If you’ve had pasta with an Italian cream sauce then you understand how delicious a buttery sauce base tastes paired with savory herbs and spices like garlic, oregano, and rosemary. These sauces contain the perfect balance of spiciness from the herbs and richness from the creamy base for a savory flavor and rich texture.
I was inspired to make a dairy-free version of a garlic & herb cream sauce that is every bit as buttery, garlicky, and creamy. It’s like garlic butter turned pasta sauce that is excellent for drenching over noodles. It’s everything you could want in a sauce!
Unlike most cream sauces though, this sauce is much lighter–not in texture but in the after feeling; it doesn’t linger in your stomach for hours with a feeling of heaviness. Fortunately, it’s every bit as creamy as a traditional cream sauce without the downsides of using regular cream. With this sauce, the digestive system does’t have to spend all of its energy trying to break down animal-based cream products. You will still feel very satisfied and satiated after eating it without being wiped out by a food coma.
Speaking of food comas, this is especially common if you have Celiac disease where ingredients such as wheat and dairy remain in the stomach as it tries to digest the pounds of thick heavy gluten that wipe out energy and take forever to get processed by the body. If this is the case, for my fellow Celiacs and those with gluten allergies you can pair this cream sauce with your favorite gluten free noodles, rice, and even veggies and potatoes or whatever you’d like. There are endless possibilities! It’s the pasta that is both easy and delicious, which is great for serving to anyone who’s gluten-free for a rich and satisfying bowl of warm creamy noodles.
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp. earth balance spread or coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp. unrefined salt
- pepper to taste
- 2 cups plain almond, coconut or other unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup gluten free flour
- optional 1 tsp. each of oregano, parsley, and rosemary
- drizzle of olive oil and salt & pepper to taste
- Start by prepping your ingredients, then melt the earth balance or coconut oil in a pan over low to medium heat. Once spread has melted, add the garlic and sauté about two minutes or until translucent. Add the salt and pepper and optional herbs to this pan and let steam sauté until fragrant. Add the non-dairy milk to this pan and allow it to warm and absorb flavors, then whisk in the flour until there are no lumps. Continue stirring awhile until the mix thickens, about ten minutes. Next, turn off the heat and allow sauce to settle and thicken then drizzle with olive oil and additional salt and pepper.
Yummmmmmm!!!!
Wow this looks sooooo delicious. And you said it – buttery! I love garlic and who doesn’t love pasta, so this is a serious win in my book!
Thanks! Garlic is just the best, isn’t it? Makes everything taste like garlic butter :)
Do I hAVe to use gluten free flour ?
Nope, regular flour would be fine in this recipe!
Yum! Definitely trying this because all those milky cream sauces upset my stomach. Can I use regular butter instead of coconut oil? (I know, prob. not as healthy! ;)
Awesome! :) Yes you can, let me know how it is.
We had this for dinner tonight. I used soy milk and also chucked in mushrooms and asparagus. Was soooo good. Even my 7 month old enjoyed it!
Yay! I am so glad you all liked it! :)
This was so good. I haven’t had a really delicious “creme” sauce in 5 years since going dairy free/Gluten free. I used coconut flour (Trader Joe’s) and rice noodles (Annie Chun) it tasted great! I couldn’t believe *I* made it, haha! Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m so glad you liked it! :) Thank you for trying it out and letting me know!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! It must be delicious with rice noodles. Thank you for letting me know!
This looks fantastic. Just what I was looking for. Instead of using GF flour, can I use arrowroot or tapioca starch?
Oops disregard my previous comment, I’m sorry! I was thinking of the wrong recipe. Arrowroot or tapioca starch would work great in this recipe!! :)
Yay I’m so glad! Yes, that will probably work! It could just make it a bit denser–that should be okay though because it’s a crumble. Let me know how it goes! :)
Oops disregard my previous comment, I’m sorry! I was thinking of the wrong recipe. Arrowroot or tapioca starch would work great in this recipe!! :)
How many servings does this make?
Around two or possibly four if it’s served as a side.
Hi! I attempted to make this but must if did something wrong. I used unsweetened coconut milk and coconut flour. The flour never cooked all the way down so you could still taste the flour. It had a gritty texture. What did I do wrong? Thanks!
Hey! I’m sorry the coconut flour substitute didn’t work out for you. Usually coconut flour doesn’t thicken up very well in order to to create a sauce-type consistency. Could you try using an all-purpose GF flour like Bob’s red mill? Also, out flour might work well too! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Just made this to top our salmon and roasted veggies …it is AMAZING!