Gluten-Free Vegan Broccoli Alfredo with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

My easy Gluten-Free Vegan Broccoli Alfredo with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce recipe is a healthy make-over of a classic pasta dish that is typically heavy on the dairy. Enjoy it with gluten-free pasta for a quick meal that everyone will love!

It starts with organic, gluten-free pasta (any type will work and you can also use fettuccine), then mixed with lightly sauteed and seasoned broccoli, and then tossed in a generous amount of garlic cauliflower alfredo sauce which is vegan and dairy-free.

It can be a time-saver if you prepare my Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce in advance...it only takes about 15 minutes to make and is freezer-friendly so you could prepare it in advance and take it out the freezer to thaw while the pasta and broccoli are cooking.  

Your healthy plant-based dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes!

Is This Vegan Broccoli Alfredo with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce Recipe Healthy?

In my opinion, yes!

Traditional store-bought and homemade alfredo pasta sauces have typical ingredients like these:

S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Alfredo Pasta Sauce Ingredients:

Ingredients:  Butter, Cream Cheese, Heavy Cream, Parmesan Cheese

My healthier version is made with plant-based ingredients and is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and can be lectin-free and Medical Medium® Compliant with substitutions.

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Vegan Broccoli Alfredo with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce?

This recipe is made with clean, real food ingredients that are nutrient dense.

Try to buy organic ingredients whenever possible.

1. Broccoli
2. Avocado Oil
3. Cauliflower
4. Almond Milk
5. Vegetable Broth
6. Garlic
7. Himalayan Sea Salt
8. Ground Black Pepper
9. Gluten-Free Pasta
10. Nutritional Yeast* (omit to be 100% Medical Medium® Compliant)

How To Make Vegan Broccoli Alfredo with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce 

I'm going to show you how to make this healthy vegan pasta dish, step-by-step!

Step 1: Prepare the Pasta

Simply decide on the type of pasta you want to use (penne, fettuccine and angel hair pasta all work well) and prepare it according to the package directions.

Make sure you use gluten-free pasta if you need the recipe to be gluten-free. I like to use this brand and this brand.

Once the pasta is ready, drain it and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Cauliflower:

You will need to prep the cauliflower before using it to make the Creamy Cauliflower Sauce.

Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized floret pieces and add to a medium-size pot and boil for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until they're soft.

Drain the cauliflower and then set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the Sauce:

Here, we are going to lightly sauté the garlic, salt and ground black pepper in avocado oil.

Just add the ingredients to a skillet and lightly sauté on low-medium heat until everything is blended together well with a thick paste-type texture.

Once it's finished, you should have about a tablespoon of the sauteed mixture.

Next, you'll add the sauteed mixture and remaining ingredients for the sauce (almond milk, veggie broth, nutritional yeast) to a Vitamix.

Then add the steamed cauliflower to the Vitamix and blend until everything is creamy and smooth. 

Adjust the seasonings to your preference.

Step 4: Prepare the Broccoli:

Using the same skillet you used to sauté the seasonings for the sauce, add all the ingredients for the broccoli and lightly sauté for about 2-4 minutes, or until the broccoli is soft and slightly crispy on the outside.

Step 5: Assemble the Dish:

Here you have two options.

You can either toss everything together and serve or plate the pasta and add the sauce and broccoli on top.

Either way tastes great!

Gluten-Free Vegan Broccoli Alfredo with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

My easy Gluten-Free Vegan Broccoli Alfredo with Creamy Cauliflower Sauce recipe is a healthy make-over of a classic pasta dish that is typically heavy on the dairy. Enjoy it with gluten-free pasta for a quick meal that everyone will love!

Plant-Based | Gluten-Free | Vegan | Dairy-Free | Soy-Free | Tofu-Free | Lectin-Free* | Medical Medium® Compliant* (with substitutions)

4.75 from 8 votes

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Yields: 4 servings

Calories : 421

Equipment

• Non-Toxic Skillet
• Vitamix

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 cups organic gluten-free penne pasta cooked

For the sauce

• ▢ 4 cups organic cauliflower florets
• ▢ 2 cups homemade almond milk
• ▢ ½ cup organic vegetable broth
• ▢ 5 cloves organic garlic freshly crushed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ▢ 1 tablespoon 100% pure avocado oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon organic ground black pepper

For the broccoli

• ▢ 4 cups organic broccoli florets
• ▢ 2 tablespoons 100% pure avocado oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon organic ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon organic ground garlic powder

Dietary Substitutions

• ▢ *Medical Medium - omit the nutritional yeast
• ▢ *Lectin-Free - substitute gluten-free pasta with Miracle Noodles

Instructions

Prepare the pasta:

• Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Drain then set aside.

Prepare the sauce:

• While the pasta is boiling, prepare the cauliflower sauce by adding the cauliflower florets to a medium-size pot and boil for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until they're soft. Drain then set aside.
• Add the avocado oil, crushed garlic, Himalayan pink salt and ground black pepper to a non-toxic skillet and lightly sauté' on low-medium heat until it's blended together with a thick paste-type texture. You should have approximately 1 tablespoon. Set aside.
• Add the remaining ingredients (almond milk, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast) to a Vitamix, or high-speed blender, along with the drained cauliflower and the garlic mixture. Blend on high speed until it's creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Set aside.

Prepare the broccoli:

• Add all the ingredients for the broccoli to a non-toxic skillet and lightly sauté' for 2-4 minutes, or until the broccoli is soft and slightly crispy on the outside. Adjust seasonings to your preference. Set aside.

Assembly:

• When the pasta is finished and drained, add it back to the sauce pan, along with the cauliflower sauce and sauteed broccoli. Gently toss together until it's well combined and evenly distributed. Lightly warm on low-medium heat for 1-2 minutes then serve.
• Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

* Nutritional Yeast: This is not a Medical Medium® Compliant ingredient. It can be omitted or substituted with chickpea breadcrumbs.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1svg | Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 764mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 9g

Course:Recipes

Cuisine:American

Recipe Author: Karielyn Tillman

Copyright Notice

The instructions, notes, and photographs for this recipe by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are copyrighted material. This copyrighted work is protected and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) and cannot be legally used without my written permission.

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Want More Healthy Gluten-Free Vegan Pasta Recipes?

Check out these:

• Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Creamy Vegan Cilantro and Lime Tahini Dressing 
• Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta 
• Pasta with Asparagus and Creamy Mushroom Sauce 

Did You Make This Healthy Recipe?

If so, please give it a rating and leave a comment below...it would make my day! 🙂