Made in one pan, with a creamy light alfredo sauce, this Easy Fettuccine Alfredo is the perfect dinner for busy nights!
It only takes 15 minutes to make this Healthy Fettuccine Alfredo. Pair with a simple Strawberry Spinach Salad and some Homemade Garlic Toast, this simple meal is sure to be a family favorite.
Made Easier and Healthier
When I think of Fettuccine Alfredo, I think of a delicious creamy fettuccine that my entire family loves.
But I also think of it as high in calories, high in fat, and heavy.
However, my Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo is made with just 1 tablespoon of butter and NO cream!! And it still is a dish my entire family loves!
This easy Fettuccine Alfredo is made in one pan with a light, yet creamy sauce. The secret is that the fettuccine cooks with the sauce. As the noodles cook, they absorb the sauce, coating the pasta with great flavor and creaminess.
Bottom Line: Who wouldn't want a fabulous tasting bowl of Easy Fettuccine Alfredo that comes together in 15 minutes
Healthier Ingredients
- Pasta: I love to use whole grain fettuccine noodles for added protein and fiber, but regular white pasta works as well.
- Milk: Instead of heavy cream, I recommend using 2% milk to make the alfredo sauce. Whole milk and even skim milk work to add richness to the sauce without a ton of added fat and calories.
- Stock: Part of the secret to this flavorful dish is that the pasta is cooked in stock instead of water. Use 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.
Step-By-Step Directions
- In a large 10-12 inch deep skillet, add in the stock, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Add pasta to the pan, breaking in half if needed.
- Bring to a boil, stirring pasta every 30 seconds or so to keep from sticking together.
- 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 the pasta in liquid.
- Once pasta is tender, remove from the heat.
- Add in freshly grated Parmesan cheese and toss well.
Recipe Tips and 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.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
If you try this one-pot fettuccine recipe, be sure to leave a review.
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.
Nutrition
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.