Low Fat Alfredo Sauce

Committing to eating healthy, doesn’t stop us from craving all those things we swore we would stay away from. Recently, I found myself craving something I have not eating in 5+ years- Alfredo sauce. In high school, I used to indulge in Tortellini Alfredo from my favorite chain pizza restaurant- I quickly learned that much dairy and fat did not leave me feeling my best. So when I started craving this the other day, I was stumped- what could I replace this with that would taste just as good and feel not so bad? I broke down the components and made a low fat version that is now my tried and true favorite! Hope you enjoy!

Serves: 4                                    Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

·       2 tablespoons Garlic Olive Oil (or fresh garlic with regular olive oil)

·        2 tablespoons of flour

·        1 cup of chicken bone broth

·        1 cup of grated or powdered Parmesan cheese (may need more for taste)

·        Fresh Italian parsley

·        Black Pepper and Salt to taste

·        Your favorite pasta!

Recipe

I like to add pasta directly to sauce to coat the pasta evenly and fully, if you would like to do this, cook pasta while making the sauce. Save a cup of the water the pasta is cooked in to thin out the sauce, if needed.

1. In a large saucepan - Make a roux (don’t panic!)

   1. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat

   2. As it heats up, add flour and whisk vigorously

2. Once the roux is formed (it should look like a smooth paste), add in 1 cup of bone broth and continue to whisk until smooth.

3. Add 1 cup of milk, continue to whisk breaking up any clumps that may form

4. Allow to thicken (3-8 minutes), whisking to prevent burning

5. Add Parmesan cheese (add more if needed for taste)

6. Mix until a smooth, cheese sauce forms - consistency should be between a sauce and a paste

7. Add ground pepper, salt, and fresh parsley (chopped) to taste

If you made pasta while cooking the sauce, add pasta directly to sauce in the saucepan. Use fork (I use tongs) to toss the pasta in the sauce. Add pasta water as needed to thin the sauce and evenly coat the pasta. Serve hot and enjoy!

Tips:

• Because this is low fat, I love to use a flavored pasta (here is my homemade spinach garlic fettucine - see recipe!) because it really comes through and brightens the dish

• I make homemade chicken soup and freeze the extras. Using your own broth and straining it into this sauce (instead of a pre-made bone broth) is a great way to pack in extra flavor, cut down on sodium, and leave out all the additives of preserved foods.

• We add less salt for flavor than sodium that is needed to preserve our food. I always try to look for the lowest sodium content on my packaged foods (like bone broth) and if the dish needs a little kick, I add it in at the end.