Mmmmm, fettuccine alfredo.
I don’t know about you, but this rich and creamy and oh-so-decadent pasta is pretty much the ultimate comfort food in my book. It has long been a favorite dish of mine, and one that I always looked forward to ordering out at some of my favorite Italian restaurants on special occasions. But I made the mistake of peeking at the nutrition facts for fettuccine alfredo a few years ago. And after seeing just how much (hint: so much) extra butter and heavy cream restaurants usually toss into this dish, I felt like it was probably time to swear it off for good.
But let’s be real — a girl needs her favorite fettuccine alfredo every now an then.
So I set to work a few years ago experimenting and tweaking with ways to lighten up this classic dish. I stuck with the traditional ingredients (no cauliflower sauce here), although I completely nixed the heavy cream in place of low-fat milk with a roux. And lo and behold, it actually worked!!! Turns out you can have rich and creamy and oh-so-decadent fettuccine alfredo made at home — bonus, in just 20 minutes! — with this lightened-up easy recipe. And I’m obsessed with it.
And today I thought I would bump it back to the top of the blog to re-share it with those of you who might have missed it and need some healthier fettuccine alfredo in your lives. :) I went ahead and updated the pictures from the original post that I shared about 3 years ago, but the recipe is the same and just as good as ever. So put on some water to boil, and let’s make some pasta!
Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe | 1-Minute Video
This recipe, of course, centers around its two namesake ingredients — fettuccine and alfredo sauce.
You’re welcome to use any kind of pasta you’d like for this recipe — traditional semolina, whole-wheat pasta, gluten-free pasta (if so, check out my gluten-free alfredo sauce recipe), totally up to you! My one tip as always is just to be sure that you generously salt the water before adding the pasta. This is your one opportunity to kick up the flavor in the actual pasta itself, so don’t skimp!
But the sauce — this magical sauce — is the rockstar of the recipe. As I said, no heavy cream or cream cheese is used in this recipe. All you need are:
- olive oil (a healthier fat, or you’re welcome to use butter for the flavor)
- fresh garlic (a must!!)
- flour (to thicken)
- chicken broth (more flavorful than milk; you can also sub in veggie stock)
- low-fat milk (you can use any milk, even soy)
- Parmesan cheese (if you freshly grate it, it will be more flavorful)
Both the sauce and pasta cook quickly. So when you’re ready, drain your pasta and then add in the alfredo sauce.
Then toss them together until everything is nice and creamy and evenly coated.
Then a delicious pan of fettuccine alfredo is yours to enjoy! You’re welcome to just serve it plain…
…or you can top it with a little extra Parmesan, some fresh parsley or basil, or whatever sounds good. :)
But the best news? As opposed to the fettuccine alfredo recipe from Olive Garden, which clocks in at a whopping 1220 calories a serving, one serving of this alfredo sauce clocks in at 141 calories, and when combined with the fettuccine it is 450 calories a serving. Not too shabby for a thick and creamy pasta. Perfect when served with a light salad like this one.
Enjoy!
Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fettuccine (or any pasta shape)
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or butter
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely-minced
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)
- 3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- (optional toppings: chopped fresh parsley, extra Parmesan)
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions, in generously-salted water.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil (or melt butter) in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Sprinkle with flour, and stir to combine. Saute for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally.
- Slowly add chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. Whisk in milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for an additional minute until thickened, then stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the cheese melted. Reduce heat to medium-low until pasta is cooked.
- Drain pasta, then immediately add pasta to the saute pan with alfredo sauce. Toss to combine. Serve topped with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!*Nutrition facts calculated with My Fitness Pal.
Hi – could I replace the flour for the same amount of cornstarch to make this gluten free?
Yes, definitely, but instead of making a roux like you would with the butter and flour, you’ll make a “slurry” with cornstarch and stock/water. Sauté the garlic and then take the 1 cup of stock, pour into a medium bowl and whisk in cornstarch until smooth (you’ll need 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch for this amount of liquid). Then add that mixture to the pan with the garlic. We hope you enjoy! :)
i was thinking add canned salmon to the sauce? i love crab Alfredo but all i have is canned salmon and tuna…i personally do think adding salmon will be a great touch. i also am planning on adding 1 roasted red pepper to the sauce also. i can not wait to try it. i am a sucker for a alfredo sauce but since i am trying to watch my waste line, i thought i had to cut it out completely.
i will be using whole wheat penne pasta. i am so excited for tomorrow night to try this!
We think that would be yummy Joy! We hope you enjoy! :)
I’ve been looking for a skinny Alfredo sauce. Thanks so much. it’s delish!
Awesome Judi — we’re so glad you enjoyed it! :D
Hi,
Do you have the macros for this recipe?
Thanks!
Mecan
Hi Mecan! Unfortunately we aren’t sure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!
What about subbing the flour? Coconut? Brown rice?
Hi Stephanie! We would actually opt for cornstarch or arrowroot powder instead, if you’re looking to sub the flour. We hope you enjoy this!
Amazing recipe! I didn’t have all the needed ingredients so I tweaked it a little (didn’t add chicken stock and used almond milk instead of regular milk) and it still tasted great! Thank you for this!
Thanks Maggie! We’re happy you enjoyed this, and that’s great to know the almond milk worked out well! :)
This was brilliant – substituted the pasta for spiralized Celeriac – outstanding!!!! Thank you!
Very cool JoJo! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! :)
I don’t have parmesan cheese on hand. Can I use regular cheese (mozarella or cheddar)? Thanks!
Hi Mel! Unfortunately parmesan is the main ingredient that makes alfredo. You could certainly use cheddar (we wouldn’t use mozzarella), but it’s not going to have the same taste.
Hi Haley,
How many does the above recipe serve…? I’m looking forward to trying this. Thanks for sharing!! :-)
Hi Sam! This should make about 4 servings. We hope you enjoy!
Hi! I’m from Indonesia. Cream is kinda difficult (not to mention expensive too!) to find here in my country so when I came across your recipe without having to use one, I was so overjoyed! Tested the recipe and it turned out quite delicious. Definitely a keeper! Thanks so much :)
Thank you Sisi — we’re so happy you enjoyed this! We appreciate you giving the recipe a try! :)