Healthy, dairy-free and absolutely life changing. The secret to lighter Fettuccine Alfredo is all in a one-of-a-kind sauce. I can’t stop making it!
Happy Monday morning, everyone! If I don’t jump right in, I might just explode. Because I’ve been dreaming of and cooking up a storm like it’s my job. Well, it sort of is. The weird thing is that I’ve been making the same thing over and over again. It’s so unlike me to stick with the same recipe and see how many different ways I can incorporate it into our lives.
There are just a few dishes that I tend to make on the regular, but most of what I prepare for dinner involves new recipes and serving up whatever my fellow food bloggers are sharing. I love change and am always trying out something new. At least when it comes to food.
But THIS SAUCE. I can’t seem to get over it.
There have been several attempts at recreating some of my husband’s favorite dishes ever since finding out that lactose just isn’t his best friend. Luckily, there are many substitutions that work extremely well when it comes to emulating butter, yogurt and cheese. Or so we keep telling ourselves, ha. Yes, most of the time (with exceptions to baking and chocolate) I stand in solidarity with Adam and consume far less dairy than I used to. Which means my non-lactose game has to be on point or I couldn’t do it.
But I thought I’d challenge myself and try to come up with a creamy dish that not only wins in the non-dairy department, but also brings true nutritional value and health benefits to the table.
The clear winner is in the sauce.
The idea for the sauce comes from my love of snacking. While enjoying crackers with hummus the other night, I started to think about what else could be made with chickpeas. The creamy texture, adaptability to flavors, and richness made them the perfect building blocks for one of our favorite dishes.
I basically transformed my favorite homemade hummus recipe into an amazing & very satisfying sauce. Fettuccine Alfredo has never been so guilt-free, nutritious or left me feeling so good.
Also, 10-15 minutes is hard to beat when it comes to making pasta sauce from scratch. Next to taste, it’s definitely the main reason why I’ve been making it so frequently. It’s great in Alfredo lasagna and various casseroles. But I love it most when combined with freshly cooked noodles. It’s where I first fell head over heels and having a plate piled high with Fettuccine Alfredo, brings back so many memories.
I do feel like you deserve a fair chickpea warning. To expect the sauce to taste like it’s been made from butter, flour, heavy cream and cheese, wouldn’t be fair. Since it’s largely made from chickpeas and doesn’t include any of the classic Alfredo sauce ingredients, you should be prepared that it will taste somewhat like chickpeas. Using veggies instead of cheese will cause it to not taste 100% like the real thing. Though Adam and I are easily fooled, ha. We can hardly taste the difference anymore and are more than happy with this sauce. I’d even go as far as saying that we prefer it so much more. Happy tummies = happy life.
Hope you enjoy this dreamy, creamy sauce of wonderfulness as much as we do!
- 2 (15.5 oz) cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons natural buttery spread, (I use Earth Balance)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk, divided
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame tahini
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup peas, optional
- 1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli florets, optional
- 8-10 ounces fettuccine pasta, cooked
- freshly chopped parsley, about 3 tablespoons
- 1. Drain and rinse beans. Set aside.
- 2. In a skillet, melt buttery spread over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup vegetable broth and 1 cup almond milk. Bring to a boil and add beans to the skillet. Simmer for 10 minutes or until beans are soft.
- 3. Pour bean mixture into your stand mixer (being very careful not to burn yourself) and puree until completely smooth. Return to the skillet and add remaining 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Stir in tahini and lemon juice. If sauce appears to be too thick, add more almond milk, up to 1/4 cup (I added another 2 tablespoons).
- 4. Stir in peas and steamed broccoli, if using. Toss in cooked past, stir and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately.
Hi, one problem. What is tahini and where do you find it in the grocery store? Thanks.