This 20-minute vegan pumpkin alfredo is creamy, decadent, and tastes like autumn in a bowl! It's an easy weekday meal, and even gluten-free!
- 250 grams gluten-free spaghetti
- salt, for the cooking the pasta
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium shallot, sliced
- 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup cashews, soaked unless using a high-power blender*
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
- parsley, for garnish
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Make the pasta: add water to a large pot and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil.
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While the water is coming to a boil, prepare the sauce. Add the vegan butter to a small frying pan and heat over medium heat. When the butter is hot, add the garlic, shallot, salt, and pepper. Fry until they begin to get lightly brown around the edges, about 4-6 minutes.
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At this point, your water should be boiling. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
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While the pasta is cooking, finish the sauce. Add the pumpkin puree, cashews, water, lemon juice, and all the fried garlic, shallot, and melted butter to a blender. Blend until smooth. It will be on the thicker side!
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When your pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of pasta water before straining.
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Return the pasta to the pot, add the pumpkin alfredo sauce, and mix. Use the pasta water to thin out the sauce to however you like it. I used about 2/3 cup of the reserved water for mine.
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Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, and lemon juice as desired. Garnish with some parsley, if you'd like!
*I don't soak my cashews because I used a Vita Mix. If you don't have a high speed blender like that, it's a good idea to soak your cashews in water for about 4 hours to ensure you have a creamy sauce. If you do soak your cashews, your sauce will be a bit thinner, so you may need less pasta water at the end.
