Skinny Alfredo Sauce made with Cauliflower

Trade out your beloved calorie-laden alfredo sauce for this skinny alfredo sauce made with cauliflower. You’ll barely be able to tell the difference! 

Alfredo. Along with marsala, alfredo is another one of my husband’s favorites. Fettuccine, chicken, shrimp, these are all minor details.

It’s all about the CREAM, BUTTER AND PARMESAN.

Of course, Ben is super health-conscious. It’s a little annoying sometimes. I mean, dude, put some mayo on your sandwich. Some sour cream on your taco. Some ranch on your salad. Some freakin’ brownie in your mouth. Life gets better with these things.

He’s got the self-control I wish I had. He could make a package of Oreos last months (I KNOW!).

My point is, he loves the alfredo, but he doesn’t often order it at restaurants because you know, 29,050,329,023 calories per serving.

So what do I do? Make a skinny alfredo sauce. Made with cauliflower and blended until it is super smooth (that’s an important step!), it’s almost a perfect mimic of the alfredo we all know and love. It still has some goodies in it — starting with the garlic sautéed in butter and olive oil (gotta have a little of the good stuff here!). The pureed cauliflower is blended together with milk, parmesan cheese, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg to compliment all that creamy goodness.

The result? A sauce that looks, smells, and tastes like alfredo sauce. Except without the 248,395,289,253 calories.

Used in this recipe:

• large skillet
• large pot
• blender (I have this one)

Skinny Alfredo Sauce made with Cauliflower

Yield: 3+ cups

Total Time: 20 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Trade out your beloved calorie-laden alfredo sauce for this skinny alfredo sauce made with cauliflower. You’ll barely be able to tell the difference!

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 heads of cauliflower (about 7-8 cups cauliflower florets
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
• ½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
• 1 and ½ cups skim milk (more to achieve desired consistency)
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• fresh parsley for serving
• cooked pasta for serving

Directions:

1. Sauté the minced garlic with the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Be careful not to brown the garlic. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower, cover, and cook until cauliflower is tender when you stick a fork in it (about 8-10 minutes). Drain.
3. Transfer the cauliflower to the blender. Add milk, sautéed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and milk. Blend or puree for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is silky and smooth. Stir in Parmesan cheese. You can add more milk if it seems too thick. Toss with your favorite cooked pasta and serve immediately topped with fresh parsley if desired.

serving size: 1/2 cup

adapted generously from Pinch of Yum

All images and text ©Rachel Cooks.

Verdict: I loved this skinny alfredo sauce. It will definitely be happening frequently in my kitchen.

Husband’s take: Truthfully, the 4 garlic clove version of this sauce was a bit too garlicky for him (he’s not a huge fan of garlic). If you have garlic haters in your house, consider reducing the amount of garlic. My neighbor and her family loved this sauce though and had no problem finishing it off for us.

Changes I would make: Less garlic for my hubby but other than that, none.

Difficulty: Easy.

Actual nutrition may vary depending on how recipe is prepared. Nutritional information is for sauce only and does not include pasta.

Looking for more pasta and sauces that won’t set you back millions of calories? Try Vegan Bolognese, Whole Wheat Pasta with Broccoli and White Bean Pesto, Turkey Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles, Rainbow Chard, Turkey, and Gruyere Skinny Mac and Cheese, or Skinny Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles from Just a Taste.