To be honest, I was extremely sceptical of my own ability to succeed when I decided to tackle the great classic that is Fettuccine Alfredo. I mean, let’s face it; we are talking about a dish that is made of mainly butter, cream, more butter, more cream and cheese! Ooof… some things are better left alone, aren’t they?
But hey… growing up, Fettuccine Alfredo used to be one of my ultimate favorite dishes, and I’ve always kept sort of a sweet spot for it. Surely I can’t cross it off my diet just like that, now, can I?
Sooo, I’d been toying with the idea of recreating this dish with a healthy approach for quite some time now. But I never dared. Until now.
I thought that I should at least attempt it, see what it said, and well, be prepared to give it another 15 to 20 tries… 
Well, sorry to disappoint, but it very well looks like try number one will be the one and only. The search for the perfect healthy replacement has ended before it’s even begun.
This dish, right here, is simply EXTREMELY worthy of being called Fettuccine Alfredo.
I, for one, just loved it.
My daughter also loved it, but wait, wait, there’s more…
You’re not going to believe this…
My son actually liked it a lot! A LOT! Spelt pasta and all!
He ate a full plate! For real. An ENTIRE plate!
Now THAT says a lot about the dish. You see, some of you might not know this, but my son, much to my dismay, just doesn’t do healthy. My son feeds mostly on Ramen, Kraft Dinner and bologna sandwiches, on white, of course (and NO, I don’t buy these for him, he’s on his own when it comes to that. No way will I ever buy such innutritious food items. I know… evil mom!)
To put it shortly, just say the word “wheat” and he RUNS!
But he loved this. LOVED IT!
I still can’t believe it.
So, how ’bout you? Care to try it?
I really think you should…
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups spelt flour
- 3 eggs , at room temperature
- 1 pinch salt
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup unsweetened soy milk
- 80g fresh parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 tsp cornstarch (to prevent curdling)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Sift the flour and salt.
- Beat the eggs with the oil.
- Add flour to a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle. Stir in the eggs and oil with a spoon.
- Finish mixing with hands and then knead on a lightly floured surface. Knead until the mixture "comes together".
- Flatten dough and shape into a "rectangle". Cover in cling wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll in a rectangular shape with a pasta press or rolling pin, as thin as you possibly can.
- Cut out the edges to make a nice, clean rectangle, dust with a tiny little bit of flour to prevent sticking and fold rectangle in 2 and in 2 again.
- Using a sharp chef knife, cut your pasta into thin strips then use your fingers to gently unfold and separate them.
- Cook in ample quantity of salted boiling water until pasta is tender but still has a bit of a bite to it, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add all the ingredients to your food processor and process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- When pasta is cooked, transfer it to a large non stick pan and pour sauce over it.
- Heat over low-medium heat until sauce starts to thicken and adhere to pasta, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to serving plates and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and fresh parsley, if desired.
Wow I may just try this…. Love the Greek yogurt idea…..I have not tried this pasta in for ever and this healthy take on it sounds fantastic!
Thanks a lot! I hope you like it. Let me know how it turned out for you if you end up giving it a try!
This looks wayy tempting! I’ve never had just pasta and sauce before (except puttanesca – a favourite!) but this looks truly gorgeous. I’m totally picturing it with mushrooms and maybe a herb or two tossed throughout.. Yum!
Oh, it would be simply awesome with sauteed mushrooms and fresh herbs. Thyme would be fantastic. I can totally picture this in my mind. (funny how I sometimes tend to imagine things visually before I can imagine what they would taste like…
) Thanks for the inspiration, Christina! 
Nice work! My gosh, it looks so good. I can understand your hesitation in trying to healthify this recipe. There are some that I go for and the whole time I’m thinking ‘oh gosh, I don’t know about this!’ but I think you did a great job. And, if you son likes it… that’s a win!
Leanne! So good to see you here! I totally hear you when you say you’re thinking “Oh gosh” the whole time you’re trying something a tad “touchy”. That’s pretty much where I was at with this dish and never thought that it would actually turn out.
Hey, your thinking I did a great job means a lot to me. If it’s “Leanne approved”, then it’s GOT to be good!
I love making homemade pasta! I always use whole spelt, which my husband grumbles about, but with sauce, it doesn’t taste that different. Half white flour and half semolina is so good, though. It’s almost evil good. I only let myself make that when we have guests.
