Skinny Fettuccini Alfredo

When Mike and I were in college, we fell in love with Fettuccini Alfredo at a local restaurant. We splurged occasionally, and went all in for pasta night, slurping up every noodle that was smothered in a heavy cream sauce. It was our favorite, and we had no idea that we were probably consuming about 2,000 calories per plate.

So while we haven’t cut OUT pasta dishes from our meal rotation, we’ve tried to lighten them up. I’m a  firm believer in “everything in moderation”, and when I want pasta, I’m gonna have it!

Ingredients needed for Skinny Fettuccini Alfredo:

• Pasta – Use fettuccini noodles for the real thing, or substitute any pasta shape you have in your pantry.
• Olive Oil + Butter – The “real” sauce has loads of butter. This one is 2 parts olive oil/1 part butter.
• Garlic – For a flavor boost, garlic is king.
• Flour – The all-purpose flour helps to thicken the sauce.
• Broth – Use lower-sodium chicken broth to control the salt content.
• Milk + Half and Half – A combo of 1% milk and just a small hit of half and half is enough to achieve a creamy consistency.
• Parmesan Cheese – Freshly grated parmesan cheese is always best, and melts easier too.
• S & P – For pasta, don’t skimp on the salt and pepper!
• Pasta Water – Reserve about a cup of pasta water, and add as needed to make the pasta even creamier.

How to make Skinny Fettuccini Alfredo:

1. Make sauce. In a medium stock pot, add olive oil and butter until melted over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Then add flour and stir constantly for about 1-2 minutes, or until flour is fully absorbed. Add chicken broth, milk, and half and half, and whisk until the mixture starts to thicken. This will take a few minutes. Then stir in parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Stir until creamy over low heat.
2. Cook pasta. Meanwhile, in a large stock pot, heat a large amount of water to boiling, over high heat. Add fettuccini noodles and a good amount of salt, reduce heat, and simmer – stirring occasionally. Cook until al dente.
3. Mix. Add pasta to sauce, and mix well. Add some reserved pasta water as needed to make it even creamier. Transfer to a serving dish.
4. Serve. Serve fettuccini Alfredo with extra parmesan cheese and some freshly ground black pepper.

Variations to this recipe:

• Add in vegetables to up the health factor. You could roast veggies in the oven – like broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Or add frozen peas directly to the pasta.
• Boost the protein. Grill up some chicken and add it to your plate with the fettuccini. Or sauté some shrimp and serve over top the pasta.

Other pasta recipes you might enjoy:

• Traditional Bolognese Sauce – The longer it simmers, the more flavor it has.
• Rigatoni Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli – A healthier pasta dish that fills up even the hungriest human!
• Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad – One of our favorite summertime pasta salads.

Kitchen Tools used for this recipe: (Affiliate Links)

• Cheese Grater
• 9-Inch Whisk

Make this lighter recipe next: Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese

Please let know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.

xoxo ~Sue