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.
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
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. Note that the liquid has to contain moisture so it can actually work, which is why melted butter won't do.
Heartier herbs like thyme or oregano can be added in to simmer with the sauce. Add delicate herbs like parsley, basil, or chervil at the end to maintain their delicate, aromatic flavor. Quick tip: Swirl in a bit of leftover pesto to add another herbaceous twist to your Alfredo sauce.
Traditional pasta Alfredo is not considered a particularly healthy dish, as it is typically high in calories, fat, and sodium. The dish typically consists of pasta cooked with heavy cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese, resulting in a rich and creamy sauce.
You can store the alfredo sauce for up to 5 days in the fridge. It will become very thick but will thin out once reheated. If the sauce is thicker than desired after you re-heat it, you can add a little milk and stir to thin it out.
After 12 ounces of fettuccine pasta noodles are finished cooking, reserve 2 cups of the pasta water to include in your sauce. The starchy water is essential to creating a thick, creamy sauce consistency.
Flours can be used to make a bit of a slurry and add to the sauce to make it thicker. 1 part flour to 2 parts liquid and then adding it to your sauce should thicken it nicely. Just make sure that when you make the slurry, there are no lumps in your mixture.
This recipe for homemade alfredo sauce uses $4.33 worth of ingredients and makes 9.5 ounces, which is also roughly 46 cents per ounce. This means homemade alfredo sauce costs about the same as high quality jarred sauces, but tastes even better.
Mix together a little cornstarch in a small bowl with some cold water (or other liquid) until the mixture is smooth to form a slurry. Slowly, whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce in a pan over medium to medium-high heat. Whisk the slurry slowly into the hot sauce until you get the desired thickness.
Fresh herbs make all the difference in any pasta sauce, so if you have some lying around, they will really perk up a jarred sauce. Obviously, basil is classic, but thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, and oregano are all great in pasta sauce. Fresh parsley also makes anything sing, as do chives.
Tossing in strips of basil, a sprig of thyme or some oregano can take your sauce to the next level. Although fresh herbs might pop a bit more, dried herbs and spices can work just as well. Sprinkling in some red pepper flakes, a pinch of parsley and a dash of salt and pepper can liven up your jarred pasta sauce.
Marinara sauce is lower in calories and fat, making it a preferable sauce choice for those that are counting calories or on a low-fat diet. It also has more fiber than Alfredo sauce as it contains mostly vegetables. Conversely, high-fat diets are on the rise, making Alfredo an ideal sauce for many consumers.
Traditional Alfredo sauce is made by heating heavy cream, lots of butter, garlic, and cheese together until it thickens into a rich and creamy sauce. While this classic dish it's very delicious, the heaviness of the dairy tends to upset my stomach.
If you find that your sauce is too thick, this is where you can add some of the reserved pasta water, little dribbles at a time. If you over-water and the sauce becomes too thin, just let some of the liquid cook off and you'll see the sauce thicken up again. It's pretty resilient to fumbles at this stage.
Like cornstarch and flour, it contains lots of starch which absorbs liquid and thickens a sauce. To use tapioca powder to thicken Alfredo sauce, mix one spoonful of tapioca powder with two spoons of water until you get a smooth slurry. Then, add it to the Alfredo sauce and bring to a boil.
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.
Here's how fix a broken sauce: Add about ¼ cup of water to the pan and reheat the sauce to a vigorous simmer, whisking constantly. The bubbling action will help re-emulsify the butter and bring back that thick, glossy sauce.
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