I’ve never had fettucine alfredo before and actually don’t even know what alfredo sauce is. Isn’t that sad? Now I know after having looked it up. Is the sauce kind of bitter? I’ve never had cottage cheese either but I imagine it being bitter from the yogurt. Or am I just crazy? It looks really good!
OK, I didn’t even have time to answer this comment that already, you’ve tried the recipe…. See you in the other comment box, I guess!
Wow! I’ve been loving spelt flour lately (because I am on a wheat-free diet) but never even thought to make pasta with it. Great to know it works so well!
It works extremely well. And the pasta is so easy to make, too! For sure, it will become a regular here! Hope you like it too, Cara!
Oooh! First I have to say – spelt pasta! Awesome! I love making my own pasta but never tried spelt. I have lots of it so I need to try it out. Second, this is awesome. I love alfredo sauce and always have so I love this healthier version. And I can imagine that the cottage cheese tastes great in it. And it looks great!
Oh, Heidi, I’m sure that you will love that spelt pasta. You’ll see, it’s a wonder to work with, and it tastes really great (I can’t ever resist eating some raw pasta while making it…) I can’t wait for you to try it and share your impressions.
I hope you try the sauce also. Actually, you can’t really taste the cottage cheese at all, it basically adds substance and a good foundation, in terms of saltiness and cheesiness, to this delicate sauce. Hope you like it. Make sure to let me know if you do try it!
awesome job on homemade pasta! Not to mention not having to do several batches of the sauce! Just another reason you are brilliant
I LOVE cottage cheese, I bet this is the perfect replacement for Alfredo sauce – must try this!!!
Thanks a bunch Nora, you are too kind. Now I can’t wait for you to try it!! I really look forward to getting your feedback.
Wow! This is definitely one I would have been intimidated to give a makeover to. But even the pasta from scratch–looks amazing! I’ll have to try it, and I think I’ll throw in a pile of roasted veggies. I think you’ve really discovered the secret to all things creamy and delicious with all those greek yogurt/cottage cheese recipes, and I’m thankful for that
Wow, thanks a lot Lauren. I feel like some sort of a whiz now.
Roasted veggies sound real good… I think I’ll have to make that recipe several times again to create all sorts of variations.
Not that I mind, really!
I could eat all of this right now. I’ve experimented a bit with making creamy pasta sauces slightly less calorific – it’s not as hard as it would seem. I usually just use half-fat creme fraiche and a bit of parmesan – a little goes a long way. Though your way looks really interesting too – I bet it would be delicious with some mushrooms and bacon, as a sort of carbonara type thing…
Thanks Elly! But you see, the challenge is not only to make less calorific, it’s all about making food super healthy and keep their yummy factor as intact as possible. So cream is an ingredient that I avoid using altogether…
Of course, bacon would also be a big no no, but the mushrooms I would definitely go for!
Glad you find this looks interesting. Hope you end up trying it!
OH MY GOODNESS! I just made this. It’s AMAZING! I added some sage and lots of salt and wow. Even my husband, who hates all healthy things, liked it. He even said it was “yummy.” We’d never had alfredo before but I see no reason to try the “real” version now. I’m so excited! The doctors keep saying I need more protein and calcium and this is just perfect to help me do that. I only made half because I was a bit dubious (never having had cottage cheese before) but I definitely wish I had made the whole thing. My husband even asked for more! That never ever happens with my healthy pasta or healthy dishes. I’m definitely going to post about this the next time I make it (if that’s okay). Thank you for the recipe!
Geez Erin, how can you be so fast at trying my recipes out? Wow! You just amaze me. What can I say. I’m thrilled! To learn that the reaction has been just as great on your end is like, unbelievable. I mean, already the fact that my son liked it meant a lot, but now your husband asked for more? Gosh! I’m in heaven right now.
Thank you so much for trying it out and for leaving this great feedback. And thank your husband for liking it so much!
I only did it twice. I had the time and ingredients, and yesterday, I had no meat thawing when I came home from work, so it worked out.
It means a lot to me too that he liked it! I was dancing about the place for several hours after eating it. I was just so happy to have found something healthy that he likes. I thanked him from you for liking it and he laughed. I’m going to add chicken next time! And spices!
