A skinny take on Alfredo Sauce that tastes just as rich and creamy as the original. Super easy to make, and gluten free!
To me, there are few dishes that are as comforting as Fettuccine Alfredo. As a kid, I would order it just about any time my family went to a restaurant. If I’m being real, I would order it for most of my adult life, too. But once I started back on WW and thought more about my health, I realized that I couldn’t justify eating it as much anymore. One serving clocks in at around 35-50 SmartPoints, depending on the restaurant, and has over 2,000 calories. That’s just INSANE.
I even tried bottled sauces. Although some are okay, most of them don’t really have much flavor to me. I would need to doctor them up with other things, like I do with my Shrimp and Penne in Pink Sauce. Plus, the ingredient list on those bottles can be pretty scary.
Then, I tried making my own sauce. I’m pretty sure I’ve tried every “Light” or “Skinny” version of Alfredo sauce that the internet has to offer. None of them did it for me.
Well, my friends, I’m so pleased to share with you my own version that is pretty much years in the making. I finally got it right! This sauce is EVERYTHING.
How to make the best skinny alfredo
My Skinny Alfredo Sauce only takes about 10 minutes total and is super easy once you get the hang of it. The technique is really important to get the right consistency, so you may need to try it out once or twice before you really get it perfected. I’ll try my best to give you detailed instructions, though.
Why Almond Milk?
Almond milk is one of my favorite ingredients to use when making creamy dishes. It’s very low in points/cals and has a mild flavor. If you have a nut allergy, you could try to use coconut milk instead. Not the kind on the can–the kind that you find refrigerated near the almond milk. Skim milk could work, too, but it might increase the points/cals.
Some important tips
I’m sure I’m making this more complicated than it needs to be; the recipe really is incredibly easy. But, just in case:
First of all, buy grated cheese, not shredded. I find that it melts better. And make sure it’s the kind that you buy in a container in the refrigerated cheese section. The shelf-stable, green-container stuff won’t have nearly as much flavor.
Make sure you add the cheese in slowly, whisking until melted. Don’t be tempted to dump everything in all at once, otherwise it might clump up.
The first time I made it, I was tempted to keep thickening it because it seemed a bit too thin. When I added pasta, it looked like this:
I mean, that still looks amazing, but I like an alfredo that really coats the pasta. Just be a little patient. Let the pasta cook in the sauce a bit on low heat, and it will all come together. Like this:
Or, if you want to use the sauce for something else, like as a pizza sauce or to top some cooked veggies, let it cool for about 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken quite a bit when it sits off heat for a little while.
My favorite ways to Use the sauce for a low-ish point Meal
Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo. Combine 1 cup cooked whole wheat or high protein fettuccine (5 SP) with 1/3 cup of sauce (3 SP), 1/2 cup cooked chicken breast (0 SP), and 1/2 cup cooked broccoli (0 SP).
White Pizza. Use it as a sauce to top my Lightened-Up Pizza Crust.
Casseroles. Use this as as a substitute for canned condensed soup in your favorite creamy casserole recipe.
Steak or Salmon sauce. Top your protein with some of the Alfredo for a decadent meal.
Dip. Sounds weird, I know! But even cold Alfredo is delicious. Use it as a dip for veggies or pretzels.
I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! It makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there!
Print Recipe
5 from 21 votes
Skinny Alfredo Sauce
A skinny take on Alfredo Sauce that tastes just as rich and creamy and the original. Super easy to make, and gluten free!
1/2cupgrated parmesan cheeseuse the kind in the refrigerated section rather than the green-bottle stuff.
1/2tspkosher salt
1/2tspgarlic powder
cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
In a medium sauce pan, whisk together almond milk , cornstarch, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Turn heat to high and bring to a slow boil, whisking frequently so cornstarch doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Turn heat to low and continue to cook until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
Whisk in cream cheese, one tablespoon at a time, until melted.
