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We are excited to share this incredibly delicious Cajun-Style Fettuccine Alfredo with Blackened Vegan Chicken from Ashley Hankins of Eat Figs Not Pigs new cookbook, Make it Vegan.
Ashley’s new cookbook is all about making vegan cooking easy and approachable, but also decadent and delicious. Whether you’re an experienced cook, or just giving it a shot for the first time, Make it Vegan has something for everyone.
If you’re a fan of decadent pasta dishes loaded with flavor, this is the recipe for you. Think classic creamy fettuccine Alfredo mixed with Cajun-inspired flavors, and blackened pieces of chick’n made from soy curls.
This recipe is an ode to one of Ashley’s favorite dishes that she used to order at a restaurant long before she was vegan. This Cajun-inspired Alfredo is everything we love about fettuccine Alfredo with some Cajun flair!
Here’s What You Need to Make this Cajun-Style Fettuccine Alfredo:
- Soy Curls – One of the most underrated meat substitutes. Soy curls are a whole soy product and are designed to absorb any flavor they’re marinated in. Our go-to brand of soy curls is Butler, if you’d like to try them for yourselves!
- Spices – The spice blend for the blackened chick’n is simple and straight forward, but it definitely does the trick. All you need is onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
- Fettuccini Noodles – Of course, what would fettuccine Alfredo be without fettuccine noodles? Fettuccine is a flat and wide ribbon-style pasta perfect for creamy dishes.
- Cashews – Cashews are the secret to making a creamy Alfredo sauce. Blended with plant milk and spices, you have a flavor-packed sauce in minutes.
- Veggies – In this dish Ashley uses both sautéed tomatoes and bell peppers. The flavors of both vegetables together elevate this dish in the best way.
Looking For More Pasta Dishes?
- Easy One-Pot Pasta
- Easy Vegan Pasta Primavera
- One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper
- Vegan Penne Alla Vodka
- One-Pot Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
GIVEAWAY!
If you’d like to enter to win a copy of Ashley’s book Make it Vegan, simply subscribe to our email list and leave a comment down below with the email you subscribed with so we know you entered. You can comment as many times as you’d like, and each comment will count as one entry. This giveaway is for US & Canada only.
If you’d like to enter to win any of the other cookbooks, find the links below:
- Hot For Food All Day (US Only)
- Liv B’s Easy Everyday (US & Canada
- Fast Easy Cheap Vegan (Worldwide)
- Vegan Yum (US only)
Cajun-Style Fettuccine Alfredo with Blackened Vegan Chicken
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This recipe is an ode to one of Ashley’s favorite dishes that she used to order at a restaurant long before she was vegan. This Cajun-inspired Alfredo is everything we love about fettuccine Alfredo with some Cajun flair!
Ingredients
Blackened Chick’n:
- 1/2 (8 oz) bag soy curls (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Fettuccine and Vegetables
- 1 pound fettuccine
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups chopped red bell peppers (about 2 medium peppers)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped orange bell peppers (about 2 medium peppers)
Cajun-Style Alfredo Sauce
- 1 1/4 cups raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
- 2 cups unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, plus more if desired
For Garnish:
- Shredded or grated vegan parmesan
- Thinly sliced green onions
- Minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Soak the soy curls in hot water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and thoroughly squeeze out the excess water through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve one cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse.
- To make the sauce, drain and rinse the cashews and place them in a high-powered blender along with the milk, nutritional yeast, garlic, and Cajun seasoning. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.
- For the salt and spices for the blackened chick’n into a large bowl. Using a fork or west, mix the seasonings well. Toss the soy curls in the seasonings and coat generously using your hands.
- To cook the vegetables, heat the olive oil and a sauté pan over high heat. You’ll know the oil is hot enough when it is shimmering and slides easily around the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, carefully add the tomatoes and cook for one minute without disturbing them. Stir gently and cook until the tomatoes begin to blister, 2 to 3 more minutes.
- Add the bell peppers and sauté until they’re softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully remove the tomatoes and peppers from the pan with a slotted spoon and lower the heat to medium-high.
- Place the season soy curls in the pan and an even layer. Cook, giving them a good stir every 2 to 3 minutes until they look slightly crisped around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduced to low heat.
- Add the fettuccine, sauce, and tomatoes, and peppers to the pan with the soy curls, tossing to combine all the ingredients well. If the sauce seems too thick, add the reserved pasta water 1/4 cup at a time until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. Taste and add salt or more Cajun seasoning if needed.
- Serve immediately garnished with Parmesan, green onions, and parsley.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stove top
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I didn’t have soy curls on hand, so I made this with Daring Cajun “Chicken” instead. So, so tasty!!! 😋
I made this recipe with mushrooms instead of soy curls but followed all other instructions and it was amazing! Reminds me of the Louisiana Pasta from Cheesecake Factory! Such a good vegan copycat. Will be making again <3