Healthy Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Yes!!! I finally did it! I created a delicious, healthy alfredo sauce recipe!!!
Did you know that Alfredo sauce as we know it today in America, actually isn’t Italian at all? The sauce we know and love here is actually and American creation!
While a version of Alfredo sauce reportedly started off in Rome, the recipe made its way here to the states and evolved into what we know as Alfredo sauce today.
What Makes This Alfredo Sauce Healthy?
I’m glad you asked! Traditional Alfredo sauce is usually a heart attack on a plate. It has tons of saturated fats. But this recipe is just a little different.
This recipe uses cottage cheese! And while it will still have a few saturated fats (hello dairy!), this is far healthier than anything you’ll ever get at a restaurant or from a jar. The fat and calories are significantly reduced here.
What You’ll Need
- 4 cups cottage cheese – You can try low fat, but full fat will work best here. Some folks have had success with fat free cottage cheese, but any fat free dairy is very highly processed. So choose what feels right to you.
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese – Do not use Kraft parmesan for this. It won’t work well and is very highly processed stuff. Opt for real, grated parmesan. Don’t use shredded because it will take longer to melt which may end up causing separation from overheating.
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder – 1 to 2 tsp. if you have to talk to people the next day.
- 1/4 cup milk + some on reserve – Having a little milk on reserve will allow you to quickly and easily adjust consistency in your sauce.
How To Make Healthy Alfredo Sauce
- This recipe requires a double boiler. I have also figured out that some brands of cottage cheese do not work as well as others. So you may have to experiment a little bit. I used cottage cheese from Trader Joe’s.
- Add all ingredients to a double boiler and turn on the heat. DO NOT BRING THIS TO A STRONG BOIL! Keep the heat well controlled. You want a slow melt.
- As the mixture begins to warm, blend in the pot with a hand blender.
- Blend till smooth, and the continue to warm until it’s nice and hot.
- Pour about a half a cup over your pasta and serve.
Making Healthy Fettuccini Alfredo
Once this sauce is made, you can ladle it over some whole grain fettuccini. And if you really want to up the health level, add some lightly steamed broccoli and baked chicken breast for a healthy chicken broccoli fettuccini!
More Healthy Sauce Recipes
Healthy Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Healthy Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Double boiler
Ingredients
- 4 cups cottage cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (Real, grated parmesan. Not Kraft)
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder (1-2 tsp. if you have to talk to people the next day)
- ¼ cup milk + some on reserve
Instructions
- This recipe requires a double boiler. I have also figured out that some brands of cottage cheese do not work as well as others. So you may have to experiment a little bit. I used cottage cheese from Trader Joe's.
- Add all ingredients to a double boiler and turn on the heat. DO NOT BRING THIS TO A STRONG BOIL! Keep the heat well controlled. You want a slow melt.
- As the mixture begins to warm, blend in the pot with a hand blender. Blend till smooth, and the continue to warm until it's nice and hot.
- Pour about a half a cup over your pasta and serve.
Thank you for a great recipe! It was soo good and very easy to make. Even my very skeptical husband liked it!!
Dselugs – Fantastic!
Evie – Don’t give up! It’s worth it to get it right!
Hey, so I made this and I was so excited – but when I mixed it with pasta it just clumped up. I didn’t poor the sauce over the pasta, I just mixed it in in a big bowl. Would that be why? Also I was thinking maybe I didn’t make it hot enough? I was so hopeful when I saw it come out of the blender and was stirring it! Ideas????
Trena – This tends to be very sensitive to temperature. The mixing in the bowl could have cooled it down too fast. Also, the brand of cottage cheese you use can make a difference too. But I’m guessing it was the bowl.
I just made this and it turned out amazingly well!! I don’t have a double boiler so I just boiled water in a large pot and used a large pyrex measuring cup as the top pot and it was great. I added a little dill because it is my favorite herb and we had it with some whole wheat spaghetti, chicken and broccoli. Thank you soooo much for this website, I am learning so much!
Liz – That’s awesome!!! I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Haha! That’s okay. I’ll forgive you this one time… (kidding)
Im totally doing this in a couple days! My wife and I are clean eating, and I’m trying to figure ways to rekindle our spirits together! How great to find a clean Alfredo sauce to make the very meal I made for her on our 1st date:D thank you so much!
