This fettuccine Alfredo recipe is perfect for any and all occasions, from busy weeknights to romantic dinners. It's simple, elegant, and totally delicious.
Traditional fettuccine Alfredo contains 5 basic ingredients: pasta, butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you’ve probably guessed that this fettuccine Alfredo recipe isn’t totally traditional. You’re right!
See, I love creamy pasta, but when I order it at restaurants, it’s almost always too rich for me to enjoy for more than a few bites. Earlier this winter, I was craving comfort food, and I got the idea to make a fettuccine Alfredo recipe that would let me have my cake and eat it too. It would be every bit as creamy and comforting as the classic pasta, but also light enough for me to savor an entire bowlful and still go back for seconds.
Since that day, we’ve had this fettuccine Alfredo recipe on repeat in our house. The sauce is rich and nutty, and its creamy texture is irresistible over tangles of fresh pasta. Made with just 10 pantry ingredients, it’s quick and easy to make. As a result, we’ve eaten it time and time again – on busy weeknights, snowy Saturdays, and even date nights in. I hope you find a place for it in your regular rotation too!
A Lightened-Up Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
To make a lightened up fettuccine Alfredo recipe that would taste just as good as the traditional pasta, I used these key ingredients:
- Cauliflower – I’ve turned to cauliflower time and time again to make lighter versions of creamy classics, and it works wonders here. Boiled and blended with the other ingredients, it makes an Alfredo sauce that’s just as delicious as – but so much lighter than – the traditional version.
- Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and garlic – They add bright, tangy depth of flavor to the creamy sauce.
- Parmesan cheese and butter – They’re classic fettuccine Alfredo ingredients for a reason! Parmesan adds nutty umami flavor and thickens the sauce, while the butter makes it silky smooth.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Because I use just a small amount of butter in this recipe, I add olive oil for extra richness. I love its robust flavor here!
- Pasta water – In traditional fettuccine Alfredo, hot, starchy pasta water is what turns the Parmesan and butter into a creamy sauce. It’s a key ingredient in my recipe too, helping the cauliflower blend into a luscious puree.
How to Make Fettuccine Alfredo
Making this recipe is quick and easy! Here’s what you need to do:
- First, cook the cauliflower. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the cauliflower. Cook until it’s tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Then, drain it and transfer it to a blender along with the Parmesan cheese, garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, butter, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Next, cook the pasta until al dente in a large pot of salted water. Before you drain it, set aside 1 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta water.
- Then, make the sauce. Add 1 cup of the pasta water to the blender, and blend to form a smooth puree.
- Finally, toss it all together! Add the pasta to a large skillet or bowl and toss it with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add more pasta water, as needed, to reach your desired consistency.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!
What to Serve with Fettuccine Alfredo
Serve this fettuccine Alfredo recipe with minced Italian parsley and lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy it as a meal on its own, or pair it with your favorite protein for a heartier dinner. It would also be fantastic with roasted veggies like Brussels sprouts or broccoli or a classic Caesar salad. Mop up any leftover sauce with homemade focaccia or good crusty bread, and don’t forget the wine to drink!
More Favorite Pasta Recipes
If you love this fettuccine Alfredo recipe, try one of these favorite pasta recipes next:
- Homemade Pasta
- Best Vegetarian Lasagna
- Easy Baked Ziti
- Homemade Mac and Cheese
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta
- Linguine with Lemon and Tomatoes
Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cauliflower florets, (1 small cauliflower)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, more for serving
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces fettuccine pasta
- 1 to 1½ cups reserved pasta cooking water
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and boil until the cauliflower is fork tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place the cauliflower in a blender. Add the Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic, mustard, butter, lemon juice, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions or until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1½ cups of the starchy pasta water. Add 1 cup of the pasta water to the blender and blend the sauce until creamy.
- Transfer the pasta to a large bowl or skillet. Add the sauce and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add the remaining ½ cup pasta water and toss again to loosen the sauce and make it a bit creamier.
- Sprinkle with parsley and season to taste. Serve with grated cheese on the side.
So easy and so good! This is such a great alternative to heavy fettucine sauce but tastes just as good. It also made for a good recipe to make with my toddler. I served the pasta and sauce with steamed broccoli and next time I will add chicken too. Thank you for this recipe!!
Oh.My.Gosh. Absolutely delicious! Definitely going to be making this more often. It tastes AMAZING!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I would bathe in this sauce
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Tastes great and easy to make 🙂
Super easy to make and instead of pasta I use hearts of
Palm linguini best find ever in a can at the grocery store – tastes just like pasta in Texture and absorbs whatever flavors are cooked with in this case Alfredo sauce Yummi
I just made this dish and thought it had fantastic flavor. Will definitely work into the rotation.
What DF parma cheese do you recommend as a substitute – one that tastes close to the real thing?
Hi Heidi, here’s my vegan variation of this recipe, it uses raw cashews instead of store-bought DF parmesan and I love this recipe exactly the same as the cheese version: https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-alfredo-sauce/
I haven’t come across a DF parmesan that I like – I think they all taste pretty terrible, if I’m being honest. I love our vegan parmesan, for sprinkling on top of all types of dishes. It’s delicious, but it won’t melt into the sauce like cheese does, so I still recommend the above link for the sauce in this particular recipe. https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-parmesan-cheese/
Hope that helps!
Can I substitute frozen cauliflower or is it much better with fresh?
I absolutely loved this recipe. I didn’t add the lemon and I swapped out the butter for organic vegan butter and instead of regular pasta, I used a really good GF pasta. It was so tasty. I added a bunch of veggies to the dish.
I made this without the Parm but rather used a Parm substitute as it is not vegetarian. It all came together beautifully! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Linda, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
So delicious, I made it for my fussy eaters and they smashed it. They didn’t notice it’s made from cauliflower 😉
I just need to put less garlic next time.
Do you think this could work with subbing the butter with olive oil only?
yep! I think that’ll be fine.
WoW so delicious! beyond what any expectations. Thanks for another great recipe
This was so good and ridiculously easy! Would have no idea there was almost a pound of cauliflower in it. The flavors are amazing.
I actually made it a little easier for myself by scooping the cauliflower out of the boiling water and into the blender, and then just throwing the pasta into that boiling water rather than draining the r cauliflower.
Will definitely make it again! Thank you!
Hi Cathy, I’m so glad you loved it!
My 4 and 1 year old loved it. This will be in our regular rotation, for sure. I just want to eat that sauce by the spoonful! I
Made this tonight for dinner and WOW!
I don’t have any cauliflower, can I use broccoli instead?
Hi Olivia, it might! I haven’t tried – it won’t be as creamy but the sauce might still be a tasty green pasta sauce.
This was amazing!!! My son and hubby who are avid cauliflower haters ate the lot and asked for seconds!! As we were tidying up, they asked what was in it… they couldn’t believe it was cauliflower.
Definitely a new family favourite 🤩
Such a great substitute – I cannot eat cream and my family loves Alfredo … so usually I am stuck with tomato sauce while they indulge! But this was delicious and we could all eat it.
LOVED! So delish. I haven’t had Alfredo sauce in years ( eggs and diary). Used vegan parm and Miyoko’s vegan butter. Yummy.
Question: can I freeze extra sauce? How long will it stay fresh in fridge.
Hi Lis, I’m glad you loved it! The sauce should keep for a couple of days in the fridge. I haven’t tried freezing it, so I’m not sure.