A lighter version of your favorite fettuccine Alfredo pasta, using a super creamy and delicious cauliflower sauce for fewer calories and more sneaky veggies!
Prepare Alfredo sauce. Add butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat and cook minced garlic until fragrant but not browned (or it will be bitter). Turn off the heat and set aside. Add cauliflower florets to a large pot, cover with chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil then cook for 10 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.
Transfer cauliflower to the bowl of your food processor using a slotted spoon. Start by adding ¾ cup of cooking liquid and process until very smooth (add more or less cooking liquid, up to 1 cup total, depending on how smooth the sauce is - you don’t want it to be too thin). You can also use a blender, but if you do, you might need to process the cauliflower in two batches.
Add parmesan, nutmeg and freshly cracked black pepper. Season with salt to taste. Process again until smooth. Set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
While the water is boiling, prepare the broccoli. Heat half a tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add broccoli and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until broccoli is bright green. Add ¼ cup water and cook until water has evaporated and broccoli is crispy tender. Set aside in a bowl.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
In the same skillet as the broccoli, heat another half tablespoon of olive oil. Cook chicken cubes in an even layer, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is golden and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat (or lower it to very low to just keep it warm if the pasta isn’t ready yet).
When pasta is cooked, drain it, and reserve 1 cup of cooking water (don’t forget to do it!). Add cooked pasta and broccoli to the skillet with the chicken.
Add 2 cups of cauliflower alfredo sauce and toss to coat. Add ½ cup to 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid to thin the sauce as needed (the quantity will depend on how thick your sauce is, to begin with). Serve immediately with additional grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
Sauce recipe makes more than what you’ll need for this recipe. You can freeze the leftovers or store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
MAKE IT DAIRY FREE:
MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE:
MAKE AHEAD TIPS:
REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS:
Recipe inspired by Tastes Lovely
Skinny Broccoli Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo https://www.notenoughcinnamon.com/skinny-broccoli-chicken-fettuccine-alfredo-with-cauliflower-sauce/