Name: Lighter Creamy Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic (minced); 3 tablespoons butter; 1 tablespoon white whole wheat flour; 2 cups milk; 1/4 cup half-and-half cream; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 2 cups baby spinach (roughly chopped); 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1 lb whole wheat fettuccine pasta (cooked according to package instructions and 1/2 cup cooking water reserved); Salt and pepper to taste; Grated Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

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Ordinarily-heavy fettuccine alfredo made lighter with a SUPER-creamy and flavorful spinach alfredo sauce for an easy and healthy dinner under 300 calories!

There IS a method to my green madness, guys. It’s affectionately known as fettuccine alfredo healthy-style.

A big pot ‘o the healthy green stuff because it’s totally the season and I swear my heart just skipped a beat writing that. ♥

Man oh, MAN, is it ever time for all the green things to finally come back, friends! I will admit though, that this is a work in progress. I’ve been going on a minimal green bender the past few weeks in my little kitchen with lots of avocado, tons of pesto, and obviously obscure amounts of spinach alfredo.

However..

The only thing is that the weather isn’t cooperating with the whole green theme. My view out the living room window right now is…brown. Lots of brown with the occasional pile of muddy white slush piles. I kinda thought I was being blatantly obvious with my green bender there, Mother Nature…you need to take hints.

So I invite you to join my Green Cause and protest the stubborn bits of winter that are still hanging on. All this involves is eating staggering amounts of green fettuccine alfredo. I KNOW you’re game for this.

Okay, so I’m hoping all of us around here are familiar with this recipe that started it all? This is my tried-and-true alfredo sauce that I use practically daily. It’s super-creamy, surprisingly lighter in calories, and seriously the EASIEST alfredo you’ll ever make! The best, guys. PROMISE.

Today, we invite green to join the alfredo party. Oodles of fresh baby spinach to be precise and the end result is nothing short of glorious.

I mean for real, gaze upon that gorgeous GREEN, guys!

I can’t. Because my face is currently in the green. I can’t even this fettuccine alfredo. *squeaaaaaal*

Be still my rapidly beating green-lurving HEART. ♥

Goodbye forever, all sense of reason. ♥

Ordinarily-heavy fettuccine alfredo made lighter with a SUPER-creamy and flavorful spinach alfredo sauce for an easy and healthy dinner under 300 calories!

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4 from 1 vote

Lighter Creamy Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 286kcal

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon white whole wheat flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb whole wheat fettuccine pasta cooked according to package instructions and 1/2 cup cooking water reserved
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping optional

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, saute garlic in hot butter until garlic is just fragrant. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in flour. Slowly whisk in milk and cream until sauce is smooth. Bring sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, spinach, and Parmesan cheese until spinach is wilted and cheese is melted.
Transfer sauce to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend several seconds until sauce is completely smooth. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour hot alfredo sauce over cooked fettuccine and gradually stir in 1/2 cup reserved pasta water until noodles are evenly coated. Season fettuccine with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with additional Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!