This one pot creamy garlic pasta is probably the closest recipe I’ll share to a vegan fettuccine alfredo*. Also, sorry in advance for a couple more pictures than usual today. (Now with a recipe video!)
The classic fettuccine alfredo recipe is made with fresh cooked pasta tossed in butter and cheese. The butter and cheese melt together to form a sauce. But nowadays in my neck of the woods, as American takes on dishes are wont to do, our version has managed to evolve to also have the additions of heavy cream, garlic, and more. Regardless, my vegan version has none of those things; but I’d say it’s closer to the bastardized American dish than the authentic original.
The one pot creamy garlic pasta recipe I have here is what I personally find to be an ideal preparation for a creamy vegan pasta dish. Because of the one pan method that cooks together the pasta and the sauce all in one pot, the sauce coats the pasta exceptionally well. Fettuccine is especially suited to coming out to a lovely al dente texture in the final product. Thankfully, if you prefer your pasta cooked differently it’s also easy to adjust.
As I was taking these photos, I was wondering to myself, is it about time for me to finally buy a tripod? Holding the camera in one hand, trying to look through the viewfinder and snap the photo, while maneuvering tongs with my other hand, was a pretty ridiculous exercise in balance. I would say that I was sad nobody was around to help me, but uh… I didn’t have to share this one pot creamy garlic pasta with anyone. Miraculously, the photos came out okay too.
When it comes to nondairy milk, my preferences have changed over the years. The only store-bought nondairy milk I buy nowadays is soy milk, and that’s simply for the reason that I can’t find any other products in my neck of the woods made without processed ingredients or sweeteners. I sometimes make almond milk and oat milk at home. My local grocer sells a soy milk that’s made with only soybeans and water, and in my mind the fact that I tried differently-produced soy milks in the past was why I thought I didn’t enjoy the flavor. Soy milk is also very creamy and thick which makes it a great choice for uses like this, but I understand that it’s not everybody’s cup of tea (milk?).
So while I recommend using an all-natural soymilk in this recipe (<- link is for informational purposes – I buy that brand but not in a 12-pack!), if you already know you dislike soy milk, then obviously don’t use it. Other choices with a higher water content may affect the cooking time and amount of liquid needed, but luckily with this recipe it’s fairly easy to adjust as you go. If you choose something other than soy, I recommend starting with just 1 cup of it and adding more as needed from there. And let me know how it goes!
This one pot creamy garlic pasta recipe is great with spinach or kale added, or served alongside other veggies and sides of choice, and can easily accommodate the addition of your favorite “cheezy” ingredients too, so make it your own, but know that I also love it in its basic form printed here.
One Pot Creamy Garlic Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (see notes)
- 1 and 1/2 cups plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk (see notes)
- 1 tsp salt plus more to taste (reduce if using a salty broth - mine is low-sodium)
- 8 oz dry fettuccine
- black pepper, dried oregano and red pepper flakes to taste
- chopped fresh basil or parsley for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. If possible, choose a skillet that is wide enough to completely fit the fettuccine. Smaller pans will work, but require a bit more fuss to stir and submerge the pasta as it cooks.
- Add the garlic and shallot to the pan along with a sprinkle of salt, and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the garlic is softened and the shallot is turning translucent; avoid browning.
- Add the vegetable broth, nondairy milk, and salt, and stir. Add the dry pasta and gently prod it around to submerge it under the liquid. If not all of it fits now, you will need to gently push it into the pan after the submerged portion has softened later.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally, gently separating any pasta that starts to stick together. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened onto the pasta and the texture is to your liking. If too much of the liquid is cooking off, reduce the heat a little bit, and add more nondairy milk.
- Adjust seasoning to taste, and serve with fresh herbs and other toppings if desired. Best served immediately, but leftovers will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge (cool completely to room temperature before boxing up and refrigerating).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
*Never say never, of course. Recipe adapted and veganized from Damn Delicious.
If you loved the ease of this dish then you’ll love these other recipes too:
Or check out my whole gallery of 32 vegan one pot meals!
Rachel says
Made this tonight!!! Made it with brown rice fettuccine & plain cashew milk… definitely was skeptical about the amount of liquids but it cooked down perfectly! Made some shrimp to toss in with the pasta which was a nice addition for those in my family that eat fish. Probably will add more garlic next time because I enjoy garlic… didn’t add the second pinch of salt because I used veggie broth that was not low-sodium. Thanks for the great & easy meal :o)
Laura says
SHANNON!! We just finished this pasta dish and everyone here LOVED it! That is a really big deal because of the varying pallets around here… Our son has a food protein allergy and at 2 1/2 years old has pretty much chosen not to eat meat, I’m very plant-based, my husband is from Wisconsin (all the meat and cheese), and our daughter is her fathers daughter through and through.
