Skinny Lowfat Fettucine Alfredo with 75% less fat and all of the flavor as the original. A skinny version of the popular fettuccine alfredo pasta dish.
We are back in school which means that our nights are extra busy. I am always trying to find quick and healthy dinner recipes to feed my hungry kids before they run out the door to practice. Since my son is swimming these days, his coach wants him to eat pasta the night before a big meet. Since he loves fettuccine alfredo, I wanted to create a low-fat, healthier version of the classic alfredo sauce. He still gets his pasta which gives him the energy he needs without the extra fat that can weigh him down.
This Skinny Fettucine Alfredo is made with Horizon organic 1% milk instead of heavy cream. This is a huge calorie saver. This Skinny Alfredo Sauce has only a touch of butter, chicken broth for flavor, and parmesan cheese which has a huge bang for the buck.
I have been on the quest to make the ultimate Skinny Lowfat Fettucine Alfredo. I have found that kids seem to love alfredo sauce. When I taught kids cooking classes, my kids went crazy for my homemade alfredo sauce. Since we are trying to eat healthier in our home these days, I had to spend some time experimenting in the kitchen to create the perfect version of skinny fettuccine alfredo.
I made four different version of skinny fettucine alfredo sauce and employed 9 taste testers to be my judges. We definitely found a winner when I found all of the boys begging to lick the pan. Here’s what we found in the process:
— The low-fat cream cheese added extra creaminess but the tang from it added a bitter aftertaste.
— Flour thickens the sauce but when too much is added, it creates a gummy paste and the flour taste is noticeable. We add just enough in this recipe to thicken it without picking up on the flavor.
— Chicken broth adds depth of flavor and gives it a richness without the fat.
— One minced garlic clove adds a nutty zing to the sauce without overpowering it. I tried this sauce with 1 clove, 2 cloves, and even 4 cloves and found that 4 cloves of garlic overpowered the sauce and kids could definitely pick up on it. We added one garlic clove but feel free to add a second one if you love garlic flavor.
— Instead of using heavy cream, we used Horizon organic 1% milk. It made such a creamy sauce while saving a ton of calories and fat.
— Parmesan cheese is one of my favorite cheeses to use in cooking since a little can go a long way. It is a strong, pungent cheese with a nutty flavor. It is perfect in this low-fat alfredo sauce.
The WINNER of the Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce competition contained the following ingredients:
Butter, Garlic, Flour, Chicken Broth, Horizon Organic 1% Milk, Salt + Pepper, and Parmesan Cheese. This has 1 tablespoon of butter where my usual alfredo sauce recipe calls for 8 tablespoons. I am already feeling good about myself. Plus no heavy cream! This lowfat alfredo sauce only calls for 1% milk. AMAZING!
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 Garlic Clove finely diced (may use two)
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 cup Horizon 1% Milk
- 3/4 cup High-Quality Parmesan Cheese grated or shaved
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- Italian Parsley diced, optional as garnish
- 9 - 12 oz pkg. Fettuccine Noodles
- In skillet, over medium heat, add butter and let it begin to melt. Stir in diced garlic and let simmer for 1 minute.
- Stir in flour and stir quickly to form a paste.
- Quickly stir in chicken broth and use whisk to remove any lumps.
- Stir in 1% milk. Let simmer for 6-8 minutes or until it starts to thicken.
- Turn heat to medium-low and add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Remove from heat and let thicken. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
- Meanwhile, place water in large pot and bring to boil. Generously salt boiling water.
- Add fettuccine and cook according to package instructions.
- Toss fettuccine with alfredo sauce and top with parsley and parmesan cheese, if so desired.
- Use high-quality parmesan cheese (the real stuff that is refrigerated)
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.
I hope you love this Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo pasta as much as my family (and half of the neighborhood) did. Have a wonderful day!
When I told my son I was making fettuccine alfredo my son said “who are you and what have you done with my mother?”
