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    Home » Vegan Recipes

    June 20, 2021

    Creamy Kimchi Alfredo Pasta (Easy + Vegan)

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    This Creamy Kimchi Alfredo Pasta is easy to make and will be your new favorite way to eat kimchi! Ready in less than 30 minutes! Gluten-free option included.

    Kimchi alfredo pasta served in a blue bowl. Topped with chopped green onion.

    Lately, I have been obsessed with all things Korean, and I felt called to include a Korean-Inspired dish on the blog.

    This vegan kimchi alfredo pasta has the classic cashew cheese base, but with a spicy twist from the fermented kimchi. It may sound fancy, but it's quite easy to make. Perfect if you want to impress, without a mess.

    What is Kimchi?

    Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean dish. It's made from a combination of vegetables (usually cabbage, radish, and carrots), garlic, ginger, chili peppers, salt, and fish sauce. Kimchi is pretty much like next-level sauerkraut. It's tangy, sour, and spicy, and has a nice umami flavor.

    Stirring vegan alfredo fettuccine pasta with wooden chopsticks, in a blue bowl.

    Ingredients

    • Fettuccine. We love using fresh pasta for the best flavor, but you can use regular fettuccine as well. However, use gluten-free pasta if needed.
    • Kimchi. Either homemade or store-bought.
    • Raw cashews. Be sure to soak your cashews beforehand. This will ensure a creamy base!
    • Unsweetened non-dairy milk. We like to use soy milk, but any plant-based milk will do. You can also use water.
    • Nutritional yeast. What is vegan kimchi alfredo pasta without some cheesiness?! Nutritional yeast definitely does the job, without the dairy.
    • Mushrooms. We like button mushrooms, but you can use any mushrooms you like.
    • Onion and garlic. Give great flavor to this dish.
    • Soy sauce. Use tamari if you are gluten-free.
    • Spices like salt, black pepper, and onion powder.
    • Corn starch or tapioca starch. For thickening.
    • Lemon juice. It helps to balance out the savory flavors.
    • Sesame oil. I love cooking with sesame oil. because it gives a nice nutty flavor, but this recipe will work with any oil.
    • Parsley and green onion. For freshness, plus color.

    How to Make Kimchi Alfredo Pasta

    First, heat sesame oil on medium-high heat. Add diced white onion and mushrooms. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are lightly brown.

    Next, add soy sauce, garlic, and kimchi. Cook for further 5-6 minutes.

    Cooked mushrooms, onion and kimchi in a white dutch oven.

    In the meantime, make the alfredo sauce. Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the vegan alfredo sauce into the pot.

    Stirring vegsn alfredo sauce in a glass blender jar, with a wooden spoon.

    Then, add the cooked fettuccini pasta, parsley, green onion, and vegan parmesan (optional). Stir until well coated.

    Finally, cook for 4-5 minutes or until the cashew sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.

    And voila! Your kimchi alfredo pasta is ready to serve.

    When serving, I like to top this dish with more kimchi, parsley, green onion, and vegan parmesan. You can use regular parmesan such as Parmigiano Reggiano.

    Cooked pasta, mixed with cashew alfredo sauce in a dutch oven. Topped with green onion.

    Storage

    • Fridge: It's best to keep cooked pasta and the kimchi cashew sauce in separate containers. Combine before serving. This helps with the texture of the dish and ensures that the fettuccine will keep its shape.
    • Freezer: This dish doesn't freeze well, but you can freeze cashew sauce for later! Pour it into a jar and freeze for up to 1 month. When you are ready to make this recipe, let the cashew sauce thaw overnight in the fridge.
    • Reheat: Add the pre-made sauce to a pot with a splash of water and bring to a simmer. Then, add cooked pasta and stir well. Serve.

    Expert Tips

    • Use well-fermented kimchi. This is a key thing when making this kimchi alfredo pasta. If your kimchi is well fermented it will be tangier and more flavorful, which will make this dish taste even better.
    • If you forgot to soak your cashew the night before, boil them in a small pot for 10-15 minutes. They should be pretty soft in order to make a creamy sauce. When ready, drain and rinse well.
    • Add more or less kimchi depending on how spicy and tangy you want it!
    • Use gluten-free pasta if you need to make this recipe gluten-free.
    A close up shot of kimchi alfredo fettuccine pasta in a blue bowl. Topped with more kimchi and green onion.

