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.
This has become a staple recipe with my family! I add onion in with the garlic, saute chicken (and if I am feeling naughty I will add crumbled bacon). It is great on its own, and great with the mentioned additions!
We love alfredo and it’s so great to have a recipe that makes us feel less guilty about loving it!
THANKS!
We’re so glad to hear that, Becky — thanks for sharing with us! :)
This was delicious! I had no chicken broth on hand so I used a small can of condensed cream of chicken soup and the result was extra thick and creamy. I would definitely make it again!
We’re so happy you enjoyed it!
It was very good made it for lunch just now getting finished??
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Travisha!
I didnt take any pics because I had a hungry audience, but i combined the skinny shrimp scampi ( i added chicken because i had a leftover breast needing a meal to call home) and it turned out amazing! I do not know how to cook, but ever since I found your blog I have been cooking meals at home, and it is easy, fun, and everyone wants to know how I did it- your ravioli lasagna has become my niece’s favorite dish, she is 6 and she already knows how to make it when I’m not around! I will definitely be making this again, thank you so much for what you do, I actually feel somewhat confident for the first time in the kitchen- or even the grocery store- i even have a little collection of spices now, thanx again, I’ll be sure to snap photos next time
Awesome, so glad to hear it!! :)
Hello! I love this recipe. Whenever I put the flour in, it gets chunky and I can’t ever get rid of all the chunks. Any suggestions?
We’re glad to hear that, Susan! As for the chunks, have you been whisking the flour in? That’s the best way to break up those chunks. You also want to make sure you’re cooking the roux long enough (it should look like a paste), and have more of a golden color to it. That should help keep it smooth. We hope this is helpful!
This was awesome!!! I added lump crab meat and red pepper flakes. So delicious!!!!
We’re so glad you liked it, Sarah! :)
always turns out delicious. fast and easy to make. thank you :)
We’re so happy you enjoy it, Jessi!
Delish! Super easy and fast! Made the gluten free version and added some pesto!
Thanks, Kris — we’re so glad you enjoyed it and we bet the pesto was a fantastic addition! :)
Made this for dinner tonight with some cheese tortellini w/spinach, cherry tomatoes and a bit of grilled chicken. Every one LOVED it! The best thing is that I always have the ingredients on hand! Thank you.
We’re so happy it was a hit, Sue! :)
I just made this and it was amazing!, I used soy milk, added squares of ham and left the garlic out!.. turned out amazing!!
Yay, so glad to hear it! :)