Healthy fettuccine alfredo with cauliflower sauce and peas – if you’re craving pasta with a creamy sauce but want a skinny version of a regular alfredo, this is the recipe for you! Healthy alfredo sauce is made with cauliflower, shallots and garlic, with a small amount of cream and Parmesan cheese. A healthier alternative to a classic alfredo sauce. I combined this healthy cauliflower alfredo sauce with fettuccine and peas for a delicious weeknight dinner!
When I first saw the recipe for healthy fettuccine alfredo with cauliflower sauce by Pinch of Yum on Foodgawker, I immediately fell in love with the idea of making a perfectly healthy alternative to my favorite alfredo sauce. Plus, seeing this sauce immediately brought back the memories of a few years back, when I used to make “fake” mashed potatoes using cauliflower and how much I enjoyed it!
Making this healthy alfredo sauce has long been on my mind but what stopped me from making it was simple logistics: I would forget to buy cauliflower at the store! Finally, here we are – with several cauliflower florets in the refrigerator, I was ready to go!
I made several adjustments to the recipe to bring it closer to the true fettuccine alfredo:
1) I sauteed shallots and garlic in a little bit of butter which added a really nice subtle flavor.
2) I added 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese to the sauce – you are, of course, free to add more if you like.
3) I added sweet peas which add a touch of sweetness and perfectly compliment just about any pasta dish. Sweet peas went perfectly with the creamy cauliflower sauce!
What can I say about the result of this endeavor? I simply love cauliflower in mashed form! With the addition of a little bit of heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, shallots, garlic, and sweet peas, this dish becomes a pure vegetarian heaven! I literally could not stop eating it. Right now, my head is full of many other variations I’d love to try with the cauliflower sauce in place of alfredo, but for now, please enjoy this healthy fettuccine alfredo with cauliflower sauce and peas.
Cauliflower head:
Boil cauliflower for 30-40 minutes until soft.
Creamy cauliflower “alfredo” sauce:
Healthy alfredo sauce is made with cauliflower, shallots and garlic, with a small amount of cream and Parmesan cheese. A healthier alternative to a classic alfredo sauce. I combined this healthy cauliflower alfredo sauce with fettuccine pasta and peas for a delicious weeknight dinner!
- 1 lb cauliflower (1 cauliflower head)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 shallots , minced, or 2 tablespoons of minced onion
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese , shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or more, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups peas , fresh shelled or use frozen
- 8 oz fettuccine pasta
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped, for garnish, optional
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Clean the cauliflower head from green leaves, and chop it into reasonably large but manageable pieces. Place it in the big sauce pan with water, bring to boil and boil for 30-40 minutes until cauliflower is really soft. Remove from heat and drain cauliflower from water. Do reserve some cooking water.
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Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add minced shallot (or 2 tablespoons of minced regular onion) and minced garlic and saute until tender. Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and bring to a boil. Cook just for a minute, stirring, until cheese melts. Remove from the heat.
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In a food processor, combine cooked cauliflower with the creamy sauce. Process really well, until a very creamy sauce forms. Feel free to add more heavy cream or cooking water (using 1/4 measuring cup) to thin the sauce if it is too thick. Transfer sauce into a large sauce pan and keep it warm on the stove top. Season with salt and pepper, and nutmeg, to taste.
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Cook the peas in boiling water for about 5 minutes, or according to instructions if using frozen peas.
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Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the fettuccine in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
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Combine some of the cauliflower sauce (do not use all, you might need only half of this sauce), cooked shelled peas, and pasta cooked al dente. Toss to combine thoroughly – over medium heat. Stir the sauce constantly. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Recipe Inspired by Pinch of Yum.
This cauliflower sauce reheats beautifully, so feel free to refrigerate the leftovers and reheat them later.
For those of you wanting lower calories or gluten free I spiralized zucchini in place of the pasta.
Made this recipe last night. It turned out thick and creamy. It was eas to make. I didn’t use peas. I added mushrooms, tomatoes, and chicken breast to make it more family friendly and filling. Everyone loved it, even the picky teenager. Thank you for the recipe.
I’ve done a version with Greek yogurt so it takes all the guilt away from the cream but it doesn’t take away from the yummy taste.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to make alfredo sauce healthier and I’m so glad I found this! Would the sauce workout if I just blend in the cauliflower with an immersion blender? I don’t have a food processor.