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Linguine alfredo on a dark plate with a fork, parmesan, and pecans

Almost Vegan Linguine with Cauliflower Pecan Alfredo

A fresh and far more nutritious spin on standard Alfredo, this version gets its creaminess from a blend of pecans, oat milk, and cauliflower. It’s “almost vegan” because the recipe calls for grated Parmesan, but feel free to leave it out if you’re looking for an entirely plant-based pasta. Either way, the flavorful sauce punctuated with lemon zest and juice will have you asking for seconds. 

Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 5
Calories 474 kcal
Author Katie Morford

Ingredients

  • cup pecan halves
  • 1 cup oat milk (or cow’s milk)
  • 2 packed rounded cups medium cauliflower florets (7 ounces)
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1 pound linguine
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or vegan Parmesan, plus more to garnish

Instructions

  1. Put the pecans in a blender and cover with the oat milk. Leave to soak (don’t blend yet).
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and garlic and boil until tender enough to easily pierce with a knife, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the cauliflower and garlic, drain well, and add to the blender.
  3. Bring the water back to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente.
  4. While the pasta cooks, add the lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper to the blender. Puree until silky smooth.
  5. When the pasta is done, scoop out ½ cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and return immediately to the pot. Add the pecan/cauliflower sauce, Parmesan, and enough pasta cooking water so the sauce lightly coats the pasta. Serve immediately with more Parmesan to pass at the table.