Made in one pan with a creamy light alfredo sauce, this 15-Minute Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is a quick and easy pasta recipe that is perfect 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 with a Light Alfredo Sauce instead.
Reasons to Love these Alfredo Noodles
- Lightened-Up. This recipe has been made lighter by using NO CREAM and ONLY 1 tablespoon of butter. Yet, because the noodles cook in the sauce, these alfredo noodles are still creamy and decadent tasting.
- One-Pot Pasta Dinner. Just like my recipes for Stovetop Mac and Cheese and Cajun Chicken Pasta, this recipe for fettuccine alfredo cooks up in one pan, making clean-up a breeze.
- 15-Minute Dinner Recipe. This recipe takes just 15 minutes to make, making creamy alfredo noodles a perfect quick and easy family-friendly recipe suitable for any night of the week.
Notes on Ingredients and Equipment
- 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.
- Skillet: It is best to use a deep, 12-inch skillet with a lid for cooking this one-pot fettuccine.
How to Make Fettuccine with Light Alfredo Sauce
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Combine Ingredients. In deep skillet or sauté pan, combine the broth, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the fettuccine noodles to the pan. If you need to break them in half to fit, that is okay!
- Bring to a Boil. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- Simmer. Once boiling, reduce the heat, add in milk, butter, and nutmeg and simmer until the noodles are tender, stirring often. If the liquid begins to evaporate before the pasta is cooked through, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time as needed.
- Add Parmesan. Once the pasta is tender, remove the skillet from the heat and add the Parmesan cheese, tossing to coat and serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
These Alfredo noodles are 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, I recommend serving this lightened up fettuccine alfredo 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 if you add a side of Homemade Garlic Toast or Italian bread with bread dipping oil.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
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If you try this one-pot lightened-up fettuccine recipe, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Fettuccine with Light Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces linguine or fettuccine noodles
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup 2% milk plus ¼ cup if needed
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- ¼-½ cup freshly grated grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- In a deep. lidded, 12-inch skillet, combine 2 cups of stock with 3 minced garlic coves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the pasta to the pan, breaking in half to fit IF needed.
- Place the pan over medium-high heat, stirring pasta every 30 seconds or so. Once the stock begins to come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add 1 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of butter, and 1 pinch of grated nutmeg to sauce and simmer for 6-7 minutes, or until the pasta is tender, stirring frequently to coat noodles in sauce. If the liquid begins to evaporate before the pasta is tender, add in an additional 1 tablespoon of milk at a time as needed.
- Remove the skillet from the heat once the noodles are tender. Add the parmesan and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
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.
Kate West
Wow! This was amazingly simple AND Tasty! I used elbow pasta (its my preference), and added some frozen spinach and it was so good. Thank you so much for sharing!
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you Kate for taking the time to let us know your modifications and how you enjoyed this recipe.
Elizabeth
I made this the other night and it was excellent. My husband loved it. I actually made it ahead so that it would be ready for dinner the next night. It was even better the second night because it had firmed up/soaked up the liquid more. Microwaved it was perfect! I used half the amount of salt and pepper and the full half cup of fresh grated Parmesan. I sprinkled some dried parsley into it while cooking. Love that it is all cooked in one pot. Thank you for this easy recipe I know I will make again!
Kristen Chidsey
I am SO glad this easy recipe made for an easy meal for your family Elizabeth. Thank you for taking the time to let us know 🙂
Aimee Shugarman
This is one of our favorite dinners. Perfect!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing that Aimee!
Carrie
This seems so easy and super fast....will give it a try for dinner this week.
Nicole
Just pinned this! Looks really healthy and yummy!
Rashel
This looks great!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Rachel!
Carlee
Yum! I made a very not skinny alfredo this week. I need to give this a try so we can have fettuccine more often!
Kristen Chidsey
Exactly--life is all about moderation. Eat the rich and have the light too 🙂 Enjoy both!
Megan Keno
15 minutes? That's it? I'm sold!!
Kristen Chidsey
Almost too good to be true 🙂
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes
I just bought myself a spiralizer. I was tired of waiting for one as a gift ha ha. So far I have only tried sweet potatoes. This will be next because I know what you mean about getting the kiddos to eat more veggies.
Kristen Chidsey
Sometimes we just need to suck it up and get what we want for ourselves. And this is a great way to get kids to eat more veggies!
Analida's Ethnic Spoon
I love the lighted up dish! I need to try this to keep my New Year's resolution.
Kristen Chidsey
I hope you enjoy it!