Are you wondering how to make Alfredo sauce a little less calories? Plus, you can still eat this if you're on a weight loss journey. This alfredo sauce recipe uses cream cheese, reserved pasta water, and reduced fat milk to make a super decadent alfredo sauce.
If you like more easy lightened up recipes like this please try Pizza Pasta Casserole, French Onion Chicken, or Spaghetti and Meatball Casserole.
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Why You Will like This Recipe
Let's face it. Nothing quite compares to heavy cream which is used as the main ingredient in Alfredo. Heavy cream can make anything bad taste good, not to mention butter and bacon.
I think that Alfredo sauce is probably one of the hardest dishes to make lighter but this recipe does a pretty good job with recreating it. Instead of heavy cream milk and reduced fat cream cheese is used. Parmesan is another main ingredient in Alfredo sauce which is also a must for a dish. No substitutions for that!
Ingredients for Fettuccine Alfredo
- Unsalted butter - is the most commonly used type of butter in baking, as it allows for more control over the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Garlic, minced - Chopped fresh garlic can take some time to chop so I often always use the freshly minced garlic that comes already made in a jar.
- Lemon zest - This adds a nice burst of citrus flavor to the marinade to help enhance the choice of protein. Use freshly squeezed over bottled juice.
- All-purpose flour - is a type of wheat flour that is commonly used in cooking and baking. It is versatile and can be used for a variety of recipes, including bread, cakes, cookies, and pastries.
- Low-fat (1%) milk - can sub almond milk if you're allergic to milk
- Neufchtel or low-fat cream cheese - I like to use Reduced-Fat Cheese because it has a lower calorie count and less saturated fat than regular cheese, but it may also have a different taste and texture. It also helps with keeping the calorie count pretty low for this recipe.
- Parmesan cheese - is a hard, granular cheese that originated in Italy. It is typically made from cow's milk and has a sharp, nutty flavor. Parmesan cheese is often grated and used as a topping for pasta dishes, salads, and other foods.
- Fresh parsley (optional)
- Fettuccine - any pasta shape will work with this
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Lighter Fettucine Alfredo Sauce
Step 1: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon,1 minute.
Step 2: Whisk in the milk and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook, whisking constantly until just thickened about 3 minutes. Add the Neufchatel and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.
Step 3: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot.
Step 4: Add the sauce and ½ cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and gently toss to combine, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with parmesan and pepper.
Other Recipes to Try
If you tried this Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce orany other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce
- Cook Time: 20min
- Total Time: 20min
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Skinny Fettucine Alfredo - easy and lightened up Alfredo sauce which comes together in less than 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons Neufchtel or low-fat cream cheese
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 12 ounces fresh fettuccine
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon,1 minute. Whisk in the milk and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook, whisking constantly until just thickened about 3 minutes. Add the Neufchatel and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot.
- Add the sauce and ½ cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and gently toss to combine, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with parmesan and pepper.
- Makes 6 servings, per serving: 1 cup
Notes
My WW Personal Points: 10 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)
Nutrition
- Calories: 312
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 453mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 13g
Jenna says
I updated the recipe to include the flour and parsley. I don't add salt and pepper to a recipe in the builder because those two ingredients never change the points. You can also save it and edit it yourself. FYI.
Miranda says
When I click the link to see this in my WW recipe builder, it’s missing ingredients! The salt, pepper, parsley, and flour don’t appear in my recipe builder. Broken. Thank you.
Christine says
This is a great recipe and we all loved it. I may have added more cheese but so worth it.
Jeffrey Castle says
Excellent recipe and I was able to make the sauce with much lower calories and fat content. I began with two tbsps of yogurt butter spread (Brummel and Brown) which is more than the recipe calls. Anyone with knowledge of creating a roux knows to begin with equal amounts of fat and flour. Instead of milk, I used fat free evaporated milk and fat free cream cheese. I followed the recipe from that point forward to the letter and go a flavorful, low calorie, creamy sauce that I put over brown rice spaghetti, topped with roasted squash, carrots, and onions, and topped with a grilled chicken breast. SO FULFILLING...
Lisa says
Delicious.
Jenna says
1 serving.
Sharon says
I see 10 points but is that for the whole recipe or for each serving?
Patricia says
How many points is the recipe?
Cassie says
Hello, I dont see anywhere where it shows how many pts this recipe is, or do we just calculate it ourself.