Healthy Fettuccine “Alfredo”

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I recently saw a post on Facebook from Daphne Oz about her take on Fettuccine Alfredo using a cauliflower puree as the substitute for alfredo sauce. Since I’ve made cauliflower mashed “potatoes” before, and it turned out delicious, I was overly anxious to try her recipe. And as expected, it turned out delicious! Feel free to add some chicken, seafood or tofu if you desire some protein with your pasta. I pretty much followed the recipe to a tee, which is rare, since I usually put my own take on it, but didn’t really see a need for changing anything. This does yield a ginormous amount of pasta, so divide it in half if you’re not feeding a large family or small army 😉

Ingredients

• 1 pound fettuccine
• 4 cups cauliflower (cut into large chunks)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 large shallot (finely minced)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (freshly grated)
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup Parsley (chopped)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Place the milk and the cauliflower in a large sauce pot and season with salt and pepper.
2. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until fork tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Using a slotted utensil, transfer the cauliflower to a blender.
4. Add the milk to make a creamy puree.
5. Add the butter and continue blending until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt (Daphne writes, “so it tastes like the ocean”).
7. Cook the pasta one minute less than the packaged instructions.
8. While the pasta is cooking, place a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Add the shallot, season with salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly tender.
9. Deglaze with the white wine. Reduce by half, about 1 to 2 minutes.
10. Add the cauliflower puree to the sauté pan and thin out with about 1/3 cup of pasta water.
11. Remove the pasta from the water, add it to the cauliflower puree, and then sprinkle ground nutmeg over the top.
12. Toss again and add more cooking water if the pasta seems too dry.
13. Add the Parmigiano and parsley, and toss to coat.

Note: For leftovers, you can reheat in the microwave or on top of the stove, but may want to add a little milk or water to make it saucier after being refrigerated.

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