MAKE THIS RECIPE THIS WEEK! Don’t walk, RUN to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients!!! My husband and I are in LOVE with this dish. We can’t believe how good it was! We normally chit chat during dinner, but this recipe didn’t allow us to do that. The only thing we could manage was making adult gruntle noises and the obnoxious slurping of noodles. This recipe is very healthy but will have you fooled into thinking you are eating fattening, comforting, Fettuccine Alfredo!
How is it possible a fattening pasta dish can be so healthy you ask? I must be lying you declare? Bow down to Lindsay from Pinch of Yum people, because she found a way. Her secret is her Creamy Cauliflower Sauce. It takes on the flavor of regular Fettuccine Alfredo so well you won’t believe your taste buds. I know I didn’t!!!
You can use gluten free noodles if you have an allergy. Vegans can easily make this dish vegan. Just use soy instead of regular milk, vegan parm cheese, and replace either olive or coconut oil with butter. Oh yeah, just check that label to ensure the noodles are vegan too.
- 1 lb. uncooked fettuccine noodles (can be found gluten free)
- 9 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter (or olive/coconut oil for vegans)
- 5-6 cups cauliflower florets
- 6-7 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
- ½ cup milk (more to taste) (use soy milk for vegan)
- ½ of an onion, chopped
- 1 organic green pepper, chopped (optional)
- ½ pint of grape tomatoes, halved
- Parmesean cheese for garnish
- Chop the cauliflower into florets. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil over medium high heat and add cauliflower. Cook, covered, until the cauliflower is fork tender, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for approx 30 seconds, or until you can smell the garlic. Add the onion and saute for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
- As the garlic, onion, and cauliflower are cooking, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the fettuccine according to directions on package, reserving 1 cup of the starch water before draining the liquid.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to the blender. Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid, sauteed garlic and onion, salt, pepper, and milk. Blend for several minutes until the sauce is very smooth, adding more broth or milk depending on how thick you want the sauce. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Transfer finished puree back to the large skillet you cooked your garlic in, and keep warm on low heat. Keep adding splashes of starch water, regular water, milk, or vegetable broth to get the sauce consistency you want, or if the sauce starts to get thick.
- Right after you drain the noodles, put the pasta pot back onto the stove and heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the green pepper (if using) and sautee for 5 minutes, or until the green pepper is soft. Once the green pepper is tender, add the pasta back into the same pot. Mix together.
- One ladle at a time, ladle the cauliflower sauce over the noodles and green peppers. Toss with tongs until you have enough sauce coating your noodle/green pepper mixture (you may not need all the cauliflower sauce).
- Once you have ladled in all the sauce you are going to use, toss in the tomatoes, and mix together until the tomatoes are evenly distributed. Warm for a few minutes and serve.
- Top with Parmesan cheese.
Get ready to chow down and really enjoy your dinner!!!
This recipe is slightly adapted from Lindsay at wwwpinchofyum.com.
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