Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo

Pasta is a staple in our house. We make at least one dish that involves pasta per week. So when I was trying to come up with something a little lighter that wasn’t soup, I decided to re-create a comfort food classic: fettuccine alfredo. I know what you’re thinking… this skinny version has nothing on the real thing. Wrong! It tastes just as good but has less than half the calories of the rich and creamy version!

Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo

Lightening up this dish was all about smart substitutes. Instead of a whole stick of butter, I used two tablespoons of olive oil (although butter would be fine too). I swapped out the heavy cream for milk and opted for a little less parmesan cheese. That made a word of difference! While the flavor remained (thanks to the 4 cloves of garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg), the calories did not! And that’s why this recipe is a keeper! It tastes like the full-fat version, but isn’t!

Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo

Let’s get started, shall we?! In a large pot of boiling water, cook 12-14 oz of pasta according to the directions on the package. You can use any shape and any type (I used whole wheat linguine). Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the oil (or butter) over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant and translucent- DO NOT BROWN IT. Nobody wants hard little chunks of bitter garlic in their fettuccine sauce! Sprinkle in the flour, whisk to combine. Cook the flour for a minute or so, whisking constantly to prevent it from burning or turing brown.

Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo

Slowly pour in the chicken broth (prefer using Swanson Natural Goodness), whisking until the mixture becomes smooth and thick, this may take a minute or two. Whisk in the milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Turn the heat up to medium and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly. Once the mixture thickens add the parmesan cheese. You’ll probably need to whisk for a few minutes until it gets nice and smooth. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss to combine. Serve it immediately! As you can probably tell I waited waaaay too long (about 30 minutes) and my sauce really thickened up. That’s what you get when you wait till the steam is gone so you can take crisp pictures 🙂

Lightened Up Fettuccine AlfredoWe served ours up with some chicken apple sausage and a side salad, but a seasoned chicken breast would be a great addition to this dish too! If you’re looking for a lighter yet flavorful version of fettuccine alfredo, this recipe is for you! Enjoy!

Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!

Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo

Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

This rich and creamy lightened up fettuccine alfredo tastes just as good as the comfort food original!
5 from 1 vote
Pin Rate
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 363kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 12 oz fettuccine*
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil (or butter)
  • 3 cloves garlic - minced
  • 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/4 cups milk (1%, 2% or whole)**
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese - grated

Instructions

  • In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.
  • Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the oil (or butter) over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant and translucent. Sprinkle in the flour, whisk to combine. Cook the flour for a minute or so, whisking constantly to prevent it from burning or turning brown.
  • Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking until the mixture becomes smooth and thick, this may take a minute or two. Whisk in the milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Turn the heat up to medium and bring the mixture to a low simmer. Once the mixture thickens add the parmesan cheese. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss to combine. Serve immediately!

NOTES

*Any shape of pasta will do, I used whole wheat linguine.
**Non-fat half & half can be used as well for a slightly richer sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 443mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 2mg

Recipe source: Life Made Simple

Want more inspiration?

More Recipes You'll Love

About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

Join the Conversation

Rate and Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please click on the Stars below to share your Rating of this Recipe




Comments:

  1. This is the best alfredo sauce ever!!! Our family of 5 loved it and that is a miracle!
    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

  2. I found this recipe last night, and tried it today. SO sosososossosoooo good! my family loved it, and it was so easy to make! Thank you very very much! 🙂