Pasta in Alfredo Sauce ( low-fat version)

Alfredo Sauce is a rich, creamy accompaniment to any pasta. Alfredo sauce is a white sauce, traditionally it was made with butter and Parmesan cheese, but more modernly, and especially in the United States, alfredo sauce also includes heavy cream. In many parts of the world, Alfredo sauce is prepared separately from the pasta. In Italy, the country where these sauces and pastas are originated, Alfredo sauce is not made separately from the pasta. Instead, the ingredients are added to the pasta individually and the whole mixture is tossed to coat the pasta.  

This Alfredo sauce with any kind of pasta is one of my family's favorites. It may not come to the low fat recipe category, but for a special treat you can't beat cheese and pasta together! Once in a while, we deserve some indulgence, right?

In my low fat Alfredo sauce version, I don't add cream, I totally avoid it, instead I use both parmesan and mozzarealla cheese. To substitute the cream, I use flour with milk and it makes this sauce extra creamy but lower in fat.

Ingredients:

Pasta (any kind of pasta will go, I used large shell shaped one)
Garlic : 3-4 cloves(big-minced)
Onion : 1(medium-sliced)
Broccoli, potato & peppers : 1 cup(sliced lengthwise)
Parmesan cheese : 1/3 cup(shredded)
Mozzarella chesse : 1/3 cup(shredded)
Milk : 1/3 cup(approx.)
Flour : 3 tblsp.
Salt to taste
Butter/oil : 2 tblsp.

Method :

• Boil water in some heavy bottomed pan, add salt and pasta. Drizzle little oil while cooking pasta to avoid sticking to one another. Cook until pasta is done, approx. 12-15 minutes. Pasta should not be over cooked, not too soft, not too hard. Drain and set aside.
• Heat butter or oil in a pan, shallow fry the sliced veggies with salt and set aside. In the same pan, add onions and minced garlic. Saute for a while, but don't let them get brown. Add flour now, stir continuously, when it starts changing colour, add milk. Cook until it thickened. 
• Now add shredded parmesan and mozzarella cheese little at a time and stir to mix it with the sauce. Before adding cheese, lower the heat to low to avoid burning. 
• After adding the cheese, add pasta and coat well with the sauce. If you think, the sauce is little thick, add little more milk and adjust the creaminess of the sauce. Add salt and pepper to the pasta according to your taste.
• Mix well and cook gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring in between, so that pasta can absorb the sauce. 

Serve topped with some extra parmesan cheese, tomato slices and parsley.

Earlier pasta recipe reposting for the event :

Classic Mac n Cheese with vegetables(stove top version)


Sending these pasta dishes to Sowmya for her Cooking with pasta Event.