Low-Cal Fettuccine Alfredo

Food Network Magazine: The Italian Edition, p. 92

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1 cup low-fat (2%) milk

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons Neufchatel or low-fat cream cheese

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

12 ounces fresh fettuccine

Freshly ground black pepper

Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, 1 minute. Whisk the milk and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes. 

How thick is thick enough?! Always a crisis. 

Add the Neufchatel and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.

Cream cheese in pasta sauce? Good deal.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot.

Add the sauce and ½ cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and gently toss to combine, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. 

My first mistake in this recipe was not starting the pasta before I started the sauce - the sauce had to sit and wait on the fettuccine and it got a little stuff. I also forgot to add in the pasta cooking water, which made the sauce thicker than it needed to be. So that's my bad.

Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with parmesan and pepper. 

But everything worked out just dandy anyway!

My Rating: 4/5 "I was really pleasantly surprised by this. I made a Food Network alfredo in the past and didn't like it, so this one made me smile. The garlic undertones are really wonderful, and the sauce is thick and creamy. Win!"