Vegan Cannellini Fettuccine Alfredo Gets Its Creaminess From Beans

Cannellini beans do the heavy lifting in this vegan take on fettuccine Alfredo: blended with hot vegetable stock, lemon and nutritional yeast, they form a creamy sauce without dairy. The result balances savory depth with a bright citrus edge, while red chili flakes add a restrained kick.

A bean based sauce with a practical finish

The method builds flavor before blending. Onion softens in olive oil, then garlic, chili flakes and rinsed beans cook together for five minutes. Lemon juice and nutritional yeast join the mixture in a food processor; hot stock goes in gradually until the sauce turns smooth. A little reserved pasta water helps it cling to the noodles and reach a velvety consistency.

For two servings, the recipe uses one can of cannellini or navy beans, 13 ounces of fettuccine, half an onion, two garlic cloves, one tablespoon of nutritional yeast and the juice of one lemon. The sauce is seasoned with sea salt and black pepper. Fettuccine takes about seven to eight minutes to cook al dente, though other pasta shapes can work too.

Finish with citrus and herbs

Lemon zest, chopped parsley and freshly cracked black pepper sharpen the finished dish. Peas, spinach or roasted broccoli can round out the plate with vegetables, while the pasta also works as a quick lunch or dinner on its own.

Nutritional yeast is central to the recipe’s savory, cheese like flavor, so it’s the ingredient to seek out if it isn’t already in the pantry. The recipe is from Andrea Soranidis’ The Vegan Bean Cookbook, published by Page Street Publishing Co. in 2021, and is reprinted with permission.

Read more: Pasta With Arugula In A Creamy Lemon Sauce

Reprinted with permission from The Vegan Bean Cookbook by Andrea Soranidis. Page Street Publishing Co. 2021. Photo credit: Andrea Soranidis.

Whip up this creamy cannellini fettuccine alfredo

This vegan fettuccine alfredo uses cannellini beans to make a creamy, savory sauce with lemon and nutritional yeast. It is an easy pasta meal for lunch or dinner and pairs well with simple vegetables on the side.

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Servings2

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ yellow onion minced
• 2 garlic cloves finely sliced
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 can cannellini or navy beans rinsed and drained
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 cup vegetable stock hot
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 13 oz fettuccine or other pasta shapes

To Serve

• Zest of 1½ lemon
• 1 handful of parsley leaves finely chopped
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for about two minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, chili flakes and beans, then cook five minutes more, adding a splash of water if the pan gets dry.
• Move the bean mixture to a food processor. Add lemon juice and nutritional yeast, then pulse until the mixture is coarse.
• With the processor running slowly, pour in the hot stock in stages. Blend until creamy, then season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente; fettuccine generally takes seven to eight minutes. Reserve 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) of pasta water before draining.
• Return the drained pasta to the pot and fold in the sauce. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time, tossing until the sauce coats the noodles with a silky finish.
• Serve with lemon zest, chopped parsley and more black pepper.
Nutritional yeast supplies the sauce’s savory, cheese like note, so it’s a useful pantry addition for this recipe.

This article was written by Andrea Soranidis on the PBN Website.