I seriously dream about this pasta. Do you ever daydream about food? Or sit at work and crave what you are going to have for dinner that night. Well, this is one of those dishes. It is creamy, yet light and it satisfies every craving, want and desire I could have for a dinner. It also really helps that it is quick and easy to make a mom-win with getting the kiddos to eat broccoli! Like they wolf it down! Seriously.
How to get a light Alfredo sauce
This is the thing that can make or bring your alfredo sauce. Have you ever had a gloppy, thick, way too heavy alfredo sauce? It is really the worst. You cannot eat much of it. It is usually too rich. Not a good thing. The secret here is to use a splash of warm whole milk and pasta water. Most people think that alfredo sauce is just cream sauce with parmesan cheese. That is not true and that is how it gets too thick and gloppy. It is not very thick, and it is very light and creamy.
What is the difference between alfredo sauce and cream sauce?
Traditionally the difference between alfredo sauce and bechamel sauce, (cream sauce). Is that the bechamel sauce is thickened with a roux, (flour and butter mixture). Whereas the alfredo sauce is actually just butter and parmesan cheese. In this alfredo sauce, I think to add a little bit of garlic, because garlic makes everything better.
I also heat up just about 1/4 cup of whole milk and use it to mix in with the butter, parmesan cheese, pasta and pasta water. This will result in a light, yet very creamy sauce.
Get those veggies into it
I have found that alfredo sauce is an amazing vehicle to get veggies into the kiddos. I simply steam some broccoli and throw it in with the pasta and sauce and they cannot get enough of it. You can do almost any veggie in here. In the past I have done roasted butternut squash, sauteed mushrooms and zucchini. Get creative with it and get those veggies into even the pickiest of eaters. I mean really, what is not going to taste good in a butter and cheese sauce.
What you will need
Pasta- I love penne here, but you can certainly do the classic fettuccine pasta. Farfalle is also delicious with this sauce
Parmesan Cheese-This is where you want to buy the brick or chunk of it and grate it fresh. When you are making a sauce completely of two or three ingredients, make sure you have the best of those two or three ingredients
Unsalted Butter-Always unsalted butter in most every dish. Especially a dish like this where you will salt the pasta water and use salty parmesan cheese. Use a good quality, unsalted butter
Whole Milk-This is not a traditional ingredient, but I have found it gives the sauce a little body and makes it very creamy and light.
Garlic-Again, this is not a traditional ingredient, but I love garlic in my pasta dishes. I only add enough to give a little flavor, not enough to overpower
Veggies- In this case I used broccoli, which is a perfect combination. But I would say be creative here and add whatever veggies you want to get the kiddos to try and/or eat
Protein- We did not add any meat/seafood in this time. Yet, protein in here is perfect. Some shrimp with that broccoli would be amazing. You can also add chicken or even grilled steak on top
Chef’s Tips-
In this dish it is important to use high quality ingredients. There are not very many ingredients in this dish, so it will show through if you use the best. Also, make sure that you ladle in the pasta water slowly and a little at a time. You do not want it too thick, but you also do not want it too soupy. There is a careful balance here. Check your seasoning at the end and I always like a little freshly cracked black pepper at the end. It gives it a beautiful finish. Lastly, begin your sauce while the pasta cooks so that by the time the pasta is al dente, you will be ready to start saucing it.
This is a dish that is best eaten hot, so do not make it ahead. It is quick and easy and can be made in the time it takes to boil pasta. That is a pretty great weeknight meal.
Creamy Alfredo Pasta with Broccoli
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 1 lb. penne pasta dry (can sub out a different shape)
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese freshly grated
- 2-3 tbsp whole milk warmed up
- pasta water as needed
- 1/2 - 1 tsp kosher salt in the pasta water for cooking
- 1 cup steamed broccoli optional
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and heat it over high heat until boiling. Once the water boils, add the kosher salt and the noodles. Cook only until al dente, 9-10 minutes or whatever the package directions tell you.
- While the pasta cooks, gently melt the butter over medium heat in a large, non-stick skillet. Once the butter is melted, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Drain the pasta (reserving the water) and transfer the pasta to the skillet with the melted butter.
- Reduce the heat to medium low. Add a handful of grated cheese and a ladle of hot pasta water, tossing the pasta continuously with your tongs to incorporate the cheese. At this point, you will add in the warm whole milk and continue to toss together.
- Add more cheese, a little at a time, tossing between each addition, until all the cheese has been used. Add more hot pasta water as needed to melt the cheese so that it coats the noodles but is not gloppy. (But be careful not to add too much. You don’t want a watery sauce.)
- Add in the broccoli and toss to coat with the pasta and the sauce. Taste the pasta and adjust the seasoning as needed. You will want to serve this immediately. As it cools it will clump up on you. So, eat it hot and freshly made. ENJOY!
