 9g, Fiber: 3g, Protein: 3g
This sauce is delicious on its own, but it can be extra-tasty with a few add-ins. A few ideas are listed below, but feel free to get creative!
Optional Add-Ins:
- A generous topping of freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, for an authentic-tasting Alfredo sauce. (If you’re not vegan & dairy-free.)
- Sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach.
- Sauteed mushrooms and roasted broccoli.
- Nutritional yeast, for a dairy-free “cheesy” flavor.
As always, if you try something different with this recipe, please leave a comment below letting us know what you tried. We can all benefit from YOUR experience!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite pasta sauce?
This is incredible! I found this recipe in your awesome cookbook that I just got and I had to come find it on your website to leave a comment. I made it on the fly and served over leftover spaghetti squash. The sauce is so creamy, comforting and beyond satisfying! I had to stop myself from licking the plate. I have enjoyed all of the recipes so far from your cookbook but this one the most so far because I am such a huge Alfredo fan and I thought that comforting dish was lost to me forever. Thankfully you found it!
Really, Reaaaaally good ! I love it thank you !
This turned out so. unbelievably. good. I cannot believe it was so simple and so few ingredients! I will definitely be throwing this into my usual food routine. Even my brother and aunt – who are not healthy by any means – loved it! My whole family is obsessed.
The alfredo sauce is amazing on its own. I also added sauteed onions, mushrooms, roasted broccoli, and served it over spiralized zucchini noodles. Perfection.
Ok, so THIS IS SO YUMMY!! This was excellent per instructions, but I experimented a bit & added 1/4 cup of whole milk (for a bit more creaminess … maybe I had too much cauliflower?), 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan and va-va-VOOM! It’s SO DANG GOOD! I’m going to add the sauteed mushrooms next time, and perhaps a tad more garlic. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
You are a life saver!! This “Alfredo” is the bomb, thank you for keeping me on track on my diet and helping me realize healthy substitutions are not awful! Sprinkle a little nutritional yeast and it makes it THAT better. I also put this on my mashed “potato” (cauliflower) and it’s amazing!
DEFINITELY AMAZING!!!!!! I just did it..I added dry oregano (I love oregano in everything) with Oats pasta….and cut a half of tomato and some chives before mixing it..not that it needs anything else..wow!!!!!!! my fiancé couldn’t stop eating it, and making this hhhmmm-hmmm sounds..lol!! win win over here!! suuuuper!! from now on…NO OTHER PASTA SAUCE than THIS GOLD one!! Thank You so much!! and from now on I am a fan-follower 🙂
This looks fabulous and so easy. Pinned it ! 🙂
So delicious! My husband is lactose tolerant and this will finally bring bCk cream sauce to our home – after 10 years. I added a little soy Parmesan cheese and it was awesome!!
I changed the butter to Butter Buds and changed the salt to No-Salt (I am on a low fat, low cholesterol, low sodium cardiac diet) and added a little green onions with the garlic and sautéed them. I also sautéed some mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil with a little garlic powder. I served the sauce on top of pasta, then put the sautéed mushrooms on top of the sauce. This was amazing! Thank you very much for the recipe!
Making this now! Do you know if you could make this sauce and freeze it? PS have you thought about creating a recipe book? I’d totally buy it!
I haven’t tried freezing it yet, but I’d guess it would be okay? Let us know if you try it! And I do have a cookbook coming out later this year, just not until June: http://amzn.to/1xTEqOT
Would goat cheese be ok to substitute for any of the other cheeses>?
I HAve frozen it before.