Sprinkle parmesan cheese in slowly, whisking as you go. If you try to add all the cheese in at one time, it might clump together. Once all cheese is added, finish with cracked pepper.
If serving with pasta, add sauce to pasta and cook together for about a minute, to thicken the sauce. Otherwise, take sauce off heat and let cool for about 5-10 minutes to thicken up.
Notes
Click hereto determine your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe (if you are logged in to your WW app, it should calculate for you automatically).
WW Green, Blue, and Purple SmartPoints:
2 tbsp = 1 SP
1/4 cup = 2 SP
1/3 cup = 3 SP
1/2 cup = 4 SP
Nutrition Facts are based off of a 1/4 cup serving
Luckily, there's a simple fix that will have your creamy sauce back to its perfect, delicious self in no time. The key is to add a little bit of liquid. The most common thinner for any creamy sauce is milk, however, you can also use other liquids like water, broth, or cream.
You could just add garlic powder, sure, but quickly sautéeing fresh garlic while your pasta cooks is a great way to layer flavor. Resnick likes to add spinach as a way to cut the richness of the sauce. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a few cloves of minced garlic in a sautée pan over medium heat.
You will get a creamier texture and a bolder flavor. If you want, you can also add some romano cheese to balance the nutty taste of the other dairy ingredients. Chicken broth: another way to improve a jar of Alfredo sauce and give it a rich flavor.
For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.
Parmesan is the signature flavor in Alfredo sauce but you can also combine it with other cheeses for additional flavor. You can also make a a completely different sauce/different flavor profile by swapping the Parmesan for another melting cheese such as mozzarella, Asiago, Gouda, smoked cheddar, Monterrey, etc.
"Alfredo sauce is made with both butter and cheese, offering a lot of saturated fat, as well as white flour," Jones says. "While this sauce can be eaten and enjoyed every so often, including it regularly may contribute to a higher risk of high blood cholesterol, especially in those with genetic links," she explains.
One cup of marinara sauce contains only about 70 calories, while the same amount of white sauce can contain up to 500 calories or more. The former is also a good source of vitamin C and lycopene, which is an antioxidant that may help reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
Not only that, but the ingredient list is fairly short and contains recognizable, whole-food ingredients, Snyder adds. Some of those good-for-you ingredients include roasted garlic for aromatics and nutritional yeast for that signature cheesy flavor (and protein).
While Alfredo is rich and creamy, sometimes it can be a little bland. In addition to nutty Parmesan cheese, the recipe is seasoned with pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasonings, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a smidge each of nutmeg. The nutmeg adds a beautiful nutty warmth.
Add basil, parsley, oregano, or rosemary to add life to the sauce. The first three herbs are classic for many Italian dishes, and rosemary is a common addition to creamy potato dishes, so adding them to a jarred Alfredo sauce makes sense.
The easiest way to accomplish this is to mix about a spoonful of cornstarch to 2 spoonfuls of liquid – it could be water or chicken stock or even milk. You will add this mixture, also called a slurry to the sauce and as it starts to cook, the sauce will thicken.
Our Test Kitchen pros swear that the best recipes for how to make Alfredo sauce include freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Here's how to add it: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese is incorporated into the sauce.
Add starchy pasta water to thin the sauce, if needed. The starch in the water also helps the sauce coat the pasta instead of clumping up or pooling on the plate. I use the pasta cooking water as the base of my alfredo sauce, as done in the recipe below. Pasta water, butter and Parmesan cheese form the sauce.
Cornstarch: Make a slurry of half water, half cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Cornstarch is a powerful thickener, so start by whisking in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce; stir and simmer for 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more slurry as needed.
Acid: Adding vinegar or lemon juice does a great job of balancing saltiness. Sweetness: You can also add a dash of honey or sugar. Opposites attract here and create balance. Fat: Another fix is adding some fat, a few pads or butter or a healthy glug of olive oil can absorb some of that saltiness.
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Introduction: My name is Duncan Muller, I am a enchanting, good, gentle, modern, tasty, nice, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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