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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
For a slightly 'cheesier' taste, try adding white or yellow miso paste, and/or nutritional yeast.
This recipe will taste bland if not properly seasoned, so be sure to taste it throughout cooking and add salt and other seasoning as needed.
You can finish the dish with a squeeze of lemon juice if you like, but I recommend only adding it to individual portions just before eating. The lemon juice will start to curdle the soy milk if left to sit, and may also have the same effect if other nondairy milks are used.
This recipe is as good as your nondairy milk and vegetable broth. If you do not like the taste of them on their own you will not like how this recipe tastes.
The cooking time will need to be adjusted for differently-shaped or thinner pasta. The simmer in step 4 should be fairly gentle otherwise too much liquid may cook off - though that's luckily an easy fix; but note that the cooking time will increase because the extra nondairy milk will cause the temperature of the overall cooking mixture to temporarily decrease.
*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!
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Stacey Norman says
What a great recipe my three-year-old grandson loves it
Stacey Norman says
What a great recipe! My daughter and 3 year old grandson are vegan. I make this for my grandson when I watch him and he loves it. He calls it cheesy pasta. I dont know why because he has never had cheese before! Lol. Thank you for providing a recipe that’s easy and that we all love.
SunWitch says
What do you think about using almond milk for this recipe? (I wanna become vegan so I have no idea what to use)
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I would recommend Malk cashew milk, unsweetened plain Ripple, or unsweetened plain soy milk (brands Westsoy or Eden Soy) as the best choices for this, but you can see in the comments people have used a variety of things.
LP says
How is this vegan if fettuccini is made with egg?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Dried pasta, at least in the USA where I live, almost universally does not contain egg
Kate Taylor says
How does it get so thick and creamy??! Magic its sooooo good. Ädded nut’yeast mushrooms and wine…
Oscar Carl Thewlis says
Just made this for dinner. Vegan for 7 months now and was looking for something to satisfy some of my cravings for a creamy pasta sauce – this hit the spot! Served with a side of asparagus in the oven. Can’t recommend enough 🙂
Mandie says
I have been on the hunt to easily satisfy my Alfredo cravings for awhile now. It’s been one of the hardest parts about adapting to a mostly vegan diet.
THIS is by far the best recipe I’ve found. It came out super creamy and I didn’t miss the cheesy flavor in regular Alfredo at all. Bonus points for being able to make it in one pot!
Things I did a little differently:
I used a bit of an onion as I had no shallots on hand. I deglazed the onions and garlic with a splash of white cooking wine before adding the broth and milk. I used almond milk. Since I know it has a high water content, I just added slowly as needed. I also stirred in about 3 tablespoons of vegan mayonnaise which I think helped thicken it up, made it creamy, and gave it a little tang.
Thank you so much for this glorious, easy to adapt Alfredo substitute!
Tilly says
I doubled the recipe and it was so, so creamy and delicious! I added peas, sauteed oyster mushrooms, a little earth balance, miso, and nooch. So cheesy and decadent, thanks!
Bruce Simon says
This turned out really well! I have to be honest, I didn’t think it would turn out well in the beginning, based on how it looked when I added the stock and non-dairy milk, but I was wrong.
My simmer was a bit more than light, so there wasn’t a lot of “sauce,” but I didn’t miss it (I know, I could have added more liquid, maybe next time).
I did make two changes: no shallot, because I didn’t have one, and I added frozen peas at the 15-minute mark, which made a great addition of both flavor and texture.
Any idea if using a non-dairy heavy cream would work?
Kimberly says
Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe! I added mushrooms and nutritional yeast and it was simply amazing. Next time I’m going to try adding asparagus or broccoli, just for some extra color and vitamins.
Andy says
Any suggestions on adapting this to use brown rice noodles?
Sarah says
I don’t leave reviews very often but I just wanted to say that I tried this and it was amazing. I added a bit of nutritional yeast and vegan butter which added to the cheesy/creaminess. Even my picky, non-vegan family loved it. Thanks so much for this recipe! It will for sure be a new dinner staple in my life.
Janni says
Delicious! I added string beans for some green. Also, had to substitute with another type of pasta, casarecce. The best recipes using soy milk I have ever tried. Thank you!
C says
So good! Made it twice already this week. Easy to change up the spices and ingredients used. Thank you 😊
Sarah says
This was pretty good! I only used 1 cup of veg broth & 1 cup of unsweetened soy milk, and I had to use about 2-3 tbsp of A cornstarch/water mixture to thicken it up after a while. I also added broccoli, peas, nutritional yeast, and fresh parsley. I tossed it with homemade vegan gnocchi. My non-vegan boyfriend lovvvved it. I added some extra nutritional yeast & salt on mine and really enjoyed it. I think I would have preferred the milder/more earthy flavor of oat milk instead of soy, so I’m going to try that next time. Overall a very easy sauce to make!
