I Never Use Heavy Cream for the Best-Tasting Fettuccine Alfredo
If I have one weakness in this life (spoiler: I have many), it’s any creamy, dreamy, cheesy pasta. I love a good baked ziti, a white lasagna, and, of course, the king of them all, fettuccine Alfredo. Fettuccine Alfredo is the dish I ordered as a kid when I wanted to feel fancy. It’s cheesy and creamy just like mac and cheese, but leveled up.
But Alfredo sauce, though wildly delicious, is sometimes a bit too much. As an adult, butter, heavy cream, and cheese all mixed together in large quantities and swirled with pasta started to feel like something too rich to eat more than a few bites of. That is, until I tried the heavy cream swap that officially brought Alfredo back into the rotation: Greek yogurt.
Why I Swap Greek Yogurt for Heavy Cream in Alfredo Sauce
Alfredo sauce is undeniably delicious, but can also be a little one note. It’s rich on rich. The addition of Greek yogurt adds a welcome brightness and tang to the whole dish without sacrificing the creaminess I love so much. Instead of feeling heavy, the sauce eats lighter. Plus, using plain yogurt doesn’t mask the other flavors in the sauce either, rather it highlights the contrast between umami-forward Parmesan, sharp garlic, and fresh, grassy parsley.
Making Alfredo sauce without heavy cream might seem outrageous to some, but I encourage you to give it a try. It brings a new layer of complexity to Alfredo sauce that I found surprising and delicious.
How to Substitute Greek Yogurt for Heavy Cream in Alfredo Sauce
Traditional Alfredo sauce is cooked on the stovetop. To swap in Greek yogurt, melt butter in a saucepan and cook the garlic until fragrant — you don’t want the bite of raw garlic in the sauce — then whisk in the yogurt and Parmesan cheese off the heat. Alternatively, you can blend the sauce to make it ultrasmooth.
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