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St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, so what better excuse to share with you all THE BEST creamy vegan Basil Alfredo Sauce that is both oil- & gluten-free. Dare I say best? After one bite you will know exactly why. And be warned, you won’t be able to stop until it’s all gone ?
This recipe was made in collaboration with a few amazing vegan youtubers, and I definitely recommend you check out these recipes along with this one for more fun ideas to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with healthy vegan recipes. 
Caitlin Shoemaker aka From My Bowl put together this secret ingredient Healthy Shamrock Shake. I was intrigued by the ingredients she used and definitely want to try this out for myself! 
Emilie of Emilie Eats shared with us these AMAZING Healthy Mint Chocolate Chip Brownie recipe with a minty frosting.
Lisa Reimi Shared these Brownie Whip Parfaits, just look at that color! 
Faith from The Conscientious Eater made Vegan Irish Soda Farls, “AKA the quickest, most delicious triangle English Muffins” as she said.
A little behind the scenes shot of the shoot for this recipe 😛 This was the first video Chris and I worked on together and we were able to utilize different camera angles with our equipment. I twas definitely a learning process in the editing, but I learned SO MUCH and I am ready to put together more to share with you all here on my blog and youtube channel.
If you want to check out the equipment we use, I have a full blog post summarizing it + offering my tips for starting a blog 🙂
As always, make sure you tag me on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan or twitter @sweetsimpleveg and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of my recipes, I love to see your photos!
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The Best Vegan Basil Alfredo {oil-free} – Recipe Collaboration!
- Yield: 6
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashew nuts, soaked overnight*
- 16 oz pasta of choice (I used Explore Cuisine Green Lentil Penne)
- 1 medium white onion, peeled and halved
- 1 small head of garlic, 6-8 cloves
- 4 small russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1–2 cups spinach
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 3/4–1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- Red pepper flakes, to garnish
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Cut the top of the garlic head off and remove as much of the outer skin as you can (no need be too meticulous here) and wrap in aluminum foil. Place the onions cut side down and the wrapped garlic on the baking sheet, and broil on high until the onions are browned, about 15 minutes. The garlic cloves should feel soft and be easily pressed out of the peels.
- In the meantime, steam your potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Once steamed, mash and measure out 1 cup, reserving any leftovers for another use. Place into a high-speed blender.
- Once the onions and garlic are done, remove from the oven and cool a bit until easy to handle. Press out/peel out the garlic cloves and place them in the blender along with the onions.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients for the alfredo (except for the basil) to the blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the basil, adjust seasonings to taste and pour over the pasta. Mix until uniform.
- Garnish with red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
- If you would like to speed up the soaking time of the cashews, soak your cashews in boiling water for 20 minutes.
- If you would like, the addition of 1 cup green peas is recommended! If frozen, thaw it at room temperature while pasta cooks. Once you mix the pasta and sauce together, also add in the peas and cook over medium-low heat until warmed through.
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