New year, new diet? Bring on the Cauliflower Alfredo with Peas! Nobody likes to go on a diet, but it’s a little easier when you have recipes like this one. I created this dish to satisfy my craving for fettuccine Alfredo– pasta with a rich and creamy white sauce. While I like to indulge in the real thing every once in a while, I can’t do it all the time and stay at a reasonable weight. This Cauliflower Alfredo with Peas satisfies my craving for creamy pasta sauce without all the fat and calories. It replaces the heavy carbs and cholesterol with healthy gluten free vegetables and protein-rich Greek yogurt. It’s a nourishing and flavorful meal, and it couldn’t be easier to make.
A Little Alfredo Sauce History
Alfredo sauce has a charming history. In Italy it is always served with fettuccine pasta, and is often referred to by another name, fettuccine alla Romana. In essence, the concept is very simple– butter with cheese, and sometimes cream, melted together over hot cooked fettuccine noodles. The dish was made popular by a chef named Alfredo di Lelio, owner of the restaurant Alfredo in Rome.
When Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks stopped by his restaurant during a trip to Europe, they fell in love with the simple yet decadent dish. To show their gratitude for Alfredo’s hospitality, the couple gave him a golden fork and spoon. When Fairbanks and Pickford returned to Hollywood, word of the dish quickly spread. Before long, this simple and decadent fettuccine Alfredo preparation became popular all over the United States.
Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, early 1920’s. Library of Congress.
How to Make a Healthier Alfredo Sauce
I love Alfredo sauce (who doesn’t??), but butter and cream is not on my menu at the moment. I’m trying to shed a few holiday pounds, and those rich ingredients aren’t going to help matters. I decided to create an Alfredo-style sauce using lowfat milk, Greek yogurt, and cornstarch as a thickener (potato starch works too). The sauce includes parmesan, like the original, but in a much smaller amount. To cut down on carbs and add vitamins, I subbed roasted cauliflower and peas for the pasta. Voila! Cauliflower Alfredo with Peas.
The roasted cauliflower is naturally caramelized and full of flavor. The sauce is creamy and rich. While not exactly the same as Alfredo sauce, I think I actually enjoy this sauce more… it’s got a very slight tartness from the yogurt, and the creaminess isn’t too heavy, which means it won’t give you that “I ate too much, my tummy hurts” feeling. If you use roasted cauliflower, I doubt you’ll miss the pasta… but just in case you do, this sauce can be served over fettuccine (or any other pasta) as well.
This could be served as either an entree or a side dish, depending on your preference. We like to eat it as a light main course. I could also see it as a side dish for fish, if you need a little more protein on your plate.
It’s healthy comfort food, so eat up! Mangia! Buon appetito.
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Roasted Cauliflower Alfredo with Peas
Ingredients
- 3 pounds cauliflower (one large head, or 2 1/2 pounds of pre-cut florets)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (you may use whole milk yogurt, lowfat, or nonfat)
- Sea salt and white or black pepper to taste
NOTES
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Pull the leaves off of the cauliflower base. Cut off the lower part of the stem. Cut the head of the cauliflower into four quarters. Slice each quarter into 6-8 pieces. Give all the florets a thorough rinse in a colander. Shake them dry.
- Spread the florets out in an even layer on 1-2 baking sheets. Drizzle the florets evenly with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the florets to coat them fully with oil. I use clean hands for this.Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and let the cauliflower roast for 10 minutes. While the cauliflower is roasting, pre-measure the remaining ingredients and have them ready to go by the stovetop.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Use tongs to turn over the florets, making sure that the florets with flat surfaces are pressed directly against the baking sheet. This will enhance caramelization. Return the baking sheet to the oven. Let the cauliflower roast for 10-20 minutes longer until tender. When it's ready ,you will be able to pierce it easily with a fork. For more detailed cauliflower roasting instructions with step-by-step photos, click here.While cauliflower finishes roasting, prepare your peas and Alfredo sauce. Place frozen peas in a small saucepan with 1/3 cup of water. Bring to a boil, stir, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until warmed through. Drain.
- Meanwhile, make your Greek yogurt Alfredo sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in cornstarch or potato starch to form a thick paste.
- Add the milk slowly, 1/4 cup at a time, whisking constantly to keep the sauce smooth. Once the full cup of milk has been added, heat until the mixture thickens and becomes bubbly around the edges. Do not let the milk come to a full boil.
- Pour in the grated parmesan and whisk to melt the cheese into the sauce. Turn heat to low. Whisk in the Greek yogurt until smooth and heated through. Remove sauce from heat. Season with salt and white or black pepper to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper). As written, the sauce is nice and thick; if you'd like it a little thinner, add 1/4 cup more milk and continue to heat until you reach the texture you desire. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken more as it cools.
- Place the roasted cauliflower into a large mixing bowl along with the cooked, drained peas. Toss to combine.
- Serve each portion of roasted cauliflower and peas with the warm Greek yogurt Alfredo sauce.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
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Def going to give this one a try. You might be interested in this – The guy who wrote the eat this, not that book was on a cooking show a few yrs ago and he was showing someone how to make a healthier Alfredo sauce and he used the tender white part of leeks as the base. I recall him cooking them and running them thru a blender and not much else but.. it fooled the entire family. They all thought it was real Alfredo sauce.
We love cauliflower but we don’t like peas. Is there a different vegetable that I can substitute for the peas?
Jeanette you can just leave the peas out, it will still taste yummy. 🙂
I’ve made this cauliflower yumminess at least 4 times since reading this post a couple of months ago and the entire family enjoyed every single meal immensely.
Thanks so much for sharing!!! It’s a fave now.
I’m so happy to hear that Katie! Don’t you love it when a healthy meal tastes great too?
I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago & for the first time my husband said he really enjoyed cauliflower (after 55 years!)
Your recipes are always amazing and the instructions so easy to follow. Thanks so much.
This was really a delicious dish. Instead of regular peas, I used fresh Sugar Snap Peas and roasted them with the cauliflower. I will definitely use this dish again.