I so totally hear you. I pretty much did the same when my son told me he had truly enjoyed the dish. Although I had to contain my joy, you know. Don’t let them see just how really thrilled you are!
Chicken sounds great. To me, it would add a tad too much calories, as the dish already has quite a lot, but it would definitely work. For my part, I’ll stick to low cal “add-ons”
When you wrote your last comment, I had just started making this again. We just finished eating it!
I wish I liked vegetables. Then I’d also add them instead of chicken. So I added about 300 grams of chicken and lots of Cajun spice! And some other spices. YUMMY! You’ve totally made my week. I thought my half-cream / half-milk-with-cornstarch version of Cajun chicken was so clever and healthy, but noooo. This is WAY better! The husband also liked the sauce although he had to complain today about my whole spelt noodles being “healthy” tasting, which is a bold-faced lie because you definitely can’t taste the noodles.
Anyway, after pizza, lasagna and steak, this is my new favorite meal. Healthy or not! Thank you SO much! You got me to eat plain yogurt and cottage cheese. That’s something to be proud of.
YAY, this is just awesome. I am definitely super proud! Plain yogurt and cottage cheese are great additions to your diet. You know what’s next, now, right Erin? TOFU!
oh, and ps… you are quite right, you seriously can’t taste the noodle in that Alfredo dish. No “healthy” taste whatsoever.
So happy that this recipe is now a part of your regular repertoire.
The thing is, I still think plain (or Greek) yogurt and cottage cheese are really sour and pretty bad tasting. I can only eat it in this sauce. So I’m just going to have to make this sauce often. OOOOH! I wonder if cheddar will work in it for macaroni and cheese! Just add a little less milk. I know what I’m doing next week.
I was in an Asian food store the other day and saw tofu for the first time. It looks… a bit strange. But like I said a while ago, if you make a dessert with tofu, I’ll try it as long as I can get the other ingredients!
I haven’t forgotten about that, Erin. I think about it quite often, in fact. I WILL have you bake with tofu. It’s a personal challenge of mine, you know!
Have you ever tried nutritional yeast in cheesy sauces? It helps add a lot of that cheesy taste without having to add so much cheese. I’m a big fan!
That was the first comment I ever left on your blog! “I had a horrible feeling at the beginning of your post that this would be full of tofu.” Hahaha. I can be so stupid sometimes.
I never looked into nutritional yeast because to be honest, the name is really off-putting. More stupidity from me.
So when you mentioned it just now, I thought, “Like I’ll be able to find that here! My goodness. ” Then I went to the Wikipedia page and the picture they used was a product from a German store. So it must exist here. YAY! I’m going to buy some (or at least try to) tomorrow or the next day to help my special macaroni and cheese.
That comment wasn’t stupid at all! I remember really appreciating it. It was one of those comments that really stand out, you know. The kind you just tend to want to remember. Plus, you challenged me to something, and hey, god only knows I LOVE me a good challenge!
Can’t wait to hear what you think of Nutritional Yeast. I too, was highly sceptical, but trust me, it makes a very amazing cheesy pasta dish, and I especially like it with pumpkin puree!
I feel awful for anyone subscribed to this thread and they keep getting emails because of me. Sorry!
Anyway, I think I should get some kind of award for “made the most times in under one week” award. I made it today. Again. With cheddar! I used a really puny cheddar and it still made good mac and cheese! Next time I’ll go on a search for sharp cheddar (they don’t really do cheddar here) and I’m sure it’ll be even better. My husband kind of squealed when he tried it and he does not like mac and cheese. Woohoo!
I put on some of those flakes when it was all done and it made it a little cheesier. But I just read that you’re supposed to use more than what I did. I used like 1/2 teaspoon. I guess I was a bit skeptic. There’s always tomorrow! I used 1/2 cup milk to make it a little thicker.
Low fat or fat free Greek yogurt doesn’t exist here so I use the only kind we have: 9.4%. Do you think I should use low fat normal yogurt instead? Ooooh! I know! I can strain it myself to make Greek yogurt. But that’s kind of a pain in the butt. Part of the beautiful thing about this recipe is that it’s super quick.
LOL, you’re so funny Erin.
You sure have tested that recipe true and through! I guess you really, really like it! Now I’m starting to consider hiring you as a recipe tester! 