    FAQ

    Where to buy vegan kimchi?

    Traditional kimchi is not vegan, but you can find vegan kimchi in most Asian stores, depending on where you live. However, be sure to read the ingredients lists. Avoid things like fish sauce, shrimp paste, etc. And if you feel brave, you can make your own vegan kimchi.

    Can I make this recipe nut-free?

    You can use light coconut milk from a can, instead of making your own cashew cream. Or you can use a nut-free store-bought vegan cream.

    Does it keep well?

    This recipe is best when served fresh. If you want to meal-prep it, you can make the sauce 3 days in advance and mix it with the pasta before serving.

    A bowl of vegan alfredo pasta, with wooden chopsticks in it.

    More Easy Vegan Pasta Recipes

    Vegan Baked Spaghetti

    Vegan Mac and Cheese without Cashews

    Healthy Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta

    If you make this recipe, tag us on Instagram at @sunglowkitchen and hashtag #sunglowkitchen so we can see your delicious results!

    A close-up shot of vegan alfredo fettuccine pasta in a bowl. Topped with green onion.

    Creamy Kimchi Alfredo Pasta

    Petranka
    This Creamy Kimchi Alfredo Pasta is easy to make and will be your new favorite way to eat kimchi! Ready in less than 30 minutes! Gluten-free option included.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 2 hrs 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins
    Course Entree, Side Dish
    Cuisine Gluten-free, Italian-Inspired, Vegan
    Servings 3 people
    Calories 640 kcal

    Equipment

    • Stove top

    Ingredients
      

    For the pasta

    • 8 ounces fettuccine pasta (use gluten-free if needed)
    • 2 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1 small white onion, diced ( ~ 1 ½ cup)
    • 7 button mushrooms, sliced
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (use tamari if gluten-free)
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • ⅓ - ½ cup kimchi, roughly chopped
    • A handful of parsley
    • A handful of green onion, chopped

    For the cashew alfredo sauce

    • ½ cup cashews, soaked and drainer*
    • 1 cup plant milk (we like soy)
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
    • Juice of ½ lemon
    • 1 clove of garlic
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon corn starch (or tapioca starch)

    For serving

    • 2-3 tablespoon vegan parmesan (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Cook pasta according to the packaging instructions. Drain. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoon oil to prevent sticking.
    • To a medium pot, add sesame oil and heat. Once hot, add onion and mushrooms. Cook for 7-10 minutes.
    • In the meantime, make the cashew sauce. Add all of the ingredients for the sauce to a blender. Blend until smooth.
    • To the pot, add soy sauce, garlic, and kimchi. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
    • Add the vegan alfredo sauce, pasta, parsley and chopped green onions. Stir until everything is well coated. Cook for further 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce.
    • Serve immediately, topped with more parsley and vegan parmesan (optional).

    Video

    Notes

    Ideally, you want to soak your cashews overnight but if you forgot to do so, boil them for 10 minutes, then drain.
    For best results, save pasta and sauce separately and mix before serving. This recipe keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge.
    For homemade vegan kimchi, see this recipe.
    *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
    Keyword alfredo pasta, cashew sauce, kimchi, pasta, spring
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Boris Sokachev says

      August 10, 2021 at 4:17 pm

      5 stars
      Gorgeously filling. Made some yesterday and it was the perfect lunch for after my biking. Its also surprisingly fun to make, just putting everything together got me in the mood to watch some karate kid.

      Reply
      • Petranka says

        October 26, 2021 at 7:30 am

        Hahaha. Love this!

        Reply

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       Hi, I'm Petranka!  

    Sunglow Kitchen is a food blog about healthy vegan and vegetarian recipes. We share easy-to-make and budget-friendly meal ideas that anyone can make at home! Cooking is a BIG passion of mine and I am excited to show you how simple it can be! More about me...

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