Creamy Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Fettuccine
My husband is a big pasta guy, but Alfredo is definitely one of his favorites. Since we’re on Lent right now and not having meat or dairy, I wanted to make something that would still give him that creamy chicken Alfredo kind of meal.. just without the chicken. Or the dairy.
I wasn’t really sure how close I’d get, especially using coconut milk for the sauce, but this one surprised me. I made it once, everyone loved it, and somehow I was making it again within the same week. And it didn’t matter that I made more the second time either. It was still completely gone.
So at this point, I think it’s safe to say this one is staying.
The sauce is creamy and garlicky, and the little bit of lemon makes a huge difference. You don’t really taste the lemon - it just cuts that coconut flavor so you’re not sitting there eating fettuccine that tastes vaguely tropical. I added sun dried tomatoes to mine because I love what they add to a creamy pasta, but they’re completely optional. The base is really easy to play around with depending on what you have or what you’re craving.
It takes me about an hour from start to finish, although that depends heavily on two things: how fast you are at mincing garlic and whether your stove boils water like a normal appliance or takes a year and a half.
For something that started as my attempt to make a Lent- friendly version of one of my husband’s favorite meals, it’s become one of the easiest dinners to get everyone excited about. It’s basically my perfect vegan chicken Alfredo, minus the chicken, and apparently I still haven’t figured out how much I need to make for there to actually be leftovers.
Creamy Dairy- Free Fettuccine
Ingredients
1 ½–1 ¾ boxes fettuccine
Salt, for the pasta water
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 large white onion, finely chopped
About 6 cloves garlic, minced - or however much your heart tells you
3 tablespoons all- purpose flour, plus a little extra if needed
1 can coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth
Juice of ½ lemon
About ½ cup sun- dried tomatoes, chopped if they’re large
1- 1½ teaspoons black pepper
About 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Garlic seasoning or garlic salt, to taste
Optional Add - Ins
Mushrooms
Spinach
Extra sun dried tomatoes
Chili flakes for a little heat
Fresh herbs
Whatever vegetables need to be used up in your fridge
Instructions:
Bring the pasta water to a boil.
Fill a large pot with water, salt it generously, and cover with a lid to help it come to a boil faster.
Cook the fettuccine.
Add the pasta and cook until it reaches the texture you like. I don’t obsess over an exact number of minutes - taste it or follow the instructions on the box. When the texture makes you happy, it’s ready.
Start the sauce while the pasta cooks.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Cook the onion and garlic.
Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook until the onion is soft and glossy and everything smells amazing.
Add the flour.
Sprinkle in about 3 tablespoons of flour and stir it through the onion and garlic. Let it cook briefly so you’re not left with a raw flour taste.
Make it creamy.
Slowly pour in the coconut milk and vegetable broth while stirring. Whisk until everything is smooth and combined.
Simmer.
Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble, lower the heat, and let it simmer for about 3 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally as it thickens.
Season it.
Add the juice of half a lemon, black pepper, salt, and garlic seasoning to taste.
Add the sun dried tomatoes.
Stir in the sun dried tomatoes or your add in of choice into the sauce and let everything cook together for another minute or two.
Bring it all together.
Drain the fettuccine and add it to the sauce. Toss until every noodle is coated.
Taste before serving.
Add more salt, pepper, garlic, lemon, or broth if it needs it. Pasta does not care about rules. Make it taste good to you.
What I Served With It
I served ours with a side of steamed vegetables, which was perfect because the pasta is rich and filling.
And because apparently the grocery stores have decided it’s already fall, my husband and I had chai with ours.
I was absolutely not ready for pumpkin spice everything to start appearing when summer barely felt like it started.
Unfortunately, we’re also a little ashamed to admit that we’re thoroughly enjoying the chai.
So maybe fall can stay.
Just a little bit.
A Few Notes From My Messy Apron
If you aren’t vegetarian: Chicken broth works perfectly well too.
Don’t like coconut? Full fat coconut milk gives the sauce its creaminess, but the garlic, lemon, seasoning, and sun dried tomatoes help balance the flavor so it doesn’t taste overwhelmingly coconut-y.
Want more vegetables? Mushrooms would be especially good in this. Spinach would be an easy addition too.
Making a smaller dinner? This makes a pretty generous batch. You can easily reduce the pasta if you’re cooking for fewer people.
And finally: measure garlic with your heart. Always.
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