While some long to slide out of their shoes and too-tight work pants when they get home from a day at the office, I long to get in the kitchen. Busy evenings are my muse, along with pancakes, ice cream, and freshly-washed strawberries. Other topics for other days, I suppose.
So upon returning from a particularly busy day at the office, I checked the “dinner menu” hanging on the fridge as it were, and saw I’d written “shrimp pasta” on Tuesday. And who am I to go back on my word? Pasta it was.
Confession: I’ve used jarred sauces on my pasta before. Cue: shrill cries, eye rolls and stone throwing. Yada yada yada. But you have to admit, on occasion convenience wins over quality, just like every morning in high school when a pack of chocolate donut gems won over eggs and toast. Time, is, money.
Until I perfected this recipe, I went the convenience route when it came to my pasta. But once you’ve tasted homemade, you’ll never go back. In addition to this version taking only 15 minutes or less to throw together, it also requires no butter, no cream and packs a ton of delicious and zesty flavor from parmesan cheese, garlic, pesto and a pinch of red pepper flake.
Light Alfredo Sauce & Cheesy Garlic Ciabatta
Ingredients
ALFREDO SAUCE
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- 1/2 cup veggie broth (DIY or store-bought)
- 2-4 Tbsp flour
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp pesto (I used basil)
- 1 healthy pinch red pepper flake (optional)
- 10-12 ounces pasta (boiled)
CHEESY GARLIC CIABATTA BREAD
- 1 ciabatta bread roll
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
- 1 sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C).
- Heat medium to large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil and garlic, stirring quickly to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Next, add milk and veggie broth and stir.
- Then, begin adding 1 Tbsp of flour at a time, stirring with a whisk to reduce clumps. I recommend starting with 2-3 Tbsp (as original recipe is written) and adding more later if needed. You can also thicken with extra parmesan cheese. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flake, pesto, cheese and stir.
- Bring a pot to a boil and cook pasta at this time. Drain and set aside.
- Reduce heat on sauce slightly and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you notice the sauce is too thin, add a little more flour. If too thick, add a little more milk.
- In the meantime, split your ciabatta roll in half and butter lightly. Slice it into thick strips, add the parmesan, garlic powder and mozzarella and place in the oven on a baking sheet.
- Watch closely – it should only take 5 minutes to toast up. Remove from oven when lightly browned and cheese is melted.
- If you have clumps in your sauce at this point (I usually have a few), pour mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Then return to saucepan, add your favorite pasta, toss and serve immediately.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with pasta.
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
I crave this recipe at least once a week, and for good reason. It’s creamy, flavorful, cheesy and surprisingly healthy. My favorite pastas to serve it with are penne and linguini, but it really could go with just about any shape. Of course, meat is optional, but I find chicken or shrimp the perfect additions to this dish to add a bit more protein.
Enjoy,
Dana
Jael says
Easy, quick, delicious and filling! We didn’t have any pesto, so I threw in a couple shakes of dried basil. My daughter also loves edamame so that went in too! We will be adding this recipe into our rotation.
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Jael!
Lauren says
I made this for dinner tonight and was amazed by the pesto + alfredo combination. I can’t believe I hadn’t tried it sooner! It’s brilliant! This sauce is going to be a new regular in the dinner rotation. Thank you for sharing.
A few additions – I added chopped artichoke in with the garlic and sauteed it for a few minutes, then followed the rest of the recipe as is. I also boiled broccoli in the pasta water (separate from the pasta) and added the cooked broccoli into the sauce. Lastly, I mixed in some nutritional yeast for added cheesy flavor.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lauren. Thanks so much for sharing!
Charlotte says
What a wonderful recipe. Just what i needed. My friends like it too. Thanks
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Charlotte. We are so glad you and your friends enjoy it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Marti says
Very delicious! The only modifications I made were to add shrimp I fried up and eyeballing the cheese rather than measuring it.
Julie Desautels says
Hi Dana! This looks awesome! Which plant based milk would give the best results? (almond, cashew, soy?)
