This Lighter Alfredo Sauce is creamy, cheesy, and so good. The best part is it only takes 15 minutes to make from scratch.
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Pair this lightened-up sauce with pasta and your choice of shrimp or grilled chicken for an easy and healthy weeknight dinner.
If you've ever ordered Fettuccini Alfredo at restaurants, you know just how creamy and rich it is. I made the mistake of looking at the nutrition one time… oh man. I thought - Well, that’s why it tastes so good. The restaurants add heaps of butter, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese to make alfredo sauce.
🍗 Add chicken!
Add more protein to your meal by adding chicken. I have 2 easy ways I make chicken in the oven and in the air fryer. Both use thinly sliced chicken breast, which is the perfect portion size!
This lighter version has about half the butter and replaces a lot of the heavy cream with low-fat milk. All the flavor and creaminess is still there but with half the calories.
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🧀 Substitutions
Low-Fat Milk: I used low-fat milk since it has fewer calories, but any kind of cow milk will work in this recipe.
Fettuccine: Any pasta will work with this sauce, just keep it to ¾ pound
Full ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card below.
🔪 How to Make Lighter Alfredo Sauce
- Pasta: Cook pasta as directed.
- Make Roux: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook till the mixture is a light golden color.
- Add Dairy: Whisk in milk and heavy cream till the sauce is smooth. Continue to whisk for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Mix in Cheese: Turn the heat to low. Mix in parmesan, salt, and pepper. If the sauce is too thick for you, add one teaspoon of milk until you get your desired consistency.
- Add Pasta: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss till the pasta is well coated. Top with parsley and more pepper. Serve immediately.
🥗 Sides
- Garlic Bread
- A Simple Salad
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
🙋♀️ FAQ
There is enough sauce to generously cover about ¾ pounds of dry pasta ( ¾ of a 16oz box of pasta).
I reduced the amount of butter by half and swapped out a lot of the heavy cream for milk. All of the flavor is still there, but you won’t feel so full after.
Watch how it's made…
More Comfort Food…
Light Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- ¾ pounds fettuccine or linguine, or other long pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup low-fat milk
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Cook pasta as directed.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook till the mixture is a light golden color.
- Whisk in the heavy cream, then the milk. Continue to whisk for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Turn the heat to low. Mix in parmesan, salt, and pepper. If the sauce is too thick for you, add one teaspoon of milk until you get your desired consistency.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss till the pasta is well coated. Top with parsley and more pepper. Serve immediately.
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Food Safety
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
- See more guidelines at USDA.gov
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!