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–+ servings

Light and Tasty Alfredo Sauce

Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Servings 5
Calories 169 kcal

Equipment

  • Medium sized saute pan
  • whisk
  • Large pot to make pasta
  • Box grater to grate cheese on the fine holes
  • Wooden spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp butter unsalted
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium shallot, chopped fine
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 1 cup 2% milk warmed (1% can be used as well)
  • 1 cup chicken broth warmed
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 2 tbsp mascarpone cheese or cream cheese can also be used
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • fresh chopped parsley or basil leaves for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat.
  • Add chopped shallots and saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
    Finely chopped shallots and minced garlic on a cutting board to make a light and tasty alfredo sauce
  • Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    Shallots and garlic sauteing in butter to make a light and tasty alfredo sauce
  • Add the flour and  immediately stir with a wooden spoon in a figure-eight motion until all the flour has completely absorbed all of the butter, 30 seconds to 1 minute. There should be no raw flour left in the mixture.
    Adding flour to shallots, garlic and butter to make a roux to thicken a light and tasty alfredo sauce
  • Continue cooking under medium-low heat for another 1-2 minutes until the flour mixture starts to smell a little nutty and very slightly brown. This is called a blond roux.
    Stir in the flour into butter mixture to make a roux a light and tasty alfredo sauce
  • Add just a bit of warm milk to the hot roux and whisk to loosen up the butter-flour mixture. This also helps prevent lumps in the finished sauce. Add the rest of the warm milk and chicken broth. Whisk to combine until smooth. Continue to cook the mixture on medium heat until thick and creamy, about 6 minutes.
    Adding lowfat milk to roux to make a light and tasty alfredo sauce
  • Turn the heat down to medium-low and add 2 tbsps of mascarpone cheese to the sauce and stir it in until melted and combined.
    Adding mascarpone cheese to make a light and tasty alfredo sauce
  • Add the parmesan cheese and stir in until combined.
    Adding parmesan cheese to make a light and tasty alfredo sauce
  • Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
    Adding ground pepper to a light and tasty alfredo sauce
  • Remove from heat and it will thicken up more. This is enough sauce for approximately 12 ounces of pasta.
  • If you're making this for a pasta sauce, when you cook your pasta retain some of the pasta water to help loosen up the sauce if need be. You can add a tablespoon or 2 of the pasta water if it thickens too much. This sauce can become quite thick and some people like the sauce a little "thinner".
    Plated pasta with a Light And Tasty Alfredo Sauce

Notes

***This sauce can be made with either 2% or 1% milk fat. Both work very well. 

Nutrition

Calories: 169kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 8gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 477mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 390IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 250mgIron: 0.4mg
Keyword 2% milk, garlic, Low fat, mascarpone cheese, parmesan cheese, shallots
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