Lighter Fettucine Alfredo is your favorite decadent creamy Italian sauce with less fat and calories, but with more nutrition! A few simple substitute ingredient swaps and you would never realize that this is a much healthier version than the full-fat original.
Jump to RecipeSome of the best Italian sauces are very heavy – alfredo, scampi, vodka, carbonara. Don’t get me wrong there’s a time and a place for the originals, but it’s also really nice to have a changeup version that still tastes like your favorite flavors. I’m always on a mission to give heavy recipes a makeover, but I think this version turned out to be the best of both worlds.
I love this Lighter Fettucine Alfredo for a really quick weeknight dinner. It's great to have in your rotation as a full dinner or even just as a side dish. The ingredients are pretty simple – so simple it might surprise you – but that means that you can most likely make this in an emergency because you’ll have many if not all things on hand already. Did I mention this is a 20-minute dinner?
Alfredo is basically a simple cream sauce and it's beyond me as to how such few ingredients can make such a standout sauce. Since it's so basic, there are many ways to develop this and make it more than a simple dish, but there is definitely something perfect about simplicity! If you do wish to make things a bit more complex, try adding grilled chicken strips or my personal favorite addition, shrimp. Tossing in vegetables would also taste great, like spinach, asparagus, or halved cherry tomatoes.
Looking for other lightened-up Italian pasta dishes? Try this Lightened up Penne a la Vodka or this Ziti with Sausage & Broccoli Rabe
TIPS TO MAKE THIS ALFREDO
- Minced fresh parsley brightens the whole dish since it contrasts the heaviness. And the keyword there is fresh. I really recommend you don’t skip it!
- Greek yogurt is a great substitute for cream. I know it might sound strange, but it does not taste like you’re eating yogurt. With all of the other flavors going on, the yogurt blends right in acting just as heavy cream would – sans all the fat.
- You can use whole wheat or protein fettucine for even more added nutrition.
- Make sure when you add in the dairy it's not too hot or it will curdle.
- I use whipped butter because it's half the calories of regular butter.
- A great tip I’ve recently come across is mixing the cornstarch into the broth right in the measuring cup, then pouring it in. sometimes it's really hard to whisk the clumps out and they don’t always cook out.
REHEATING
When you reheat your leftovers (because you should definitely make a double batch), I recommend doing it in a pan on the stove over low heat. Creamy dairy sauces tend to turn out oily in the microwave. If your sauce seems dry and needs a bit more liquid in reheating add a tbsp of broth at a time to reach the consistency you’re looking for.
AS ALWAYS, IF YOU MAKE THIS – PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW!
Lighter Fettucine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 lb fettucine
- 3 tbsp whipped butter
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- ¼ tsp oregano
- ¼ cup low fat half and half
- ⅔ cup grated parmesan
- ⅔ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup finely minced fresh parsley
Instructions
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Cook the pasta while making the sauce. Boil a stockpot of water, when boiling add fettucine, pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
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Heat a medium skillet on low heat. Melt the butter in the pan and add the minced garlic.
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Measure out broth and mix cornstarch right into the cup by rubbing the whisk between your hands.
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Once the garlic is fragrant and begins to brown, pour in the broth & cornstarch mix and raise the heat to medium. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano.
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Once it starts to simmer, turn the heat off. Slowly stir in the half and half, parmesan, and Greek yogurt. Make sure the temperature is not too hot or it will curdle.
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Turn the heat back on to low, only to heat through. Toss fettucine into the sauce. Serve with fresh parsley on top.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
If you make this recipe or any others on Bite your Cravings, please leave a comment and a rating below! I’d also love to see and feature your delicious creations on my Instagram page, so post your recipes on social media and tag them with #biteyourcravings!
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