I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, cashews are the most magical things ever!Ā You can use them to make savory salad dressings, sweet desserts and amazingly creamy alfredo sauce.Ā I’m convinced that there isn’t anything you can’t make with cashews!
A great cashew tip I’ve just started doing is boiling them for about 30 minutes before I use them instead of soaking them overnight.Ā It works really well to soften them up and I can now make cashew alfredo on a whim instead of having to plan for it the night before.
While creamy pasta dishes like this one scream comfort food, this dish is extra comforting to me because it was inspired by one of my favorite childhood foods, Annie’s Alfredo Shells and Cheese.Ā Mac and Cheese is good and all, but Alfredo sauce has so much more flavor and in my opinion it just blows regular mac and cheese away.Ā Although, I have never been known to say no to creamy pasta š
Cashews are naturally slightly sweet, so when making a savory sauce out of them it is important to use un-sweetened milk and season it up with a bunch of savory spices.Ā The real hero flavors in this cashew alfredo are the basil and the Herbs De Provence.Ā Herbs De Provence is a mixture of dried thyme, marjoram, rosemary, basil, fennel, sage, and lavender.Ā I bought it randomly a while ago because it was on sale and it is now my go-to spice that I put on just about everything!
If you have any doubts about the magical power of cashews I think this creamy alfredo sauce will change your mind!
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Cashew Alfredo Pasta with Broccoli
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry pasta, I used shells
- 2 cups broccoli florets
Cashew Alfredo Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups raw unsalted cashews, soaked overnight or boiled for 30 minutes
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons plain, un-sweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
- 3 teaspoons Herbs De Provence
- overflowing 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. When pasta is 3 minutes from being done, add the broccoli florets. Drain pasta and broccoli and add Alfredo sauce. Stir until combined and serve hot.
- To make the Cashew Alfredo Sauce, add all ingredients into a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
- Category: Entree, Gluten Free, Vegan
Hi. My wife and I have made variations on this recipe before. Can I use a food processor instead of a blender
Hi Jesse! I think that would work! It might not get quite as smooth as a high powered blender would get it, but it should do the job š
Made this for my non vegan family and they didnāt even know!
Ha, that’s awesome!!
This recipe was delicious. I served it over spaghetti squash and since I did not have broccoli I used zucchini. Even my husband liked it!
I’m so glad you and your husband liked it!! š
Looking forward to making this. Do you heat the sauce after it’s blended?
Hi Martin, I just mix it in with the hot pasta and it usually heats it up enough, but you could also turn on the stove a little bit to make sure it gets hot š
Taste wise very flavorful.
Textures something to play with a bit. Turned out thicker than we hoped. Added a little more plant milk. Seemed to please the family.
Working with soaked over night might be better next time than boiled.
Glad to hear the family liked it! š
Hi!
This looks amazing but I am allergic to almonds. Would substituting unsweetened coconut milk work?
Thanks!
Hi Marissa, I definitely think that would work! It might give it a slight coconut flavor, but I still think it would be good!
Thank you for saving me š
I had a friend the other day ask me to find her a recipe for Alfredo Sauce, BUT she was making it for a friend and he has strict dietary restrictions so she asked me to find one without the following:
Soy
Dairy
wheat or gluten
onions or leeks
cauliflower
very little spice
and no lentils
wow what a challenge! I didn’t think I was going to find one, but then came across your recipe and you as I said saved the day!
So I am handing you a Virtual Medal of Hero š
Wonderful sauce, we tried with the pasta as directed, and we tried it on plain pasta without the broccoli (as he can’t have that either) and it was so good, we tried it on him and he loved it and asked for more, something he never does! One serving of any food is his normal max, and sometimes that is even a struggle to get him to have.
But this is perfect, thank you a million times over!
That is so nice to hear! Thank you so much! I’m so glad he enjoyed the alfredo sauce and ate a lot of it!
We have vegetarians and non in our family. I like to make things that I hope everyone can eat and will like. Thank you so much for this recipe, this definitely pleased some of each! I did have to make some adaptions due to missing (nutritional yeast) or different ingredients and it still came out amazing. I had roasted cashews, but I did boil them for about 20 minutes to soften and they worked fine (raw, sprouted would likely be healthier-I’d like to try that next time). I used dried oregano and dried basil and a little BB Vegetarian bouillon. I really look forward to trying it the “official” way someday!
P.S. Your website and pictures really are beautiful.
I’m so glad to hear that everyone enjoyed this recipe, Kari! I’m intrigued by the use of the roasted cashews, did it give it a really nice roasted nutty taste? That sounds like it could be really good! Thank you so much for your comment and kind words! š
I am a mother of a newborn and try to prep meals ahead of time. This looks delicious. I am dairy-free while breast feeding. Wondering how long the alfredo sauce can be stored in the fridge before using???
Thank you, Rachel! I would store it up to 5 days in the refrigerator. š
Herbs De Provence. What is this? Can I substitute? Hoping to make this tonight. I’m a cashew nacho cheese warrior…(recipe at 40aprons.com) and hope I love this too!!
Hi Amber, sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. Herbs De Provence is just a mixture of dried herbs containing things like basil, oregano and lavender. You can most certainly sub dried Italian seasoning or even just dried oregano or basil for it. I hope you enjoy this alfredo sauce!
This recipe was easy to make and absolutely delicious. I’m not a vegan but a gluten free, low fodmap vegetarian who tries to limit the amount of dairy in my diet. The alfredo sauce is very savoury and a great alternative to the real deal. Thank you!
Hi Laura! I’m the same exact way, not strictly non dairy but try to limit it. And I Love cooking with cashews! I’m so glad you enjoyed it š
I just made this (went a little off the recipe with spices) and it is INCREDIBLE. I really didn’t think it would be that good. I boiled the cashews (forgot to soak them). It’s outstanding. Maybe I’ve been vegan too long, but I think this is better than any ‘real’ alfredo sauce I have ever had. Excellent recipe.
Hi Kate! I’m so glad you liked it!! I really think it tastes better than regular alfredo sauce too, much more flavor! Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out š
I finally got around to making this, and it is the BEST dairy-free alfredo I’ve had since I discovered my mustard allergy. Now, let’s see how many pounds I can gain from eating a mountain of cashews…
Hi Jennifer! I’m so glad you liked it!! Yeah, I just like to tell myself that the cashews are the good kind of fat š