Easy Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo (Printable)

Light, velvety pasta with a smooth no-cream cauliflower sauce. Perfect guilt-free comfort food ready in 40 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 24.7 oz)
02 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled
03 - 1 small yellow onion, chopped

→ Dairy & Alternatives

04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
06 - 1/2 cup milk, dairy or unsweetened plant-based

→ Pasta

07 - 12.3 oz fettuccine or linguine

→ Seasonings

08 - 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
09 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - Pinch of ground nutmeg, optional

→ Garnishes

11 - Fresh parsley, chopped, optional
12 - Extra Parmesan cheese, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets, garlic cloves, and chopped onion. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until cauliflower is very tender.
02 - Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked vegetables to a blender.
03 - Add butter, Parmesan cheese, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Add a splash of cooking water if needed to achieve desired consistency.
04 - In the same pot, cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain thoroughly.
05 - Return drained pasta to the pot. Pour the cauliflower Alfredo sauce over pasta and toss well to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired creaminess.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley and extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You get all the velvety richness of traditional Alfredo without the heavy cream sitting in your stomach afterward.
  • It comes together in less than 45 minutes, so weeknight dinners feel less like a project and more like a treat.
02 -
  • Don't skip blending the cauliflower until it's completely smooth—lumps will remind you this is a vegetable, which defeats the whole purpose of the deception.
  • The sauce thickens as it cools, so make it slightly looser than you want and let the pasta water help you adjust the consistency at the last moment.
03 -
  • Reserve your pasta water before you drain—this starchy liquid is the difference between a sauce that clings and one that pools at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Taste and season at the very end, after the pasta water is added, since salt concentrations shift as you adjust consistency.
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