My Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo is a crowd-pleasing recipe that’s as healthy as it is delicious! It features whole grain pasta and a creamy sauce that is to live for. When I started my healthy eating journey, I knew I didn’t want to miss out on our old family favorites.
Dr. Z is of Italian heritage, and I studied Italian cooking with my Mom and a family friend, Guisy Fisher. Authentic recipes are a part of who we are! So I began to utilize nourishing ingredients to re-create familiar meals in an allergy-friendly way.
Through a lot of recipe testing and tweaking, I created healthy recipes that taste better than the originals. I know you’ll love this dinner just as much as we do!
Table of Contents
Gluten-Free Pasta Hacks
Cooking with gluten-free pasta has a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it tastes just like “normal” pasta. Here are some of my best hacks to help you create the perfect plate of pasta.
- I recommend staying away from corn-based pasta, especially if you have food sensitivities. Instead, purchase brown rice pasta. These variations are easily found in most well-stocked grocery stores or online.
- To give your pasta a wonderful flavor, salt the water with freshly ground pink Himalayan salt or sea salt. The noodles will absorb some of the salt water and taste so yummy!
- Gluten-free pasta is prone to sticking together, so add a glug of extra-virgin olive oil to your water. I also recommend drizzling the noodles with oil after draining. This helps them stay separated.
- These noodles can be fragile, so try to be as hands-off as possible! Add the sauce as soon as possible, gently stir to coat, then leave the noodles alone until serving.
- Don’t let your pasta sit in the colander too long to avoid clumps. I recommend having your sauce ready when the noodles are done.
- If you don’t want to use brown rice fettuccine, you can use almond flour pasta. Almond flour pasta has a great texture and is a hearty option.
- For a lighter option, use shirataki or konjac noodles. These noodles are great because they take on the flavor of whatever you put on them. The key with these noodles is to rinse, rinse, rinse!
- Ensure your water is at a rolling boil. If your water isn’t at the right temperature, the noodles won’t cook properly and will take on a gummy texture.
Healthy Fettuccine Ingredients 101
With the right ingredients, your home will be filled with tasty homemade fettuccine alfredo scent. Here’s what you need to add to your shopping cart.
Gluten-Free Brown Rice Fettuccine Pasta: Times are changing, and healthy pasta options are abundant! If you like fresh pasta, try Cappello’s or Taste Republic brand noodles. We find these at Whole Foods and, occasionally, health food stores. Shelf-stable options include Tinkyada noodles, which have a great “tooth” to them, or shirataki “Miracle” noodles.
Organic Unsweetened Coconut or Almond Milk Beverage: You’d never guess this homemade fettuccine alfredo doesn’t include cream! For the most decadent result, use full-fat canned coconut milk. You can also use unsweetened almond milk. These options create a delicious sauce without the detriments of dairy. Be sure to check that your milk is unsweetened. You wouldn’t believe the sugar they hide in beverages!
Grass-Fed Organic Sea-Salted Butter and Coconut Oil, Extra-Virgin and Unrefined: Contrary to past beliefs, butter is not bad for you. It’s a great option when used in moderation, of course! This recipe practices moderation by including coconut oil as well. Coconut oil is full of healthy medium-chain triglycerides that give your body a boost of energy. (1) If you’d like to make this recipe dairy-free, you can use only coconut oil. Just be sure to add additional salt for flavor.
Pink Himalayan Salt or Sea Salt: Traditional table salt undergoes a rigorous harvesting process that strips it of necessary nutrients. I recommend using Colima sea salt. This salt is hand-harvested, which leaves the good stuff intact! If you don’t have sea salt on hand, you can always use pink Himalayan salt. Both options are full of nourishing minerals.
Organic Garlic Powder: You can’t have Italian food without garlic! This recipe uses garlic in two forms for the ultimate burst of flavor. When purchasing granulated garlic or garlic powder, consider where your spices are sourced. Spices from China have been linked to mold. (2) Yuck!
Mincing fresh garlic can be a hassle, so I regularly use my garlic press. Peel the garlic and press it through the tool. Voila! Minced garlic in no time. When in doubt, use a tool!
Dairy-Free Cheese: This ingredient thickens the sauce and gives it a traditional Alfredo flavor. I use shredded dairy-free mozzarella or Parmesan-style cheese alternative and Daiya jalapeno-garlic Havarti-style cheese. It’s the best combination, and the spice in the Havarti pairs well with mild mozzarella.
Great brands of dairy-free cheese include Daiya, Kite Hill, Follow Your Heart, Forager, Miyokos, So Delicious, and Violife.
Make Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo
Making homemade fettuccine Alfredo is easier than you think! If you can boil noodles, you can make this delicious dinner. You’ll never go back to jarred sauces again!
Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo (Vegan)
Supplies
- Immersion blender OR whisk
Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (12-16 ounce) package gluten-free brown rice fettuccine pasta
- ¾ cup organic full-fat unsweetened coconut milk OR organic unsweetened almond OR coconut milk beverage
- ½ cup grass-fed organic sea-salted butter OR ½ cup coconut oil extra-virgin and unrefined, PLUS ¼ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt OR sea salt, ground
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt OR sea salt, ground
- ½ teaspoon organic white pepper, ground
- 2-3 pinches organic garlic powder OR 1 additional organic garlic clove, peeled AND pressed OR minced
- 3 organic garlic cloves, peeled AND pressed OR minced
- ⅓ cup shredded dairy-free mozzarella OR Parmesan-style cheese alternative*
- 3.65 oz. dairy-free Daiya jalapeno garlic Havarti style wedge cheese (½ of the 7.1-ounce wedge package)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add olive oil to the water before adding pasta to prevent it from sticking together.
- Add the fettuccine without breaking and cook until al dente; drain.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the coconut milk and butter over low heat. Add the sea salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix well. Turn the heat to medium-low and stir in both kinds of cheese. I recommend using an immersion blender or whisk to homogenize the mixture.
- Strain the pasta and return it to the pot. Immediately add the cheese sauce to the pasta and gently incorporate it so that you don’t break the pasta. If your sauce isn’t done at the same time as your noodles, drizzle olive oil over the pasta so it doesn’t stick together. Your pasta should be thoroughly coated with cheese sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
Step One: Boil the Pasta
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Before adding the pasta, add a generous glug of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.
Add the fettuccine noodles without breaking and cook until al dente; drain.
Step Two: Make the Sauce
In a separate saucepan, melt the coconut milk and butter over low heat. Add the sea salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix well. Turn the heat to medium-low and stir in both kinds of cheese. I recommend using an immersion blender or whisk to homogenize the mixture.
Step Three: Serve the Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo
Strain the pasta and return it to the pot. Immediately add the cheese sauce to the pasta and gently incorporate it so that you don’t break the pasta. If your sauce isn’t done at the same time as your noodles, drizzle olive oil over the pasta so it doesn’t stick together. Your pasta should be thoroughly coated with cheese sauce. Serve immediately.
I recommend serving this delicious dinner with my Caesar salad.