I doubled your recipe and used a whole carton of veggie broth and a can of full-fat coconut milk. We used campanelle pasta because its easier for the kiddos than spaghetti or fettuchini. I also added about 3 Tbs nutritional yeast and lots of oregano and basil as you suggested. Next time I might sauté mushrooms with the shallot and garlic, and maybe throw in some spinach at the end.
This is now a family staple. Thanks so very much!
Crystal says
I’m not vegan, but due to sensitivities in my family we are dairy free. I’ve been craving a white garlic sauce for a while and this definitely hit the spot. I used cashew milk and a few scoops of dairy free sour cream to help thicken and make it creamier. I also squeezed lemon on Just before eating. Yum. This was so good. Hubby thought it was so good that he took the left overs to work for lunch haha. Will definitely be making again.
Lauren says
Hi there,
I havent made this yet. I’m wondering if you can freeze this to take away camping?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
This might get a little mushy when freezing and reheating. I have not tested – it always all gets eaten. I am sure it would still taste good
Meghan says
Planning to make this with brown rice penne and full-fat coconut milk! Based on what I’ve read in the comments, it seems like it should be fine, but any tips just in case? Thanks!! ☺️
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I would recommend thinning out the coconut milk with a little water – full fat might make it super rich. I hope it goes well! Just note, when using brown rice pasta (from my own informal testing), it can get a little bit mushy after it sits.
Reva says
I made this with almond milk instead. Followed the directions by starting with one cup instead of two but eventually needed two (just kept adding it slowly). I seasoned with dried oregano and basil as well as lots of nutritional yeast as it was cooking. I put a bunch of sautéed mushrooms in at the end and served it with Gardein chick’n strips. It was amazing and I definitely prefer this taste and texture over a nut based cream sauce – thanks so much for the great recipe!
Lori says
Dear Shannon : CJ and I made this recipe for dinner tonight. It’s delicious! CJ wanted me write immediately and tell you so. It was super easy to make, only dirtied one pot (hurray!) and was fast – perfect for a busy weekday evening meal. Any healthy meal that gets a double thumbs up from a 10 year old is a keeper. Love, Aunt Lori (was that embarrassing enough?? I toned it down from my original composition.)
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
So glad you guys enjoyed it! Love ya!
Mackenzie says
This was so yummy!!! And so simple too which makes it a perfect recipe! It will easily be included in my weekly meals. Thanks for posting
Melanie says
I just made this and it is delicious! I topped it with some fresh basil and roasted grape tomatoes. The only thing I did differently to the recipe was that I added a couple table spoons of nutritional yeast when it was about to finish cooking. This gave it a nice cheesy flavor.
Delicious and simple recipe. Thank you!
Cindy says
Loved this recipe and so did my picky eaters. Delicious, creamy, flavourful, quick, easy, and little mess.
Amy says
I’ve made the damndelicious one pot recipe many many times but with the new year I’m limiting dairy since fighting my lactose intolerance is futile. Anyway, I finally got around to trying this recipe and WOW. Although my pasta wasn’t creamy, because I used whole wheat pasta and almond milk, it was still a spectacular food adventure. I’ll make it again and follow the rules of using normal pasta, but for sure it is still a delight even if you’re missing the creamy part.
Paige says
Has anyone tried regular almond milk in this dish?
Reva says
I have and it works great!
Colleen says
Made this today and WOW it was delicious! Will definitely make again (maybe with mushrooms, asparagus, and spinach!) Thank you for a creamy vegan recipe that doesn’t need a cashew base.
Rachel says
Hi there. What is your favourite non dairy milk for this recipe? – true vegan… thanks! Just soy milk?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Westsoy Unsweetened Original is definitely by favorite non-dairy milk by far. For most recipes and especially this one, since it’s both super creamy, and neutral in flavor. However, any unsweetened non-dairy milk that tastes good to you, should taste good in this creamy garlic pasta! Just make sure there’s no vanilla in the ingredients. For some reason even original flavors have vanilla in them sometimes, which is weird and doesn’t go well with garlic!
Carla Cram says
Firstly this is amazing. Secondly my extremely picky autistic toddler loved it. We have many allergies to cater for so I used corn pasta, rice milk, chicken stock because we’re not vegan (dairy, soy and egg free). I put too much stock so had to take some out but wow amazing and so easy. So tasty with salt, pepper, mushrooms and oregano.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks for sharing your modifications Carla!
