Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce Recipe – Rachel Cooks®

If you assume Alfredo, you in all probability assume: wealthy. Order fettuccine Alfredo at a restaurant for dinner, and also you’re both leaving with a field of leftovers or wishing you would be wheeled to your automotive afterwards. However this cauliflower Alfredo sauce? Effectively, that’s a unique story.

Cauliflower has an incredible means to swap in for carbs (see this cauliflower rice recipe), however on this case, it replaces the heavy cream and butter sometimes present in conventional Alfredo sauce. Utilizing cauliflower cuts down on the energy and fats, whereas including additional fiber and vitamins. (In the event you like this concept, remember to attempt my Immediate Pot cauliflower potato soup, too!) 

Pretend-Out Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo—the queen of pasta sauces! Together with something marsala, Alfredo is considered one of everybody’s favourite pasta sauces. Fettuccine, rooster, shrimp, just about something actually, are all good with Alfredo. This cauliflower fake-out sauce seems, smells, and tastes like Alfredo sauce. You should utilize cauliflower Alfredo sauce as a topping for pasta, or some other method you want to make use of conventional Alfredo.

Wholesome. Sometimes Alfredo is all concerning the CREAM, BUTTER AND PARMESAN. This Alfredo sauce is made with cauliflower and blended till it’s tremendous easy (that’s an essential step!). It’s virtually an ideal mimic of the Alfredo everyone knows and love, besides with far fewer energy (solely 111 per beneficiant ½ cup serving!).

Tons of taste. After all, this sauce nonetheless has some goodies in it, beginning with the garlic sautéed in butter and olive oil (gotta have slightly of the great things right here!). The puréed cauliflower is mixed with milk, Parmesan cheese, pepper, and a splash of nutmeg to enrich all that creamy goodness.

Reheats superbly. In contrast to traditional Alfredo sauces which separate shortly and switch greasy if you reheat them, this sauce holds collectively even when reheated. It may be refrigerated and even frozen with no sick results.

Ingredient Notes

• Cauliflower: Search for a contemporary head of cauliflower that weighs about two kilos. Take away the outer leaves, rinse, and lower the top into florets. In the event you’re in a time-crunch, purchase a bag of florets to chop down on the prep time a bit.
• Milk: You should utilize any form you have got readily available however complete milk or 2% positively offers you the richest-tasting sauce. We examined it with skim milk (nonfat) and the feel was nonetheless nice however the sauce had a extra watery taste.
• Unsalted butter and olive oil: Utilizing each butter and oil creates a richer taste for the cauliflower Alfredo sauce. In the event you choose, you’ll be able to substitute all butter or all olive oil.
• Garlic: Mince a number of cloves of contemporary garlic finely with a knife or push them via a garlic press. You may alter the quantity of garlic based on your preferences. I personally like numerous garlic and this sauce was fairly garlicky, in accordance to a couple of my testers who aren’t such garlic followers.
• Grated Parmesan cheese: For the smoothest sauce, purchase a wedge and grate the cheese your self. Retailer-bought canned grated Parmesan will work however doesn’t soften fairly as properly.
• Kosher salt and coarse floor pepper: I like to recommend freshly floor black pepper for the most effective taste.
• Nutmeg: Freshly grated has the most effective taste however be at liberty to make use of floor nutmeg.
• Parsley: That is an elective garnish nevertheless it does add a contemporary of completion.
• Cooked pasta: Fettuccine is the traditional alternative; nevertheless, be at liberty to make use of no matter kind of pasta you favor.

Easy methods to Make Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Prepare dinner the cauliflower. Convey a big pot of water to a boil over excessive warmth. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for about quarter-hour, or till very tender. Drain properly.

Prepare dinner the garlic. Whereas the cauliflower is cooking, you’ll be able to cook dinner the garlic. Soften the butter with the oil in a skillet over medium-low. Sauté the garlic till it’s comfortable and aromatic, or for two to three minutes. Scrape the oil and garlic into the blender.