Thanks so so much! Also your vegan Parm recipe is the best :)
Julie
Hi Julie, We haven’t made this recipe with non-dairy milk and aren’t sure how it would turn out. But we would say unsweetened plain almond milk would be the best choice. Though you may prefer this recipe. Hope that helps!
Kayla says
Hi there!
I was wondering what would constitute as “1 serving”
I am currently counting my macros and was able to import the recipe into MyFitnessPal, but it does not state what a serving is.
Thank you :)
Hi Kayla, 1 serving is 1/4 of the total recipe. Hope that helps!
Jean B. says
I love this recipe! I have made it many times over the last few years and it is always a hit. It tastes awesome, without being too rich like traditional alfredo sauce.
I usually sift the flour as I’m adding it to the liquids to help avoid clumping. I have had the milk curdle on me if I have the temp too high, so watch for that! And I put the parmesan in before the flour so I can more easily control the consistency.
I am not a vegetarian so I usually use chicken broth instead of veggie broth (have it on hand more often), and we also add chicken to it.
Jean B. says
Oh and no salt due to the parmesan already being salty. But lots of ground pepper…yum. :)
Mandy says
I just recently found out that I inherited a thick heart muscle from mom’s side of the family. Now I’m afraid to eat anything really. I know the basics; nuts, berries, greens, fish. I’m no chef, but when I do eat, of course I want something thats tasty and flavorful as well as healthy now and it has to appeal to picky family members as well. This recipe looks too good to be true. Is it healthy for people with heart conditions? I’ve been searching and while I do love Mexican food, which seems to be the best style for people with heart issues: between ground turkey and beans…My grandmother can’t stand Mexican style food or anything spicy which is where the pickyness comes into play. I need healthy things that everyone can enjoy. Please let me know if you or anyone has any suggestions. Thank you
Lauren H says
This is fantastic! Made it with almond milk. It’s everything I want Alfredo sauce to be and more.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Lauren!
Megan says
This was sooo delicious! I substituted almond milk, and the basil instead, and it turned out amazing.
Blanca Gonzales says
can I use wheat flour?
Yes!
Blanca Gonzales says
Thank you!
Ssoh says
Do you know how long does it keep in the fridge or freezer? I make this on a weekly basis and I’ve made a double batch for next week. Thank you
Hi! It should last 3-5 days in the fridge and a couple of weeks in the freezer! I recommend keeping the sauce and pasta separated in both cases for storage!
Katy says
This turned out so good! I only made one minor change and that was due to being out of pesto. I swapped it for roasted red pepper hummus. It was so good! Definitely going to be making this again!
April says
I also did the vegan version of this (vegan parmesan and unsweetened cashew milk) and it works beautifully
Danielle says
Instead of spinning the sauce in a blender to reduce clumps, I combined the milk and flour in a mason jar, shook it up real good, and then added it to the broth and garlic. Potential for less dirty dishes this way.
:)
Kate says
I made this tonight and it was wonderful! I don’t even like restaurant Alfredo sauce but my fiancé was craving Alfredo so I tried this lighter version and it was delicious! I used basil and fresh parsley instead of pesto…there were no leftovers! Thanks for the recipe!
Kaye says
How can you claim this is lactose free with milk and cheese in it?
Kendra says
She doesn’t clam it’s lactose free, just cream free.
Kristen says
I made it and it was so delicious! My husband loved it. I also added mushrooms which are my favorite food. So delicious and quick to make in my opinion.
Anonymous says
made this today.. Yum!!! I added spinach in mine also, and used basil instead of pesto. I used a gluten free all purpose and gluten free brown rice pasta. Delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
nicole says
My family loved this. I added prosciutto and peas, and my kids asked for seconds. Yum! Thanks.
Wonderful! thanks for sharing, Nicole!
Kalesha says
I’ve had such a craving for fettuccine Alfredo but all the cream and butter stopped me as I’m watching my weight. I tend to get scared of trying the “healthy” alternatives to my favorites. In fact when I told my husband I was trying out a healthy Alfredo sauce his response was simple, “ewwww” but as we took the first bites, we realized just how wrong we were. This is a delicious alternative and I will be using this recipe when I feel an Alfredo craving coming from now on. Thank you!!
haha, I know! “healthy” sauce have a bad rap. But I’m glad you both enjoyed this!