Leah says
Delicious! We like our noodles a little on the softer side so we would have cooked longer if we weren’t in a hurry. We used about two tablespoons of nutritional yeast so not a ton but a nice addition. It was missing a little something at the end then BAM added basil just before I finished cooking it and it just rounded the whole thing out really well and we enjoyed a lot. Easy to make and satisfying, very creamy. Will make again!
Erin says
Great dish! The pasta cooked perfectly and it’s a great base for seasoning! I added a little plain coconut yogurt for a creamier texture at the end. Will be making again! Thank you!
Julie says
Oh my gosh! That was amazing. I just had a bowl for breakfast! It was a test run for a family gathering and I just had to try it. Now. So creamy. I can definitely see how the quality and flavor of the broth and nondairy milk you use could vary the end result. Mine took me back about 30 years! My mother used to make a very similar dish for me when I was a kid. Thank you!
Gigi says
Hi Shannon,
Love your site and recipes. Just FYI – there was an oscar myer bacon ad and tyson chicken ad and when I went to look up a recipe tonight.. Not sure if that is what you want or not. I am sure maybe you can’t control all content? Itried to find n email to send this to you.
Thank you for great content though!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Gigi and thank you! I unfortunately, do not have control over which ads appear. I try to block individual ads when I see them but I can only do it by Ad ID, not by industry so these do slip through sometimes. I am sorry if it lessened your experience and I appreciate you letting me know.
Abriana says
I made this for dinner, super yummy but it got dry after cooling a bit. I want to eat the leftovers but don’t know what to do with it ?
Shelby says
This meal is officially in my husband’s top 5 favorite meals. I add a little nutritional yeast and vegan parmesan to the sauce – suuuuper yummy. I’m thinking we’ll make this again tonight with blackened tofu and add peas to the pasta. Thanks for this super awesome, easy recipe!
Jen says
can I double the recipe?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Sure; just make sure you use a quite large pot, and monitor the liquid levels (you may need to add more, or less, depending on the pasta shape you choose and the size of your pan)
Carrie says
This was delicious! I used spaghetti and added nutritional yeast, olives, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach. Even my kids loved it! I will definitely make again and again.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Olives in this sounds delicious!! Thanks for sharing.
JoAnna says
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! I use it at least once a week. It’s my favorite warm, comforting dish. And it’s so simple and delicious. It is truly a gift from above.
Gianella says
I want to make this but i dont have Shallots can i use onions instead if yes red or white?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Shallots give a better flavor if you can get your hands on some, but white or yellow onion will work if needed. I don’t recommend red onions, they’re a bit too pungent for this dish.
Maria Petersen says
Deeeeelicious!!!! Thank you for a Vegan based cream sauce that”s great.
I”m big on spices and herbs, so you can imagine my add ons
Also I used almond milk, but was wondering about coconut milk? or will that mess up the flavor?
Also if I use mushrooms next time, will the color and appearance make it look weir
Can I freez e leftovers? .
. .
Julie says
Question!
As I do not eat grains, I’d like to make this using shirataki noodles, which are already cooked. Should I simply omit the broth?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Julie, I don’t think this dish is well suited to shirataki noodles, it would be a big experiment. You’ll need to not only omit most of the liquid but also add something else to thicken the sauce. Either by making it raw cashew based, blending a cup or two of white beans, or making a roux (although admittedly, I haven’t found any grain free roux I’ve liked very much yet). I’ll let you know when I get the chance to experimetn with shirataki noodle alfredo!
Chantelle says
This is the best vegan dinner Ive made thus far! I used Catelli super greens spaghetti (made w/zucchini, spinach, broccoli, parsley and kale) and almond milk. I didnt have any shallots so I just made it without it. I did add 4 tbsp of nurtitional yeast and some spinach, SOO GOOD! This is definetly becoming a staple!
Maya White says
This was awesome!!
Jen says
Just made this for the second time, delicious! I did have to substitute some finely diced onion for the shallot without any problem and I use a homemade “un chicken” bullion powder mixed with water for the stock that gave it a great flavor (didn’t even miss the oregano and red pepper that I forgot to add). Both times I did add about an extra 1/2 cup of soy milk but that could just be just because I was impatient and had it at a higher heat. Added some small cut brocolli the last 5 minutes of cooking this last time which worked nicely. Yummy quick meal that is toddler approved. Thank you!