Brigitte Hall says
I must admit I was weary about this recipe but tired of my time consuming, complicated vegan alfredo recipes. I was pleasantly surprised I followed the directions (used linguine), sprinkled some nutritional yeast and a tiny bit of parmesan (yes I know, not vegan) so so good.
Def keep an eye on it while cooking, halfway thru I slightly covered it to keep it moist. Also added in a handful of spinach, which added in some additional moisture. Thanks for the great recipe!
Skye says
Amazing!! Second time this week I’ve made this. My vegetarian boyfriend loves it, and his non-vegan parents too!
I like to add vegan sausage, mushrooms, and want to try peas.
I had an issue thickening the sauce the first time around so I added a little bit of corn starch.
Definitely a family favorite. Thanks!
Sherrylee says
I just wanted to say THANK YOU! I have recently found out that I am gluten free and latose free and have been missing a creamy pasta. I have been scouring the internet to try to find a simple, one pot, few ingredients, recipe and this one actually works!!! I also get heartburn from onions and garlic so I didn’t even use those and it was still good. I fried up some hamburger and then I did 1 cup lactose free cream, 1 cup lactose free milk and the 2 cups of low sodium veggie broth. I then added gluten free macaroni, celery, shredded carrots and some spring greens (previously fried down and frozen into an ice cube) some pepper, parsley and basil and it was awesome and so easy! I froze a bowl hopefully it ends up good too lol!
Ash says
Great recipe! I used coconut milk in a can for the plant-based milk and about 1 tsp of nutritional yeast. I added a little more salt because I used the reduced-sodium veg broth. My family loved it. 🙂
Joanna says
How would you make this for 19 people? Would you recommend something else for non vegans? My husband and I are mostly vegan and I am gluten free.
Aaron says
I’m interested in the miso/nutritional yeast additions. Any tips on which of the three suggested to use (if not all) and how much? Thank you!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Try a tablespoon of each and see if you want to increase from there!
Jaz says
Great recipe. I add more garlic, loads of black pepper and nutritional yeast. Occasionally adding asparagus, peas, broccoli etc. thank you 😊
Emily Chuang says
Has anyone tried this recipe and added nutritional yeast for added “cheesiness”?
Michele says
This is the best. So easy and like the creamy fettuccine I remember.
Gabrielle says
This was very tasty! I used nearly 2 cups of coconut milk and added sauteed vegetables (mushrooms, spinach, zucchini). Didn’t have a shallot so I used some red onion and chives. Recently transitioned from a vegetarian to vegan diet and this dish will definitely have a spot on my comfort food list. Thank you!
Lillian says
This was so delicious 😋 I sauteed some chopped up oyster mushrooms and added it to the dish at the end. I can’t wait to make it again 😀
Kristyn says
Our family loves this recipe !! Thank you !! Yay for vegan Alfredo
Wilmer says
It would be nicertain to have it in dl and cl instead of Oz or cups, since only Americans use the measurements you listed. I had to guess how much I needed since I didn’t want to have to calculate it
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Wilmer, I would recommend doing the conversions next time rather than guessing, I think that would give you a better result.
Deb says
I haven’t tried the recipe yet.
Wilmer, it is very easy to type a measurement query into your browser. I do it all the time and I get an immediate conversion that I’m able to use.
Ryan David Chambers says
Maybe don’t be so lazy
KK says
This was perfect! It was easy and wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing.
Sunshine says
This wasn’t one of my favorites, unfortunately. And I’m not sure why, but yours appears to be white creamy sauce, mine was more brownish; not sure why the difference; It didn’t seem as appealing (food is certainly visual) If you have any ideas, please let me know. I want to try this one again using different ingredients, hoping the adjustment will improve my experience, a bit. I won’t give up yet since this dish used to be one of my favorites before I became vegan. Thanks for letting me know it’s possible to find another, more healthy version.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
It it was brown, then it’s because something you used in it is brown. You also may have browned the shallot or garlic too much, they should be sauteed until translucent, not fried. Would contribute a brown color and bitter texture. What type of non-dairy milk, pasta, and vegetable broth did you use?
Anon says
Can I use a dollop of dijon mustard or tahini sauce to add to creaminess/flavor or would that be weird? There are some mac n cheese recipes that ask for such ingredients and they help add to the dish!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
You’re welcome to experiment if you would like!