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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 ½ 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 Fettuccine Alfredo with Cauliflower Sauce and Peas
Ingredients
Cauliflower "Alfredo" Sauce
- 1 lb cauliflower (1 cauliflower head)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 shallots , minced, or 2 tablespoons of minced onion
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese , shredded
- ½ teaspoon salt or more, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Pasta and Peas
- 2 cups peas , fresh shelled or use frozen
- 8 oz fettuccine pasta
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped, for garnish, optional
Instructions
Make Cauliflower "Alfredo" Sauce
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 ¼ 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.
Pasta and Peas
- Cook the peas in boiling water for about 5 minutes, or according to instructions if using frozen peas.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the fettuccine in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
So funny, I just made this sauce from Lindsay's blog about two weeks ago. We used ours as a pizza sauce - amazing!
Looks divine Julia! I'm a huge fan of peas with pasta!
YUM! I love Alfredo, but not the calories. This sounds like a delicious option 🙂
This looks delicious!
Your pasta looks delicious- I remember those fake cauliflower mashed potatoes and they were good!
It's amazing what one can do with cauliflower! This looks to be not only pretty healthy, but exceptionally tasty. Really good stuff - thanks so much.
I've been thinking about trying this since I saw it on Pinch of Yum! Yours looks soooo delicious, and now that two of my favorite bloggers have approved it, I'm convinced it must actually be that delicious! 🙂
Julia, this sounds crazy-good and your pictures are extremely enticing! I will be picking up cauliflower at the market!
Creamy and healthier, an impressive recipe! My family will enjoy this version of Fettuccine Alfredo!
What a delightful pasta dish! Beautiful clicks, Julia.
Ah ha, something new to do with my cauli-cravings! I must admit I am intrigued by this idea of swapping one food for a similar-looking but healthier options. I know it's often done in Michelin-starred restaurants as a cheffy touch, but I really like the idea of having (as you say) mashed potatoes but without the calories (and carbs!).
This does look absolutely delish though - and quick, too. Once I get off my North-African/Moroccan/Lebanese food addiction, I will definitely make something like this. That is if I have any tastebuds left after all the Harissa! 😉
Sounds like the dish for my sister who loves cauliflowers!
And maybe a sneak dish for her kids who hates veggies.
Thanks for sharing!
Pasta is one of the best dishes...And if it is healthy like this one, it becomes a must-have. Great job!
I am sure I would love this..There is a recipe I make from J.DiStasio with pasta and cauliflower that I love..
All your additions would be mine too.
Gorgeous.
This healthy version of fettuccine alfredo sounds divine! Love the addition of cauliflower and peas in here. Thanks for sharing your recipe Julia.