Jennifer says
Delicious. Used cornstarch as I weirdly was out of flour and it worked perfect. Adding peas and homemade bacon.
Wonderful combo! Thanks for sharing, jennifer!
FT says
While you don’t say at what point you add the shrimp, would love to make this vegetarian but with another protein source. Any ideas?
Lauren De Steno says
This is so simple to cook. But i have an query can i use Knorr Alfredo Sauce mix because at present this sauce mix is available. Here you can get the product information.
Kindly let me know.
I’m not familiar with that sauce. Sorry!
Lauren De Steno says
@Dana Shultz : Thanks! Alfredo Sauce mix is available at.
Hope this will help for you to suggest me. if not i will follow yours complete ingredients.
Empress says
Can you use almond milk instead?
Yes! Plain unsweetened. I just made it that way the other night and it was delicious. I also subbed vegan parm for the cheese and it was awesome! Best of luck!
Margie says
Can you make this vegan with your vegan parmesan recipe and coconut or almond millk???
Jenn says
I made this tonight will grilled chicken and broccoli. Amazing! Y
Kristin says
This was so easy! I subbed a firm balsamic cheese for the parmesan and it was the perfect savory complement to our turkey, broccoli and fusilli pasta night!
Maria says
Such an easy recipe and tastes amazing! I was so glad I found a way to have alfredo without all the fat! I wanted chicken alfredo so I sautéed some chicken and onions, steamed some broccoli and replaced the noodles with quinoa.
Kimmy says
This looks delicious! Unfortunately, my son is allergic to dairy so I was hoping to try it with soy milk instead.. Is the Parmesan a must to thicken the sauce or is it possible to leave it out?
Sara says
Go Veggie makes a DELICIOUS vegan parm (dairy free). That’s what I’m trying tonight :)
Lauren says
I love the idea of a no butter, no cream alfredo sauce! I’m feeling a pasta craving coming and this will be the perfect sauce with it (woohoo healthy pasta!)
Mikki says
Hi Lauren! I love your recipes!! I was just scrolling looking at this delish sauce to make tonight and was shocked to see you commented! Hiii! Haha
Janelle says
Just made this for supper, to accompany mushroom-lentil “meat”balls. Had some homemade mushroom stock in the freezer so I used that to tie in the mushroomyness. It was delicious. Hubby was walking around saying he didn’t want to stop eating. Thanks!
Pooja Arora says
Saved as a favorite, I love your site! blog now ;)
K says
Do you think the sauce could be made in advance and frozen? Or would that ruin the quality? Dying to try this.
I think it could be made in advance and frozen. Although I do think it might lose a bit of its freshness. Give it a try though and let me know how it turns out!
Allyson Kelly says
5-6 tablespoons of flour seems like too much for 1 1/2 cups of liquid. A typical “cream” sauce calls for tbls butter to 1 cup milk. I tried this recipe, changing the method, adding flour to the garlic and oil, creating a roux. Also, I added a tablespoon of my homemade basil pesto…. and scooped out at least half, as it was about to turn the sauce too green! I like the look of the dots of green basil among the white sauce. The flavor is wonderful! Also, I omitted the salt, as Parm cheese is quite salty enough.
Allyson, sounds like you made this recipe your own – that’s great! I use a higher flour-to-liquid ratio because it’s the way I prefer it, and achieves the best consistency for me, personally. But feel free to make any tweaks that you prefer – glad it still came out well!
melissa says
do you mean 1/2 CUP broth?
Yes! Sorry! I’ve fixed the recipe to say that. Thanks for the catch, Melissa!
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Oooh, this looks delicious. Actually, this looks like dinner tonight, haha. Maybe I’ll sneak some veggies in to it too. Yummy!
Katie says
Looks like a little creamy pot of heaven. Oh and that BREAAAD. Yes, please.