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.
This recipe was so nice and light compared to typical Alfredo sauce. I increased the garlic and ate it with roasted broccoli. So good!
I love this recipe! Super easy and delicious. I like to chop up some arugula and swirl it in, or cooked mushrooms and broccoli.
Made this last night and it was delicious! I love the garlic flavor. I do not have a blender so the sauce was a bit grainy, but I would totally make it again anyway!
Super easy and delicious! Added spinach to sneak in some extra veggies. The sauce thickened a bit after cooling so will toss in a bit of milk with the leftovers.
Delicious and less guilty version of a classic! <y sauce turned out a little grainy, but I added a little milk to thin it out a bit more.
I love the fettuccine Alfredo for February’s cooking club!
Delicious flavor and I love how quickly it all came together. My sauce separated a little bit, but it didn’t affect the taste. Probably I didn’t blend it long enough. I hope this can be reheated because it makes a lot! Good recipe for company.
This was ridiculously good and I loved adding cauliflower to the sauce. It tasted lighter and healthier than any other fettuccine Alfredo dish I’ve had. I felt so much better after eating this version, it’s going to be my new go to for fettuccine Alfredo. I did add caramelized onions to the Alfredo sauce which added nice flavor. I also made it once with feta instead of Parmesan because it’s what I had on hand and it came out great.
Admittedly I was a little skeptical going into this recipe, but I am now a believer! This dish, forever. Such a nice light sauce, tastes just like a cream sauce. My husband couldn’t figure out the magic ingredient and he doesn’t like cauliflower.
Ha, I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!
Love this lightened-up version of a traditional dish! A fool-proof recipe!
This was SUPER simple and SUPER tasty without feeling heavy!!! The lemon gave it a nice zing. I paired it with a caesar salad and a good crusty bread. My whole family loved it.
This turned out great. The sauce came together very easily with an immersion blender and everything was ready to go within thirty minutes.
The Dijon added lovely flavor to the dish. It was much lighter than a traditional fettuccine alfredo. Most traditional fettuccine alfredo dishes are heavy and extremely rich, making it hard to finish the plate comfortably – no such problem here!
Will absolutely make again.
Delicious recipe! Normally do not eat cheese but cheated on this one. Instead of cauliflower, I used romanesco. I served it with the garlic knots from this site and my kids kept saying this was one of the best meals they’ve eaten.
Loved this recipe! You can’t taste the cauliflower at all but it makes the sauce so nice and light. Leftovers reheated well too! It is quick enough for a weeknight dinner but fun enough to have for a special occasion.
This was delicious, especially paired with homemade fettuccine. The sauce was super simple to make and tasted great. Will definitely make again!
Make this immediately! I don’t love traditional Alfredo because it’s too rich/ heavy. This sauce was excellent! The lemon brought a nice brightness and the cauliflower lightened the sauce up but you’d never know it was in there. My toddlers and my husband (who generally dislikes pasta) loved it!
Made this for dinner tonight and we loved it! It was delicious. Will definitely make again!
Made it! So good. My kids loved it too!!!
I skipped the butter and added some white beans. My 9 year old said “delicious” It was so easy to make!
Aww, I’m so glad she loved it!
This was delicious! My husband and I both cleaned our plates. I used a 16 oz bag of frozen cauliflower, bottled lemon juice, and vegan butter. The extra cauliflower made the sauce a bit runny, but we added extra parm on top to compensate. I think I’d reduce the garlic to one clove, also. I’m excited to try the vegan recipe!