This deliciously thick and creamy vegetarian red pepper Alfredo recipe is surprisingly simple to make!
Red pepper Alfredo sauce recipe
We cook a variation of this creamy pasta dish at least once a month.
The homemade red pepper sauce is a wonderful addition to pretty much everything, including penne, fettuccine, spaghetti, linguine, roasted vegetables, garlic bread, or served in a bowl as a thick and comforting soup.
It is also great over spaghetti squash if you want to save calories.
The quick and easy dinner recipe calls for just eight ingredients, and it can be oil free, egg free, gluten free, keto, paleo, Whole30, sugar free, low carb, and vegan.
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Healthy dairy free pasta sauce
This magically thick Alfredo sauce requires no heavy cream.
Instead, the richness comes from heart healthy cashews, one of my favorite versatile plant based ingredients.
Cashews or macadamia nuts can be used in both sweet and savory recipes to produce incredible creaminess even without any heavy cream or dairy.
The nondairy and vegan sauce comes together really easily.
Just throw your ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.
You can heat the sauce while boiling the pasta or veggie noodles, so everything is ready to eat at the same time.
Prefer a nut free pasta recipe? Try Lemon Pasta or Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Vegetarian red pepper Alfredo recipe video
Above – watch the step by step recipe video
Roasted red pepper Alfredo ingredients
To make the recipe, you need one pepper, onion powder, ground turmeric, nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese, salt, water, cashews, and an optional pinch of nutmeg.
The Alfredo is equally tasty with a roasted or raw bell pepper. And feel free to swap red for a yellow or orange pepper instead.
We like to use unsalted raw cashews. For a low carb option, macadamia nuts are a great choice. If you can only find roasted salted nuts, decrease the salt in the recipe.
The onion powder adds depth of flavor and should not be omitted. However you may replace it with one or two sautéed shallots or half a cup of diced roasted onion.
For a vegan red pepper sauce, use nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan.
The sauce needs no eggs, butter, coconut milk, goat cheese, or heavy cream. It therefore is naturally cholesterol free and low in saturated fat.
Use leftover peppers in this Vegan Ramen Recipe
How to make red pepper pasta
If you have extra time, start by soaking the nuts in a bowl of water for at least an hour. drain and pat fully dry. While this step is not required, it will yield the creamiest texture.
Slice the bell pepper, and discard the stem and seeds.
Add all ingredients to a high speed blender. Process until thick and completely smooth.
*If you do not own a high speed blender like a Vitamix, omit the nuts and use half a cup of raw or roasted cashew butter instead. Process the red pepper and water first, then blend with all remaining ingredients in any blender or food processor.
Taste the sauce, then add more salt, black pepper, or other seasonings if you wish.
The red pepper sauce will look somewhat thin, but it thickens considerably when refrigerated or heated on the stove top.
The recipe was adapted from my Cashew Alfredo Sauce
Serving suggestions
This recipe makes enough sauce to cover ten ounces of pasta or vegetables.
Just before plating, try stirring in steamed broccoli, spinach, roasted mushrooms, zucchini, or sundried tomatoes.
Or add a protein source such as cooked chickpeas, baked tofu, green peas, or vegetarian Italian sausage or chicken.
Serve the Alfredo for dinner with a side of garlic toast or Kale Chips.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave.
We do not recommend freezing this sauce because the texture after thawing will be more watery than creamy.
Red Pepper Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper (raw or roasted)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup raw cashews or macadamia nuts
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast or Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
- 10 oz pasta or spaghetti squash or vegetables
- optional grilled or roasted veggies, beans, etc.
Instructions
- Place the nuts in a cereal bowl, cover with water, and let sit 6-8 hours. Drain fully, and pat dry. Blend all ingredients (including the half cup water) except pasta and optional veggies in a food processor or high speed blender until completely smooth. Heat sauce in a pot until desired temperature is reached while cooking pasta in salted water according to package directions in a separate pot. Drain pasta fully, but do not rinse. Pour the sauce over the pasta, season with salt and pepper as desired, and stir in cooked vegetables, beans, or other add-ins if desired. View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
Easy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas
This sounds amazing. I’m going to try subbing sunflower seeds in place of the nuts, due to severe allergies. I’m also wondering if white beans would do the trick.
This was delish!! Next time will make it with spaghetti squash because I ended up eating way too much pasta! Made it in my vitamix and it came out perfectly.
I forgot to mention that I used roasted red peppers and minced garlic in place of the other spices.
I always thought pasta was made with eggs ? What brand is your vegan pasta?
Most pasta is vegan. Just read the labels at the grocery store 😉
I bought everything to make these but I couldn’t find raw cashews so I bought roasted. I’ve never cooked with cashews before.. would I still soak them.. will it even taste right to use them?
Thanks so much! Hoping to make this tomorrow.
Katie, This creamy red pepper Alfredo is outstanding. And it is pretty as a picture. Just a little bit of Heaven here on earth. Thank You for the recipe. Matilda
Just finished eating this red pepper cashew alfredo for dinner and this is the best non-traditional sauce I have ever eaten, hands down! I doubled the recipe and added garlic. I used 1 raw red pepper and 1 roasted from a jar because I didn’t want to make a trip to the store and didn’t have enough of either to use solely. I think it was a good choice but I would suggest cutting back on the salt if you do use peppers from the jar. I added shredded chicken to the dish and I have to say that I regret it because the sauce is such a star on its own. Next time I won’t make that mistake. My husband, who was entirely skeptical while I was prepping, said he would like for this dish to be added to our list of staple meals! Can’t wait to share with some family members who are lactose intolerant. Thanks so much. I haven’t been this excited about a recipe in quite awhile!
I just bought roasted cashews. Can I use those?
We haven’t tried so can’t vouch for the taste, but be sure to report back if you try! It sounds like it might be really good!
Jason
Made this tonight and the flavor is sooo good but mine turned out grainy and not that creamy. What did I do wrong?! I’ll definifely make again but hoping I can get a creamier sauce. Any suggestions?
Hmmm maybe soak the nuts longer? What food processor or blender did you use?
I used a Kitchenaid food processor. I soaked the nuts for about 10 hours, but maybe I should try a blender instead of a food processor? Or maybe I need to keep it in the processor longer?!
Hmmm I’ve used a food processor before and it’s always worked. A Vitamix would be the best for smoothness of course, but I don’t have one and haven’t had an issue with my food processor not making it smooth. Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful!
This recipe is great! I will be making this often. I really enjoyed it.
Katie,
I made this tonight and my husband’s comment was that it was OUTSTANDING! That’s a real rave from him! I loved it and recommend it to all vegans, too! Thanks for such a great recipe.