This creamy Cauliflower Alfredo is the perfect way to enjoy your favorite comfort food dinner while sneaking in some extra veggies. You won't even be able to tell it's not the real thing! This homemade pasta sauce is made with tender pieces of cauliflower blended into a deliciously rich and creamy sauce that is so so good.
If you've never tried adding cauliflower to your alfredo sauce before, now's the time! The cooked cauliflower breaks down perfectly into a creamy cauliflower alfredo sauce, allowing you to get the same richness and flavor of real alfredo sauce without relying on heavy cream. Tender cauliflower hides in the rich, cheesy sauce while adding a wonderful texture. You'll want to keep cauliflower in your fridge just for this healthy alfredo sauce that’s gluten-free!
Why You'll Love This Cauliflower Alfredo
- Sneak extra veggies. Most of us would benefit from eating a few more veggies here and there. The cauliflower puree in this sauce absolutely counts as a serving of vegetables, so it's a wonderful way to make your favorite dinner just a bit more nutritious.
- Rich, creamy flavor. The blended cauliflower disappears into the cheesy flavor of the pasta sauce. You won't really notice it's there, but it will add a great body and texture that coats every noodle. The whole family will love it!
- Ready in a flash. After steaming the cauliflower, puree it together with sauteed onions, garlic, milk, parmesan cheese, and more. Toss the creamy cauliflower sauce over your pasta, and dinner is served.
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious Cauliflower Alfredo, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- cauliflower - use either fresh or frozen cauliflower cut into florets.
- butter - this tenderizes the cauliflower while adding a rich, buttery flavor. Extra virgin olive oil works well too.
- onion - saute diced yellow onion for extra flavor.
- garlic - minced garlic has a wonderful savoriness that pairs perfectly with the natural sweetness of cauliflower.
- vegetable stock - use chicken or vegetable broth as part of the creamy base for the sauce.
- milk - milk adds a rich creaminess. Feel free to use a neutral-tasting non-dairy milk instead.
- parmesan cheese - grated Parmesan cheese has a salty, umami flavor that is key to traditional alfredo sauce.
- seasonings - season with Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper.
- fettuccine - cook half a pound of fettuccine pasta to toss in the cream sauce.
- fresh parsley - sprinkle parsley for a little freshness.
You will also need a large cooking pot and lid, skillet, and a food processor (or immersion blender).
How to Make the Best Cauliflower Alfredo
- Cook cauliflower. Bring a large cooking pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and turn the heat down to medium. Cook covered for 10 minutes until the cauliflower is soft and tender. When the cauliflower is ready, remove from heat and drain.
- Sauté aromatics. While the cauliflower is cooking, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Puree. In a food processor, add the cooked cauliflower, sautéed onion and garlic, vegetable stock, milk, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth and creamy. (You can also add everything in a pot and blend with an immersion blender until smooth).
- Serve. When ready to serve, transfer the cauliflower alfredo to saucepan or skillet and simmer over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. Add cooked fettuccine and toss well to coat. Top with chopped parsley and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Vegan cauliflower alfredo sauce. To make this creamy alfredo sauce plant-based, use unsweetened non-dairy milk like oat milk, replace the butter with a butter-flavored spread, and use nutritional yeast flakes instead of parmesan cheese. Be sure to use vegan pasta to avoid eggs.
- Roasted cauliflower sauce. To make the cauliflower flavor more intense, roast the head of cauliflower in the oven until golden brown and caramelized. You can also roast the onion and garlic cloves. Then, blend everything together like normal.
- Add veggies. Make this healthy fettuccine alfredo even more nutritious by adding sauteed or roasted carrots, peas, pearl onions, broccoli, kale or baby spinach, mushrooms, or green beans.
- Cauliflower mac. Use this creamy white sauce to make a rich, delicious mac and cheese. Add about a cup of shredded cheddar to the creamy sauce for a really cheesy flavor.
How to Serve
This cauliflower alfredo pasta is delicious served on its own, or paired with some of my favorite dishes including:
- Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken
- Easy Baked Meatballs
- Garlic Breadsticks
- Antipasto Skewers
- Tomato Bruschetta with Balsamic Glaze
For more recipe inspiration, see our 30 Side Dishes for Pasta.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make sure the cauliflower is tender. If your cauliflower is not at least fork-tender before you pop it in your high powered blender, it will become gritty. Let it cook all the way to get a lovely, creamy sauce.
- Try different noodles. Although Alfredo is traditionally served with fettuccine, you can really use any pasta noodles. This makes a fun mac and cheese, too!
- Salt the pasta. To get the most flavor out of this creamy pasta dish, cook the noodles in a large pot of salted water.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Store leftover cauliflower alfredo sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
How to Reheat
Warm the chilled sauce in a small pan and add cooked pasta with a small splash of water. Stir well until the pasta and sauce are hot and serve.
How to Freeze
The sauce can be frozen, but it often separates after thawing. It's best to serve it fresh.
FAQ
There are several different ways to make cauliflower sauce. Some recipes use cauliflower puree, which is made with cauliflower, stock, and salt. Other recipes like this cauliflower alfredo recipe add extra richness and flavor by sauteing onions, roasting garlic, and adding milk and Parmesan cheese. This allows you to replace the heavy cream in Alfredo with cooked cauliflower, making it a little lighter but just as delicious.
Not always! You can easily make a delicious cauliflower alfredo with real milk and Parmesan cheese, but it's also easy to make it without dairy. To do this, replace the butter with a butter-flavored spread and replace the milk with a neutral milk alternative, like coconut milk. Don't forget to substitute nutritional yeast for the Parmesan. It can help to add a little Dijon mustard for extra flavor, too.
Store leftover pasta in the fridge for about 4-5 days. Keep it covered in an airtight container and reheat it in a small saucepan until hot.
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Cauliflower Tots
- Creamy Garlic Cauliflower Soup
- Mashed Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Tacos
- Baked Cauliflower Nuggets
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Recipe
Cauliflower Alfredo
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This creamy Cauliflower Alfredo is the perfect way to enjoy your favorite comfort food dinner while sneaking in some extra veggies. You won't even be able to tell it's not the real thing! This homemade pasta sauce is made with tender pieces of cauliflower blended into a deliciously rich and creamy sauce that is so so good.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower (2 pounds), cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound fettuccine, cooked (about ½ pound uncooked)
- fresh parsley, finely chopped (for serving)
Instructions
- Bring a large cooking pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets and turn the heat down to medium. Cook covered for 10 minutes until the cauliflower is soft and tender. When the cauliflower is ready, remove from heat and drain.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a food processor, add the cooked cauliflower, sautéed onion and garlic, vegetable stock, milk, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth and creamy. (You can also add everything in a pot and blend with an immersion blender until smooth).
- When ready to serve, transfer the cauliflower alfredo to saucepan or skillet and simmer over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. Add cooked fettuccine and toss well to coat. Top with chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
How to store: Store leftover cauliflower alfredo sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
How to reheat: Warm the chilled sauce in a small pan and add cooked pasta with a small splash of water. Stir well until the pasta and sauce are hot and serve.
Freezing? The sauce can be frozen, but it often separates after thawing. It's best to serve it fresh.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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Sheri P says
This was delicious and so easy. I added wilted spinach and grilled chicken.