Aldfre-don't

When I think of alfredo sauce, I start sweating in anticipation of all the work it’s going to take to walk off those calories.  Butter, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream…what could be more indulgent? A flourless chocolate torte with ganache? Yep. But even that has less calories per serving than most purchased alfredo sauce served over pasta. But it’s so good!!!

When you indulge in alfredo at a restaurant, you could easily find yourself consuming all of your daily calories, if not more, in a single sitting. If you eat out at a good Italian place only once a year then there really isn’t a problem.  You need to indulge sometimes, and date night really isn’t the time to think about your diet; have fun! But if you find yourself wanting alfredo more often than that then it’s time to think about how to put this decadent dish on a diet, and I have the solution – mockfredo.

I don’t often suggest using margarine, but in this case, it is needed to reduce the caloric load. Then instead of cream, you have skim milk and a low-fat or fat free cream cheese to keep that creamy texture. I would never take away the cheese, so it’s still there, but not as much as I would use for the real deal.  Made this way, it has only 1/3 the calories and a big punch of flavor that makes you feel like you’re doing something naughtier than you really are. And it’s super simple.  It’s made first in a blender and then warmed in the microwave to prevent the oil in the cheese and sauce from separating and then served over pasta - Gnocchi is my favorite for this dish. It’s delectable, but don’t take my word for it!

Alfredo
(mockfredo style) (Printable Recipe)

• 1 – 8 ounce block of low-fat or fat-free cream cheese at room temperature and cut into ½ inch cubes
• 6 tablespoons of margarine at room temperature cut into pieces
• 1 cup low-fat Parmesan cheese
• 2½ cups low-fat or fat-free milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Cooked pasta (enough for your family)

Choose one or more of the below optional add-ins

• 1 bunch of spinach, microwaved and squeezed
• 1 cup chopped sautéed mushrooms and onions
• 2 cups steamed broccoli
• 1 cup steamed edamame
• 1 cup steamed asparagus
• 1 cup cooked chicken

In a blender, add the cream cheese and butter and milk, blend until creamy, then add the garlic and parmesan cheese. Pour into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the sauce for 1 minute. Stir well, scraping the sides of the bowl.  Continue this microwave/stir/scrape process until it is very creamy and heated to your preference.

Taste for salt and add as needed with fresh ground black pepper.

If you chose spinach or sautéed mushrooms and onions, stir it into the dish now and serve over freshly cooked al dente pasta.

For broccoli, edamame, asparagus, or chicken, spoon the sauce over the pasta and top with the vegetables or meat.

This keeps really well in the refrigerator for future meals.