Made in one pan, with a creamy light alfredo sauce, this Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo is ready in just 15 minutes, making it the perfect dinner for busy nights!
Fettuccine Alfredo has always been a favorite with my family. From the decadent, creamy sauce to the tender noodles, it is one of those dishes that screams comfort.
But let's be honest, while delicious, it is also a dish that is pretty high in fat and calories. And while I certainly love to splurge from time to time and enjoy the traditional Fettuccine Alfredo, like my recipe for Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo, I find myself more often turning to this recipe for Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo.
This recipe has been made lighter by using NO CREAM and ONLY 1 tablespoon of butter. Yet, it is still creamy and tastes decadent.
How is this possible? The secret is that the fettuccine noodles cook with the sauce. As the noodles cook, they absorb the sauce, coating the pasta with great flavor and creaminess without the need to add heavy cream or tons of butter.
Better yet, this Healthy Fettucine Alfredo only takes 15 minutes to make and is made using just one pan. It is ALMOST too good to be true! ALMOST!
Healthier Ingredients
- Fettuccine Noodles: Use whole grain or semolina (regular) fettuccine noodles for best results. This recipe does not work with gluten-free noodles.
- Milk: Instead of heavy cream, I recommend using 2% milk to make the alfredo sauce for best results, as it will give the alfredo sauce a creamy, light finish. If you only have whole milk or skim milk on hand, go ahead and use what you have!
- Broth: Part of the secret to this flavorful dish is that the pasta is cooked in broth instead of water, adding flavor to the noodles as they cook. Use either store-bought or homemade low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth.
- Parmesan: Using freshly grated is key to getting a lot of flavor into this dish. Pre-grated or jarred Parmesan cheese will not deliver the same quality of flavor.
- Butter: Just a tiny bit of butter instead of a copious amount of butter is all that this recipe calls for and it adds JUST the right rich finish.
- Nutmeg: A bit of nutmeg will add a nice note to the sauce. But do NOT use powdered nutmeg. Instead, use whole nutmeg grated with a Microplane. If you do not have whole nutmeg, just omit the nutmeg entirely from the sauce.
How to Make One-Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
- In a large 10 to 12-inch deep skillet or saute pan, combine the broth, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Add pasta to the pan, breaking the noodles in half if needed to fit.
- Over medium-high heat, bring the broth to a boil, stirring pasta every 30 seconds or so. This will keep the noodles from sticking together.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium heat, and add the milk, butter, and nutmeg to the sauce.
- Simmer for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently to coat the pasta in the sauce and to keep those noodles from sticking together. If the liquid begins to evaporate before the pasta is cooked through, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time as needed.
- Once the pasta is tender, remove the skillet from the heat and add the Parmesan cheese, tossing to coat.
Serving Suggestions
Fettuccine Alfredo is best served immediately after preparation, as the noodles will absorb the sauce if stored for any length of time and this dish will not be as creamy.
To complete your meal, pair this one-pot fettuccine with a side salad, such as a Strawberry Spinach Salad or a Copycat Panera Greek Salad. Alternatively, skip the salad and instead serve this creamy pasta with Parmesan Roasted Broccoli or Roasted Asparagus. And of course, no one complains about pairing this fettuccine alfredo with Homemade Garlic Toast as well.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
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If you try this one-pot fettuccine recipe, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Easy Fettucine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup milk
- a dash of freshly grated nutmeg
- 8 ounces linguine or fettuccine noodles
- ¼-1/2 cup freshly grated grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- In a large 10-12 inch deep skillet, add in stock, garlic, salt and pepper. Add pasta to pan, breaking in half if need be.
- Turn the heat to high, and once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer (medium heat). Add in milk, butter, and nutmeg to sauce.
- Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently to coat pasta in liquid.
- Once pasta is tender, remove from heat.
- Add in freshly grated Parmesan cheese and toss well.
Notes
- While cooking the pasta, if the liquid begins to evaporate before the pasta is cooked through, add in 1 tablespoon of milk at a time.
- Feel free to break the pasta in half to fit in a pan or to be easier to stir around in the sauce.
- Freshly grated nutmeg is best for Alfredo sauce, as it deepens the sauce. Pre-gated nutmeg is NOT the same--just omit the nutmeg from the sauce.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is best, as it will give this Alfredo Sauce the best flavor.
- This pasta dish is best served fresh. If you happen to have leftovers, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. And to reheat add a bit more stock to thin it out, as the pasta may dry out as it sits.
Glen
Great recipe. So much better and easier than my bland recipe. Did not have whole nutmeg so I used ground mace which is from the same plant but is more subtle. As you pointed out, the broth is a key ingredient, so use a good one. Best is always a home made broth.
Ashley
So easy and delicious. My kids loved it!
Kristen Chidsey
That is what I call a win!
Beth
You checked all my meal boxes with this recipe! Quick, easy, healthy, and little clean up!!
Michelle
This is a great dish! Very easy and oh so good! First try we didn’t leave the noodles in the stock long enough, but let it sit a while in the sauce and warmed it was perfect. We did omit the nutmeg as we didn’t have any. This will be put into our dinner rotation for sure! Thanks for the recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! I am so glad you enjoyed so much Michelle and loved the ease of this recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.