Healthy Comfort Food: Fettuccine Alfredo
There’s comfort food and then there’s un-comfort food! The latter includes those meals that appear comforting (even thinking about ‘em can put a smile on your face), but afterward, once you’ve indulged, you’re anything but comfortable.
Fettuccine alfredo is the granddaddy of un-comfort food. Its creamy, cheesy goodness has the ability to make your eyes roll back in your head; unfortunately, it’s also the original “heart attack on a plate” meal and can sit like a brick in your gut.
The following recipe revamp is too good to be true. Thanks to the addition of cottage cheese, this typically high calorie, high fat carb fest is now a balanced meal!
If you crave more protein, toss pasta with chunks of rotisserie chicken or boiled shrimp. Veggie lovers — sauté mushrooms with the garlic and add steamed broccoli at the finish.
Healthy Comfort Food: Fettuccine Alfredo
- 1 tablespoon butter, ghee or olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dry
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 ounces fettuccine
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta cooks, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, milk, egg, dry mustard, nutmeg and salt in the bowl of the food processor or blender. Process until very smooth. Set aside.
- In a large sauté pan, heat butter over medium heat, add garlic and sauté for 2 minute. Add the cottage cheese mixture to the pan and continue to cook for two to three minutes until the egg cooks and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add basil and cooked pasta to the sauce, stir to coat and sprinkle liberally with fresh cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
How do you feel after a comfort food splurge? I have found that the healthier my eating habits have become, heavy, greasy or overly sweet foods no longer hold much appeal. —Karen