Light Alfredo Sauce?

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1992Leigh1992
1992Leigh1992 Posts: 100 Member
in Recipes
So I've always been in the habit of buying packet/jar sauce mixes when making Alfredo sauce or any sort of white creamy pasta dish, because it is easier to find ones that are lower in fat.

I've been looking around online at recipes for light creamy pasta dishes that don't require cream or a massive amount of butter. Some of them incorporate a lemon flavour as well. I am wondering if anyone here has any experience with any particular recipe, or any that you can recommend.

Currently I have in my fridge/pantry: parmesan cheese, mozzarella, butter, flour, veggies stock, lemon juice, milk, white wine vinegar, ricotta, and a bunch of herbs (parsley, basil, rosemary, ect). As well as a vegetables (onion, garlic, broccoli, ect). I'm hoping that these things would be enough to make it flavourful without using cream.

Please let me know if you can recommend a recipe that works.

Replies

  • liftingandlipstick
    liftingandlipstick Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I tried this one a few weeks ago, and it wasn't half bad. You have most of the ingredients, but it also calls for plain Greek yogurt and cream cheese.

    http://hungryhannahs.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/skinny-alfredo-sauce-and-emilys-chicken-sausage-and-kale-pasta/

    I only made the sauce, none of the add ins. DO NOT try this over shiritaki noodles! MUCH better over regular pasta :)
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    So I've always been in the habit of buying packet/jar sauce mixes when making Alfredo sauce or any sort of white creamy pasta dish, because it is easier to find ones that are lower in fat.

    I've been looking around online at recipes for light creamy pasta dishes that don't require cream or a massive amount of butter. Some of them incorporate a lemon flavour as well. I am wondering if anyone here has any experience with any particular recipe, or any that you can recommend.

    Currently I have in my fridge/pantry: parmesan cheese, mozzarella, butter, flour, veggies stock, lemon juice, milk, white wine vinegar, ricotta, and a bunch of herbs (parsley, basil, rosemary, ect). As well as a vegetables (onion, garlic, broccoli, ect). I'm hoping that these things would be enough to make it flavourful without using cream.

    Please let me know if you can recommend a recipe that works.

    Luckily you have the ingredients to make alfredo, it's just butter and parm and a little pasta water. That's it, no cream needed.
  • 1992Leigh1992
    1992Leigh1992 Posts: 100 Member
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    I tried this one a few weeks ago, and it wasn't half bad. You have most of the ingredients, but it also calls for plain Greek yogurt and cream cheese.

    http://hungryhannahs.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/skinny-alfredo-sauce-and-emilys-chicken-sausage-and-kale-pasta/

    I only made the sauce, none of the add ins. DO NOT try this over shiritaki noodles! MUCH better over regular pasta :)

    This looks really great but I should have mentioned I don't own a food processor.
  • scole1008
    scole1008 Posts: 19 Member
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    I make this once a weeks, it's sooo good!
    http://www.celebrations.com/c/recipe/skinny-chicken-broccoli-alfredo
  • JustineMarie21
    JustineMarie21 Posts: 438 Member
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    I puree cottage cheese with a laughing cow cheese wedge and parm.
  • katrishamaile
    katrishamaile Posts: 16 Member
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    I read a pin on Pinerest that made a "cream sauce" from cottage cheese. I haven't tried it, but it sounded realistic.
  • Suneeta2014
    Suneeta2014 Posts: 22
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    Super clean Alfredo sauce recipe:
    http://teaspooncomm.com/teaspoonofspice/2013/08/spinach-avocado-alfredo-sauce-the-recipe-redux/

    I like to get a little dirty and add cream cheese.

    Over zucchini pasta, YUM
  • liftingandlipstick
    liftingandlipstick Posts: 1,857 Member
    Options
    I tried this one a few weeks ago, and it wasn't half bad. You have most of the ingredients, but it also calls for plain Greek yogurt and cream cheese.

    http://hungryhannahs.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/skinny-alfredo-sauce-and-emilys-chicken-sausage-and-kale-pasta/

    I only made the sauce, none of the add ins. DO NOT try this over shiritaki noodles! MUCH better over regular pasta :)

    This looks really great but I should have mentioned I don't own a food processor.

    I do, but I'm lazy, so I didn't use it, and the sauce turned out just fine! The ricotta mostly melted, so there wasn't really any lumpiness :)
  • dsb188
    dsb188 Posts: 121 Member
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    I've made a Cajun Chicken Pasta using Greek Yoghurt instead of cream and it was off the charts seriously!
  • amwbox
    amwbox Posts: 576 Member
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    Can't help with this one. My alfredo recipe has 3 ingredients. Butter, heavy cream, and cheese.

    So...um. Yeah. lol.

    Trouble with making a lighter aflredo is that you need to be able to melt parmesan into the sauce. Which means high heat. Which means cream, since it won't break under the heat and turn into something nasty. You can try a skim milk bechemel base, maybe, and use a meltier cheese like fontina...but then it isn't really going to taste much like alfredo sauce.

    I can do some lighter white sauces. But these aren't alfredo.

    Like ice cream, I think its just something that is by definition calorie dense.
  • charlton200
    charlton200 Posts: 29 Member
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    If I need a white/creamy sauce, I usually use a bit of soft cheese (philidelphia etc) and a bit of milk.
    Easy! And if you use a flavoured one like garlic and herb you get added taste.
  • NarneyK
    NarneyK Posts: 264 Member
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    I don't have a recipe source for this cause it is super simple and eyeball it most of the time. The recipe I have in my builder is as follows: 20g butter, 20g flour, about 30g of grated Parmesan, and about 375ml of skim milk, dash of nutmeg. I also add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to mine.

    Basically melt the butter, and toss in the flour to create a rue. Cook that off for a little bit (probably a min or 2), whisking the whole time. Then add the skim milk gradually, whisking along the way so you don't have any chunks in the finished sauce. Once you've added all the milk, let it simmer on medium/low heat, whisking the whole way so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Add the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and additional spices if using once the sauce starts to thicken. This is where you can taste it to see if you want a stronger Parmesan taste, you can add more cheese, or more spices, etc. It shouldn't be too thick, but if it is, you can add another splash of milk here as well. Also, you can use fresh Parmesan but that will probably bump up the totals.

    Totals for this are as follows:
    Calories = 544
    Carbs = 39
    Protein = 26
    Fat = 30
    Fiber = 2
    Sodium = 964

    I had this saved as 3 servings so divide all these numbers by 3 for per serve #s, but I guess that will change depending on how much sauce you like on your pasta.

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