Mix. Switch the drained cauliflower to the blender with the garlic combination. Add salt and pepper, nutmeg, and milk. Mix till very easy. A high-powered blender works greatest however it’s also possible to use a meals processor if you happen to don’t have a blender. Scrape the edges as vital. The combination must be silky easy.

Add cheese. Stir within the grated Parmesan cheese. If the sauce appears too thick in your liking, stir in a small quantity of further milk.

End. Toss the cauliflower Alfredo sauce with cooked pasta. Add a sprinkle of contemporary chopped parsley, and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve instantly.

Suggestions and Variations

• Don’t brown the garlic. Burnt garlic has a pointy, disagreeable taste. We solely wish to gently warmth the garlic sufficient to coax out its taste for the sauce.
• Mix the sauce tremendous properly. That is essential for reaching that easy, wealthy traditional Alfredo sauce texture. A high-powered blender works greatest.
• Make it dairy-free. For a vegan cauliflower Alfredo sauce, change the Parmesan cheese with dietary yeast, use plant-based butter, and an unflavored, unsweetened plant milk.
• Add sun-dried tomatoes. Purée the sauce with a handful of sun-dried tomatoes for one more layer of taste.

Serving Strategies

• Fridge: This sauce will be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. In contrast to conventional Alfredo sauce, the cauliflower model shops and reheats superbly, with out separating.
• Freezer: Cauliflower Alfredo sauce will be frozen for as much as 2 months. Switch it to a freezer bag and press out the surplus air; freeze it flat. Thaw it within the fridge earlier than reheating, or place the bag in a big bowl of scorching water to thaw it extra shortly.
• Reheating: To reheat the sauce, heat it on the stovetop over medium-low warmth till heated via; the microwave additionally works. If the sauce appears thicker than you’d like after reheating, add a bit extra milk, a splash of broth, or (when you’ve got no different choices) water, then alter the seasonings as wanted.

• Convey a big pot of water to a boil over excessive warmth. Add the cauliflower, cowl, and cook dinner till cauliflower may be very tender when checked with a fork (about quarter-hour). Drain properly.

  1 head cauliflower, about 2 lbs.

• In the meantime, sauté the minced garlic with the butter and olive oil in a big skillet over medium-low warmth. Prepare dinner for two to three minutes or till the garlic is comfortable and aromatic however not browned. Take away from warmth; scrape the garlic and oil into the blender.

  3 cloves garlic, minced finely or pressed, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Switch the drained cauliflower to the blender, together with the sautéed garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and milk. Mix for two to three minutes till the sauce is silky and really easy.

  ½ teaspoon kosher salt, extra to style, ½ teaspoon coarse floor pepper, extra to style, 1 ½ cups milk, extra if wanted, 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg

• Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add extra milk if the sauce appears too thick.

  ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Toss along with your favourite cooked pasta and serve instantly, topped with contemporary parsley and extra Parmesan, if desired.

• Milk: For a richer sauce, select a milk with the next fats content material (2% or complete). We examined the recipe with skim milk and the flavour is sweet however has a barely extra watery style.
• Don’t have a blender? You should utilize a meals processor to make this sauce. Course of till silky.
• Add meat: If desired, stir cooked rooster or sautéed shrimp into the sauce earlier than serving, or prepare it on high of the sauce. 
• Storage: In contrast to conventional Alfredo sauce, this cauliflower model shops and reheats superbly with out separating. Refrigerate it in a lined container for as much as 3 days or freeze for as much as 2 months. I wish to freeze it in freezer baggage; press out the surplus air, seal, and freeze the baggage flat. Thaw the sauce within the fridge earlier than reheating, or place the bag in a big bowl of scorching water to thaw it extra shortly. Reheat within the microwave or on the stovetop, including extra milk to skinny if vital.

Serving: 0.5cup, Energy: 111kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 5g, Fats: 7g, Saturated Fats: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fats: 2g, Trans Fats: 0.1g, Ldl cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 289mg, Potassium: 346mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 195IU, Vitamin C: 44mg, Calcium: 134mg, Iron: 0.5mg

Vitamin info is robotically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

Share a remark and score beneath! I really like listening to what you assume!