SKINNY FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

This deliciously creamy and guilt-free skinny fettuccine alfredo has no cream! Some might argue, “but how can it be creamy without cream?” To that I simply say, just give this recipe a go – I too was surprised when I tried it. Pasta is definitely my favourite food in the whole world, so I probably make this at least once a month (okay more like once a week).

So what makes it ‘skinny’?

In a classic creamy alfredo dish the star ingredient is cream. However, cream is unfortunately no good for you. So I have found a much healthier alternative that doesn’t make you feel like you’re missing out. To do this we start with a roux. For those of you who are like ‘what the hell does this fancy word mean?’, it’s simply butter combined with flour. It’s created at the beginning of a sauce to make it thicker. From there we add equal parts milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil – specifically low-fat milk. The milk adds creaminess and the chicken broth adds a subtle savoury flavour. So that is the base of the sauce, super easy and super delicious! You can add any extra flavour you like but cheese is essential in my opinion. I’ve used parmesan because I like the extra saltiness.

I like to make mine even healthier by adding spinach and mushrooms but that is of course optional. You could add any veggies really, broccolini or green beans would also be good in this skinny fettuccine alfredo.

It actually comes together quite quickly, you can make the sauce while the pasta is cooking. Perfect if you’re in a hurry but still want a super tasty and nutritious lunch or dinner. 

Leave a comment below and let me know if you give it a go!

Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo

Course: dinnerDifficulty: easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

A deliciously creamy guilt-free and vegetarian alfredo.

Ingredients

• 500g fettuccine

• 2 tbsp butter

• 2 tbsp plain flour

• 3 garlic cloves minced

• 1 cup skim milk

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 2 cups mushrooms chopped

• 2 tsp fresh oregano chopped

• 1 cup baby spinach

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

Directions

• Cook the fettuccine as per the packet directions in salted water.
• Heat butter until fully melted and add flour. Keep stirring until they are well combined and the butter starts turning a darker caramel colour.
• Add garlic and fry off for about a minute.
• Add the milk, chicken stock, salt, pepper, spinach, and mushrooms, bring to the boil then let simmer until the sauce thickens.
• Turn off the heat, add the pasta and stir through the cheese and oregano.
• If the sauce gets too thick add some pasta water, don’t let that starchy goodness go to waste!

Notes

• It tastes just as good re-heated, just be sure to add a splash of milk before you pop it in the microwave.