This classic Alfredo sauce has a cultured twist! It is a rich and delicious probiotic pasta sauce made with yogurt or cultured cream. Served with a salad, it is a quick and healthy dinner option that everyone will love.
A healthy alternative to instant pasta
I’ll admit, that making a cheese sauce from scratch is a bit time-consuming. Alfredo sauce is practically the same thing that uses the richness of cream to replace flour and milk. Except it skips all the cooking and whisking involved in making a thickened cheese sauce.
In fact, this pasta recipe is so simple that my kids can easily make it themselves! Add a tossed salad and you have a quick and healthy meal.
Mac n Cheese Alfredo
If you’re really craving that mac n cheese flavor, then replace the Parmesan cheese with sharp, extra old cheddar cheese.
It’s important to use a dry, crumbling cheddar rather than the soft orange cheese. The cheese needs to be grated on a fine cheese grater to have a consistency similar to Parmesan. Otherwise, there will be too much liquid in this recipe.
A Probiotic Pasta Sauce
While this simple fettuccine Alfredo recipe will be delicious if you don’t use cultured cream, it is even better with cultured cream!
The tangy flavour of cultured cream adds depth and sophistication to this classic dish. And since the cream is stirred into the pasta without being cooked, it’s also a great way to get a dose of probiotics!
There are several different options for cultured dairy in this dish.
- Sour cream adds a distinct tanginess to this dish. Even store-bought sour cream is delicious. Just look for products that include bacterial culture on the label.
- Milk kefir is great at culturing whipping cream. Why not enjoy a kefir-cultured pasta sauce!?
- For a lower fat pasta sauce use yogurt instead of cream. It won’t be as creamy, but it will be delicious! I like to add 1 tsp of lemon zest to my yogurt Alfredo for a really zingy probiotic pasta sauce.
Probiotic Pasta
This classic Alfredo sauce has a cultured twist! It is a rich and delicious probiotic pasta sauce made with yogurt or sour cream. Served with a salad, it is a quick and healthy dinner option that everyone will love.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6–8 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry pasta
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup cultured heavy cream (see the section above for options)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 tsp salt, to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the pasta until it is done. Be careful not to overcook it, especially if you’re using gluten-free pasta.
- While the pasta cooks, measure the cream. Stir the grated Parmesan cheese into the cream.
- Drain, the pasta, then throw it back into the hot pot with the butter. However, don’t put it back on the burner, just stir until the butter is completely melted.
- Once the butter is melted add in the cream and cheese. Stir to coat the pasta. Add the salt and black pepper, to taste. Serve immediately with a side salad.
Notes
- I usually make this with gluten-free corn pasta. However, it can be made with any type of pasta.
- Heat typically kills probiotic cultures. That’s why it’s important to add the cultured cream after the pasta has cooled slightly.
Keywords: probiotic, 5 ingredients, quick, fast, easy, comfort food, gluten free, vegetarian, fall, winter, spring, dinner party, fancy
My favorite dish when I was a kid. Thank you for “healthifying” my comfort food!!!!!!!!!
★★★★★
Glad you like it! 🙂
OMG!!! I veganized this by using vegan butter, vegan parm, and cultured cashew cream. It takes me back to the alfredo sauce of the old days. Thanks for making this recipe that just so happens to be veganizeable!
★★★★★
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!