There are some restaurant menu items which always disappoint me, and one of those is Fettuccine Alfredo. I’ll admit, I don’t eat out much, but the times I have the sauce was either sickeningly rich, or tasted like water. Fortunately, I’ve come up with a version that’s full of flavor, but not over the top with cream, butter and cheese. More fat doesn’t always mean more flavor. Even better, the dish is all made in one pot.
I’ve seen recipes for Fettuccine Alfredo calling for two sticks of butter for one pound of pasta and heavy whipping cream, and a mound of Parmesan. Wanting to lighten up for calories and flavor, I played with different variations, and added garlic and onion. Boiling the noodles in chicken stock adds flavor without fat. My goal is not to make a low-fat dish, but rather to create a pasta sauce not so weighed down in fat, the flavor would be lost.
This Fettuccine Alfredo isn’t just delicious, but it’s all cooked in one pot for quick clean-up. This would be nice with a grilled shrimp or chicken, and a nice crisp salad.
One Pot Wonder Fettuccine Alfredo
1 TBSP olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2/3 cups onion, minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 pound fettuccine, uncooked
1 stick butter
1 cup half and half
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
2 tsp salt
cracked black pepper to taste
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add chicken broth, and bring to a boil.
Add pasta to the broth mixture and cook until the noodles are soft. After the liquid has been dissolved in the pasta, stir in butter and melt. (If the noodles are soft and there’s still broth in the pot, drain before adding other ingredients.)
Add half and half, salt and cheese. Stir and heat until cheese is melted. Crack pepper over mixture and enjoy!
We used to make a Cooking Light version of fettuccine alfredo. You like this better? I don’t remember the other one so well.
This one is so much better!