Creamy Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo – a rich and creamy tomato-y Alfredo sauce made without nuts and cream! Simple + easy + delicious!
Special thanks to Chickapea Pasta for sponsoring this post!
If you’re looking a filling and nutritious dinner to feed your family that’s big on flavour and low on effort then keep reading because I’ve got you covered with this ultra creamy and downright dreamy Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo.
We’re talking next-level pasta here, friends.
The base of this recipe is inspired by a classic Alfredo which is traditionally made with butter, cream and parmesan. Looking to lighten things up a bit here I’ve made a few healthier swaps and additions resulting in a dairy free Alfredo sauce that is every bit as creamy and rich as its original without becoming too heavy or unhealthy for a mid-summer dinner.
How to Make: Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo
All you need is about 20 minutes and 10 ingredients to make this dish.
Start off by prepping your pasta – just plop the pasta in a pot of boiling, salted water and let the water do its thing. Chickapea pasta cooks in under 10 minutes so you won’t need to wait long. Once the pasta is cooked to your preference just drain away the water and set aside momentarily while you prep the sauce.
The base of this sauce is made from sautéing garlic in olive oil and mixing in a little bit of flour to form a roux. This is what gives this Alfredo its creamy, luscious texture instead of using full fat dairy. A couple things to note about this roux/sauce base:
- Chickapea pasta is naturally grain free since it’s made up of just two ingredients: chickpeas and lentils! If you’d like to keep this dish grain free use arrowroot starch. If you’re not concerned about adding a little extra grain you can also use any old gluten free all purpose blend here. You only need a couple of tablespoons here so it’s not much at all.
- Since we’re going for summery vibes here we’re adding chopped up sun dried tomato to this roux!
Once you’ve mixed all of that up you should have a thick, pasty, golden kind of mixture. At this point you just need to add the almond milk – make sure it’s unsweetened and plain – and let that simmer and thicken up a bit for a minute or two before stirring in the tomato paste and vegan parmesan to combine.
Finally, transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor and blitz until you’ve reached a thick, creamy, saucy consistency.
At this point it’s just a matter of pouring that sauce all over your prepped pasta and we’re almost there. Mix in the remaining chopped sun dried tomato pieces, fresh basil and a little more of that vegan parm for good measure and then just go ahead and swan dive right into that pasta.
In case you need more reasons to love pasta:
✔️Each 3.5 ounce serving is contains 27 grams of protein and 13 grams of fibre – you’ll stay satisfied hours after you eat it
✔️It’s naturally gluten free, sugar free, vegan, organic, kosher and non-GMO
✔️There are no weird fillers, additives or sugars
✔️It’s a pasta turned superfood
Who doesn’t love that?
Enjoy!
Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo
20 minute + 10 ingredient creamy Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo made with high fibre & protein packed Chickapea pasta and topped with fresh basil | Gluten Free + Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, divided, blot the oil and chop fine (40g)
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour, tapioca starch or regular gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (360 ml)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (32 g)
- 1/4 cup vegan parmasan (30g)
- 1 box | 8 oz dried chickapea pasta, any shape pasta
- 1 handful fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- Warm olive oil in a large sauce pan or skillet. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute. Stir in oregano, half of the chopped sun dried tomatoes (the rest will be added in at the end) and the flour and cook another minute.
- Stir in the almond milk and bring to a simmer and let thicken two minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the vegan parmesan.
- Transfer the sauce to a blender and process for a minute or two until you have a smooth, creamy texture. You can also blend this using an immersion/stick blender.
- Pour the creamed sauce back into the pan/skillet and stir in the cooked pasta and the remaining chopped sun dried tomatoes. Top with the fresh basil and additional parmesan if desired.
- Serve and enjoy! Leftovers will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container.
imsen says
Delicious! It’s a fairly easy and quick recipe that never fails.
Made this last night and it is going to be a regular. My hubby (who doesn’t like pasta) devoured it!
Quick and Easy Family Recipes
Sarah Nevins says
I’m so glad to hear you both enjoyed it! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know what you guys thought of it 🙂
Jo says
This was amazing. I’m trying to cut a lot of dairy out of my diet for health reasons, so I’m new to vegan recipes. This was easy and so good. The only change I made was I used oat milk instead of almond due to allergies. I will definitely make this again.
Sarah Nevins says
That makes me so happy to hear! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back to leave a review!
Holly says
My boyfriend and I loved this! The modifications I made were (1) it needed more almond milk, it was a little too thick at first, (2) we added chopped black olives into the sauce after it was blended, (3) added a about 1/4 tsp of mushroom powder for umami, (4) we used a TON of basil for the garnish, we liked basil in every bite, (5) my boyfriend prefers the taste of ordinary wheat penne rigate, so we used that instead.
I’m glad you commented your vegan parm recipe when replying to someone who used it. It was very helpful.
Thank you for posting this recipe! The URL is saved in my favorite recipies Google Doc 🙂
Sarah Nevins says
All of your addition sounds amazing but I LOVE the idea of adding mushroom powder to this! So glad you guys enjoyed it – thanks so much for letting me know how it went for you!
Blake says
I made this last night for a dinner party where two of the five guests are vegetarian and gluten free, and it was such a hit with them that the other three guests and my housemate all joined in on it! We used far more almond milk than was recommended to reach the consistency we wanted for a thinner sauce, and we pan fried mushrooms to add some more protein. A DEFINITE hit, and everyone now has this recipe!
Sarah Nevins says
Thanks awesome! So glad to hear everyone enjoyed it – great idea adding the mushrooms! Yum!
Kristin says
Any recommendations for vegan parmigiana cheese?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Kristin! I almost always make my own by pulsing together: 1/2 cup raw cashews, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. You just pulse it all together in 5 second increments until it reaches a sandy mixture and that’s it
Rachel Thomas says
Hi I’m allergic to nuts can I use coconut milk instead of almond ?
Sarah Nevins says
Absolutely! Just make sure that it’s unsweetened. Hope you enjoy it!
Ashley says
Has anyone ever tried to make the sauce and can it?
Kamielle Strong says
This is my FAVOURITE recipe right now! I have made it three times since I found it, just over a week ago!! It is so easy and does not require any adjustments to be delicious. However, I did add a little bit of black pepper and chili flakes to add some spice. Mmmm is this ever good! I especially love the recommendation to try chickpea pasta, which is actually so good and makes me feel good!! Thank you thank you thank you!
Sarah Nevins says
Yay! So glad you’ve been enjoying it so much! Thanks for coming back to let me know what you thought!
Amy says
This was incredible! It’s hard finding good vegan pastas and this one DELIVERED! I’ve even made it for my non vegan friends and they love it too. Thanks!
Sarah says
Thanks Amy! So glad that you and your friends enjoyed it! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know what you thought!
Regina says
Super in love with this dish! Makes me want to cook with sun-dried tomatoes so much more
Sarah says
Thanks Regina! Sun dried tomatoes are my jam!
Trish says
Wow! I am totally marking this to make for dinner in the next few weeks. Gluten free, loaded with fiber and protein. I’m sold!
marcie says
It’s hard to believe that a dish that looks this amazing can be quick and healthy! Beautiful photos and I can’t wait to try this!
Sarah says
Thanks Marcie!