That’s awesome! I hope you both enjoy it!
Made this last night. Hubby loved it and said it’s a keeper. I blended it in the blender, and it turned out really smooth! We ate this over a bed of spiralized zucchini (our new replacement for pasta). It was good! Also made your turkey meatballs and threw them in. The whole dinner was clean, and it was a hit!
Fantastic!!!
This recipe has converted me to cleaner eating! Alfredo sauce that is rich, creamy and doesn’t end up making me feeling bloated and regretful? Unbelievable, but true. Thank you for this. Thank you for sharing this delicious and healthier lifestyle, too.
My pleasure! So glad you enjoyed it!
I do too!
This recipe is to DIE for !! I tasted NO difference and it was nice and thick, just like the high fat stuff.
She’s talking about the double boiler. There is no water added to the ingredients.
I have sort of a silly question. The recipe says it makes approximately 4 cups and at the end it says to at about a 1/2 cup to pasta and serve. Is it 1/2 c to an EACH serving or is that for say 1/2 cup per family of 4’s pasta? Do you refridgerate what is left? And would the entire recipe be enough for about 8 servings? Sorry if this was confusing!
It’s 1/2 cup pasta to each serving of sauce. I’m sure you could work it into 8 servings just fine. You can put it in the fridge, but treat it like guacamole so it doesn’t get brown.
I love love love this! I used an alternative double boiler with two pots and it turned out perfect! Making it for my boyfriend for V-day!
Awesome! 🙂
The double boiler worked wonderfully! And I used a magic bullet to blend everything. Thank you so much-this recipe was absolutely delicious!
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
I blended the ingredients prior to warming it up, then tossed it right over my hot pasta. I thought it was great! Thanks for the easiest alfredo sauce I can make.
Katie – Great idea! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
I really hate cottage cheese, but I love this recipe! Even using a double boiler, there was a lot of separation as the dish cooled down, so I just had to eat quickly (like that’s a problem, lol). I will definitely be making it again and it’s so nice to find a healthier version of alfredo sauce.
Jennifer – Glad you like it! In my experience, the brand of cottage cheese tends to make a difference. So maybe try a couple different brands till you find the one that works best.
I made this tonight and I new people had problems so, I was really careful. The sauce in the pot was perfect but when I added it to the pasta and mushrooms it separated back into a cottage cheese look. It still tasted really good though!
Jen – Sounds like it cooled off pretty quickly. Glad you enjoyed it though!
I love how this turned out, but how do I reheat???
Teresa – A double boiler is the best approach for reheating.
I’ve been a bit hesitant to try this based on the reviews, but it sounded so yummy I had to give it a try.
I didn’t use a double boiler but figured low and slow was the way to go. I put all the ingredients in a sauce pan and let it go at about 2-3 on my electric stove top. By the way, I used 4% cottage cheese, freshly grated Romano, minced garlic, and original (not vanilla) soy milk. Once it started warming up, I stirred it occasionally for about 5-7 minutes. I tried the immersion blender but it wanted to splatter all over so I poured the mixture in the blender for about 2 minutes, then poured it back in the saucepan. The consistency seemed a bit thin (I typically don’t measure by the way – just eyeball) but by the time I poured it into my grilled chicken strips, slightly steamed broccoli, and ziti, and stirred, it was not a problem. This is a fantastic way to have clean Alfredo sauce without all the fat. Total time to prepare the sauce was about 10-12 minutes. Delish!!!
Lynn – Thanks for the feedback! I know this recipe can be a bit touchy, but if you get it right, it’s really, really good! Glad it all worked out!
I made this for my family last night and it was délicieux!! I made a makeshift double boiler, and subbed one cup of the cottage cheese with one cup of non fat Greek yogurt. I also added a bit of nutmeg and finely chopped fresh parsley.
I mixed in some smoked salmon and served it over steamed broccoli and sauteed mushrooms.
I did notice as the sauce got quite hot it was threatening to separate, but I removed it from the heat just in time. This is such a fabulous idea and recipe and I will absolutely be adding it to my culinary répertoire!
Sarah – So glad you enjoyed it! Sounds like a delicious way to serve it! 🙂