Last Updated February 25th, 2022 at 08:42 pm by Lisa
A healthier alfredo sauce recipe is possible with just a fraction of the calories. Let's lighten things up and ditch the high fat version loaded with carbs. I normally make classic alfredo sauce with heavy cream, tons of butter, and piles of grated parmesan cheese. A Traditional version is not healthy.
Once the blender stops, taste this easy alfredo sauce. It has the right creamy texture and clings to the fettuccini with cheesy goodness. I licked the fork over and over...
This recipe is made with healthy ingredients like cauliflower and plant-based milk. I was a little bit skeptical about a cauliflower sauce. The first time I whipped up this healthy recipe, it was shocking, as you really can't tell! The alfredo is so close to the real thing but is a healthy version.
An easy recipe for all home cooks, absolutely rich and bursting with flavor. Finally, the best homemade alfredo sauce that can be made light and gluten-free right at home.
How To Make Alfredo Healthy
Replace typical alfredo sauce with a clean light version of alfredo sauce that will become one of your favorite dinner recipes. Next time you are at the grocery store, grab these simple ingredients to keep on hand for the best alfredo sauce.
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- 7 cups vegetable stock (swap in chicken stock bone broth)
- 1 medium cauliflower (6 cups) cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large shallot finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk or skim milk
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (or swap nutritional yeast)
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta gluten-free brand of choice or regular fettuccine½ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
Let's Make Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
- Cut the cauliflower into small chunks, set aside.
- In a large pot, bring the vegetable stock to boil. Or use a large pot of salted water.
- Place a large skillet (or sauce pan) over medium heat, melt butter (or swap olive oil) and saute' minced shallot, garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook until the shallot just turn light brown, tender and soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add all the cauliflower in the large pot and boil for 7-10 minutes until fork tender. Turn off heat, keep the hot vegetable stock.
- In a high-speed blender, use a large strainer, and add the cauliflower, 1 cup of the vegetable cooking broth, sautéed shallot mixture, milk, and parmesan cheese. Puree on high until very smooth. Stop the blender and push down the cream sauce as needed. Pour the alfredo sauce, back into the pan you cooked the shallot mixture.
- Boil your fettuccine pasta in the same pot you cooked the cauliflower, add more water to cover the pasta if needed. Drain the pasta, add to the large skillet with the sauce, using tongs to combine.
- Turn the skillet on low heat with the sauce and pasta.
- Serve warm, and garnish with parsley and more parmesan cheese.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Light Alfredo Sauce Tips
plant-based milk - Creates a creamy sauce, try almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, oat milk, or flax milk. If you use regular whole milk, try low-fat milk or skim milk.
garlic - You can use garlic powder or fresh garlic. Minced garlic will add a more garlicky flavor.
butter - Okay, it's only 2 tablespoons! That fat from the melted butter adds loads of flavor, but if you want you can swap it out for olive oil.
parmesan cheese - Swap in nutritional yeast in place of the cheese, the great thing is it also works as a thickening agent for a nice thick sauce.
shallots - Are just right in this recipe and preferred for best results as they don't bring an overwhelming onion taste to the sauce. Try to find these, but if you can't go with a sweet mild onion or a yellow onion and avoid white onions.
pasta - The choices here are endless for what to use a healthier fettuccine alfredo, try a gluten-free brand of choice. You can also use whole wheat noodles, make spiralized zoodles, or your favorite pasta.
vegetable stock - This is the top choice for a low-fat alfredo sauce, it is much lower in calories, fat, and carbs. But you can use Chicken Stock (Bone Broth), try my recipe if you wish to swap it instead.
Alfredo sauce is a decadent sauce made by melting butter, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese together. Most pasta sauces use tomatoes as a base, alfredo has no vegetables and uses rich dairy ingredients for a fabulous depth of flavor.
Alfredo di Lelio, an Italian restaurateur, is credited for Fettuccine Alfredo in 1908. His wife had lost her appetite after giving birth to their first son. So he gave her a dish of pasta with this creamy parmesan cheese and butter white sauce to help encourage her to eat.
Healthy Chicken Alfredo
Traditional alfredo sauce over hot fettuccine noodles is a family favorite and a delicious recipe we all adore. To turn this into a hearty weeknight meal, add cubed chicken, and dinner is on the table.
You can use chicken breast, canned chicken, or rotisserie chicken to pull this skinny alfredo sauce dinner together in minutes. You can even use slice leftover turkey or cooked ground turkey to make a wholesome dinner.
More Sauce Recipes
Lobster Ravioli with a Lemon Butter Sauce uses a baked ravioli technique you can make in just over an hour or prep ahead for dinner parties, holidays, and romantic nights. Remoulade Sauce is a popular condiment or dipping sauce, usually paired with seafood, cold meats, and fried foods like French fries, and is awesome on Fried Green Tomatoes.
Creamy Balsamic Horseradish Sauce is amazing on thick slices of Roast Beef for dinner, on prime rib, or to slather on Roast Beef Sandwiches.
Make Burger Sauce at home, this recipe is very similar to the In-N-Out Spread from Southern California.
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Healthy Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 cups vegetable stock (swap in chicken stock bone broth)
- 1 medium cauliflower (6 cups) cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter (swap in olive oil)
- 1 large shallot finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- ½ cup unsweetened plant-based milk (swap in skim milk)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (swap in nutritional yeast)
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta gluten free or regular fettuccine
- ½ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into small chunks, set aside.
- In a large pot, bring the vegetable stock to boil. You can also swap in chicken stock or use a large pot of salted water with a teaspoon salt.
- Place a large skillet or sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter (or swap olive oil) and saute' minced shallot, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook until the shallot just turn light brown, tender and soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add all the cauliflower in the large pot and boil for 7-10 minutes until fork tender. Turn off heat, keep the hot vegetable stock.
- In a high-speed blender, use a large strainer, and add the cauliflower, 1 cup of the veggie cooking broth, and sautéed shallot miture, milk, parmesan cheese, and puree on high until very smooth. Stop the blender and push down the cream sauce as needed.
- Pour the alfredo sauce back into the pan off the heat you cooked the shallots and butter.
- Boil your fettuccine pasta in the same pot as you cooked the cauliflower in the vegetable stock, add more water to cover the pasta if needed. Drain the pasta, add to the large skillet with the sauce, using tongs to combine.
- Turn the skillet on low heat with the sauce and pasta.
- Serve warm and garnish with parsley and more parmesan cheese.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Unbelievably delicious! We made it for dinner last night and everyone raved. Amazing recipe.
So glad you all loved it Helen and that you loved this recipe. Isn't it something? Soooeasy and good.