Yeah, you do need to add quite a bit of nutritional yeast for it to give you decent results in terms of taste and texture. I’d say 3-4 tablespoons, about. But hey, you can try that tomorrow, or the day after, why not?
Did you really say 9.4% ?!???! That’s not a typo? OMG! I would definitely go for the straining option. The regular variety might add too much liquid. I like my sauce to be on the thick side. In fact, straining the yogurt doesn’t add to preparation time at all. You only need to plan ahead of time and put it to strain the night before or the morning of. But really? Seriously? 9.4% ?!??! That’s crazy! At that rate, it should almost be called butter.
I would be the worst taste tester in the world because I’m the pickiest eater ever. Really. It’s sad.
9.4% was correct. Would you freak out if I told you that the cottage cheese was also 10%? But I’ve found a low fat version of that so it’s okay. I’ve used both the 10% and .4% versions and we didn’t notice a difference in richness. Germany, or maybe Europe, doesn’t really seem to do the low fat thing. I can get skim milk, low fat cream cheese, normal cheese, yogurt and a few other things. So I’ll follow your advice and strain normal low fat yogurt the night before and make my own Greek yogurt.
I tried to leave a FB message on your wall but I guess that doesn’t work
Anyhow, I just made the sauce with parmesan, manchego and blue cheese and it is awesome. I am using it with some organic brown rice spaguetti pasta my husband got the other day. I will be posting this on my blog to share the sensational healthier version of yours
Thanks for a super good healthier sauce version
I did see you message on my FB wall. Maybe there was a delay before it got posted? Anyway, thanks so much for your feedback, glad to hear this worked for you. Blue cheese must be really good in this. Can’t wait to see your version on your blog. Make sure to direct me to it!
oh I will…no worries
Just to let you know I posted your recipe in my blog
It was just awesome as I said!!
Funny, I didn’t get a ping back on that! Wow, your version looks really amazing! GREAT pictures too! Thank you so much for letting me know, and for the mention, too! Your “rendition” of my recipe is simply extraordinary! So glad you liked it! (and I still think I have to try it with blue cheese! YUM!)
I did this exactly as posted, but the sauce still curdled. Should I add more cornstarch next time?
Sorry to hear, Lauren. I wouldn’t add more cornstarch, though. One, because I’m not a fan and try to use as little as I possibly can, and two, because it would make the sauce way too thick. My guess is the sauce cooked at a too high temperature. Maybe try lowering the heat, next time, Keep it as low as you possibly can. Hope it does the trick!
Hi, I am so glad I’ve found your site, I’m very excited to try so many of these recipes. BUT, I have to be honest, alot of the ingredients will be new to me, a self taught cook (mostly comfort food/steak/potatoes/pastas, etc.)I don’t know much about spelt flour, had to actually look it up, and am wondering if it is shelf stable in the pasta form. Meaning, can I dry my spelt pasta noodles for boiling later? I love cooking, ON MY TERMS, which means not EVERY day. I like having quick go tos. Please let me know what you think! I can’t wait to get started! Thanks for sharing all this info and recipes! It’s fantastic!
Ooof, that’s a very good question! To be honest, I never tried drying off fresh pasta, so I wouldn’t be able to help you with this. All I can tell you is that spelt flour is very similar to whole wheat, except it’s not as “heavy” and it contains less gluten. I personally prefer to work with Spelt over Whole Wheat.
You could also use ready made pasta with that sauce, if you wanted to. There are a variety of very good whole grain pasta out there. I don’t always make my own pasta, you know!
Oh, and you’ll probably find that the majority of the ingredients that I use are quite easy to find. I’m not one to run around and go to 15 different stores to find what I’m looking for! I can only hope that they are as readily available where you are as they are here in Quebec.
Last but not least, real happy you found this place and decided to give a few of my recipes a try. I really hope you like them and look forward to your feedback! Thanks a bunch for taking the time to leave such a great comment! I truly appreciate that!
Is there a reason to use soy milk in this recipe? Could I sub with cows milk and not sacrifice consistency/taste?
You can feel free to use any kind of milk you want! I don’t use cow’s milk simply because I really don’t care for it…
did you use full fat/low fat/ non fat cottage cheese? and same question for greek yoghurt please.
I used low fat for both, but you can use whichever you want! This won’t affect the end result.