I would NEVER make a dish like this (unless it was his birthday) but the ingredients were low fat so I thought I’d surprise him.
I made this dish tonight for dinner and it was amazing!
I followed your recipe to the letter and it made a great dinner that I will make again and again.
Thank you for all your due diligence and time you spend perfecting your recipes. When I pull something from your site to cook I don’t worry about measurements or if you’ve missed a step, everything turns out perfect each time. It makes me look like a super star … and you did all the work for me – Thanks!
Hi Lee! Haha I love it! I am so glad that your family loved it. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I appreciate your support.
Can you use olive oil in place of the butter in this recipe
Hi Michele! I haven’t tried it using olive oil but it should work out just fine. The sauce will be a little less creamy but still should taste great. Let me know if you try it!
I wanted to make Fettucine Alfredo for my kids…they love it, but I needed something low fat for my dietary needs (pancreatitis). This was OUTSTANDING!!! I even subbed in skim milk and a canola oil butter to make it even leaner (later added an extra tsp. of flour to thicken it up). I also tossed in some diced chicken and steamed broccoli (family preference) at the end. This is definitely going to the recipe box! Thank you!!!
I am so happy to hear it. Thank you so much for trusting me and trying my recipe! I am so glad you and your kids liked it!
Hello, a question please. Does the nutritional information include the pasta or just the sauce?
I absolutely LOVE this chicken alfredo recipe!! Healthy and soooo good! Thank you!
I made this tonight and it is amazing!! I blackened shrimp, asparagus and grape tomatoes and put the sauce over them with noodles. So good! I have a lot of the sauce leftover and am wondering if it can be frozen?
I started a diet a few weeks ago which has been going so well, except for the random massive cravings I get for my favorite dish, fettuccine Alfredo. No matter where I went, I couldn’t find somewhere that made some that would be justifiable at all for the amount of fat and calories. Finally I decided if I wanted to eat it, I’d have to make it myself. I went through tons of recipes but this one was just WOW!! I couldn’t believe how this was low-calorie, low-fat, etc. It tastes exactly the same!! I will definitely be incorporating this into my dinners now and no more guilt! Only question I have is what would you estimate the calories be per serving? My family was begging me to make another whole portion of it after we finished the first!
This is the absolute best Alfredo sauce I’ve ever made! So awesome for us that it’s low fat and fewer calories! You can’t even tell there’s no heavy cream. My husband LOVED this too!
Made this exactly – kids loved it and so did I! Thanks.
I just made this for my family, my husband and the kids loved it. It was quick and easy to prepare. A definite keeper. Thank you
Sooooo good! My family wants it again tomorrow night! 😂
I made this for my family tonight and we all LOVED it!!! So, so delicious. Thank you!!
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I would highly recommend this dish if you are looking for something low fat.
My son is fussy and he LOVED this. I did this with kohlrabi spaghetti and added peas spinach and some of his left over cauliflower and brocolli puree. He is 11 months doesnt say much but he did say ‘nyummy nyummy’ a few times whilst eating this.
My roommate is lactose intolerant, so I used unsweetened original almond milk and it was a FANTASTIC alternative. I am so thankful for this!
This was surprisingly delicious. I figured I’d give it a try and see what happens. My Italian husband loved it. Hard to believe it’s low fat. We were eating it feeling less guilty 😉. Definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing it.
Does anyone know how much is in one serving?
This was delicious, thank you so much for the wonderful recipe! I waited until after the meal to inform my family that this was actually a low fat version of fettuccine Alfredo and no one believed me. I added some cremini mushrooms and broccoli and served over fresh pasta. Amazing!
I cannot believe how perfect the sauce was with 1% milk and chicken broth- I have no idea why anyone would make this with heavy cream and more than 1T of butter. Sauteed mushrooms and spinach (in the chicken broth) made it healthy, and I think next time I’ll try it with broccoli and grilled chicken. SO so so delish.