Healthier Fettuccine Alfredo

Photo courtesy of EatingWell.com

I've been looking for a healthier version of fettuccine alfredo for a while now. I've found a few but none of them lived up to my taste expectations. Well, I tried this Eating Well recipe last night and it was FANTASTIC! I foundit in their "cooking for 2" section. I was a little nervous because there is no cream or milk in the sauce and didn't think it could taste that great. I was wrong. I think it is just as good (maybe better???) than the real stuff. Seriously, so good. I added some grilled chicken to the top because I need meat with my meals and it was a great addition. Go try this recipe ... now!

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth (use chicken broth, much better flavor)

- 4 large cloves garlic, peeled (I used minced garlic because it is all I had)

- 4 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine

- 1 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks (I didn't use zucchini and you don't have to either)

- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water

- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I don't use, I think parsley ruins everything)

Preparation

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Combine broth and garlic cloves in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the garlic cloves are soft, about 15 minutes.

2. After the garlic has simmered about 10 minutes, cook fettuccine in the boiling water, stirring often, for 8 minutes. Drop in zucchini and cook until the fettuccine is just tender, about 1 minute more.

3. Meanwhile, transfer the garlic and broth to a blender. Process until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute (if you used minced garlic like me, you can skip this step). Return the mixture to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add cornstarch mixture; whisk it until slightly thickened, about 15 seconds (at this point, I had to add about 1/2 c. more chicken broth because there wasn't enough liquid). Remove from the heat and whisk in sour cream, nutmeg and pepper. Return the pot to very low heat to keep the sauce warm. (Do not boil.)

4. Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl (or back in the saucepan). Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, passing the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan separately.

Makes 2 servings, 1.2 cups each.

Nutritional Info per serving:

379 calories;

11 g fat ( 6 g sat , 3 g mono )

33 mg cholesterol

52 g carbohydrates

21 g protein

8 g fiber

628 mg sodium

326 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Calcium (40% daily value), Vitamin C (25% dv), Vitamin A & Zinc (20% dv), Magnesium (18% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 3