What mother sauce do you think is a base for alfredo sauce?

Alfredo, mornay and your basic cheese (most of the time cheddar) sauce are derivatives of the bechamel . Directions: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

What can I add to Alfredo sauce to thin it out?

The key is to add a little bit of liquid. The most common thinner for any creamy sauce is milk, however, you can also use other liquids like water, broth, or cream . Note that the liquid has to contain moisture so it can actually work, which is why melted butter won't do.

Which mother sauce is the only sauce that does not use a roux but instead is an emulsion of egg yolk and butter?

Hollandaise sauce is an emulsion where egg yolks are suspended in melted butter to create a creamy, rich sauce. Optional flavorings for Hollandaise include cayenne pepper, white wine vinegar, or lemon juice. Hollandaise is the basis for several other classical French sauces, including sauce Bearnaise.

Is Alfredo sauce the same as cream sauce base?

Cream-based sauces are the richest types of pasta sauces because they usually contain heavy cream, along with butter, cheese or both. Alfredo Sauce: Alfredo is a rich, creamy white sauce mixed with butter and grated Parmesan cheese seasoned with pepper, and sometimes nutmeg.

Should you put pasta water in Alfredo sauce?

After 12 ounces of fettuccine pasta noodles are finished cooking, reserve 2 cups of the pasta water to include in your sauce . The starchy water is essential to creating a thick, creamy sauce consistency.

How do you get Alfredo to stay creamy?

Pretty much as easy, add flour to the butter cook a minute, (at this point, I like a little garlic - saute a minute) then cream/milk, stir, then cheeses. As it cools it thickens, the degree depends on how much liquid was added. Put in a little bacon and you have added carbonara to your skills.

How do you doctor up Alfredo sauce?

Extra seasonings and spices will go a long way in adding flavor to a boring jar of sauce. Some of my personal favorites include salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, dried basil, oregano, onion powder or seasoned salt. Start with small amounts (1/2 teaspoon at a time) and add as needed, in order to avoid over-spicing.

What is Alfredo sauce made of?

Alfredo sauce is made by melting butter, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese together . Unlike other pasta sauces that use tomatoes as a base, alfredo omits vegetables altogether and uses dairy products to achieve its mouth-watering flavor.

Which sauce is known as mother sauce?

There are 5 types of Mother Sauce namely Hollandaise Sauce, Bechamel Sauce, Tomato Sauce, Veloute Sauce, Espagnole Sauce . but of the 5 types of Mother Sauce, Mother Sauce has basic ingredients as the basic sauce for those 5 types of Mother Sauce.

What are the ingredients in Alfredo sauce?

Alfredo Sauce Ingredients You'll need just five simple ingredients to make this basic Alfredo sauce recipe: butter, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and fresh parsley .

What does Alfredo sauce come from?

In the American version, the sauce is made with cream, garlic (generally speaking, Americans love garlic more than Italians), butter and Parmesan cheese , while in the Italian version you would simply toss the pasta in butter and Parmigiano Reggiano and mix it into a creamy consistency.

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

Home Recipes by Type Pasta

3030 Minutes or LessVGVegetarian

4.17

20 minutes mins

36 Comments

Jump to Recipe

By: Rachel GurkPosted: 03/04/2015Updated: 11/29/2023

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Trade out your beloved calorie-laden Alfredo sauce for this cauliflower Alfredo sauce. You’ll barely be able to tell the difference!

About this Cauliflower Alfredo

Alfredo – the queen of pasta sauces! Alfredo. Along with anything marsala, Alfredo is one of everyone’s favorite pasta sauces. Fettuccine, chicken, shrimp, all perfect with alfredo. This sauce looks, smells, and tastes like Alfredo sauce. Except without the 248,395,289,253 calories.
Healthy: Typically alfredo is all about the CREAM, BUTTER AND PARMESAN. This alfredo sauce is made with cauliflower and blended until it is super smooth (that’s an important step!). It’s almost a perfect mimic of the Alfredo we all know and love.
Tons of flavor: Of course, this sauce still has some goodies in it — starting with the garlic sautéed in butter and olive oil (gotta have a little of the good stuff here!). The pureed cauliflower is blended together with milk, Parmesan cheese, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg to compliment all that creamy goodness.

More Heathy Pasta Sauce

Vegan Bolognese
Whole Wheat Pasta with Broccoli and White Bean Pesto

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

4.17 from 24 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

3 + cups

Print Rate Recipe

Trade out your beloved calorie-laden Alfredo sauce for this cauliflower Alfredo sauce. You'll barely be able to tell the difference!

Ingredients

▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 2 small heads of cauliflower (about 8 cups cauliflower florets)
▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
▢ ½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
▢ 1 ½ cups skim milk (more to achieve desired consistency)
▢ pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
▢ 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
▢ fresh parsley for serving
▢ cooked pasta for serving

Instructions

Sauté the minced garlic with the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Be careful not to brown the garlic. Remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower, cover, and cook until cauliflower is tender when you stick a fork in it (about 8-10 minutes). Drain.
Transfer the cauliflower to the blender. Add milk, sautéed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and milk. Blend or puree for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is silkyand smooth. Stir in Parmesan cheese. You can add more milk if it seems too thick. Toss with your favorite cooked pasta and serve immediately topped with fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

Serving size: 1/2 cup.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 184kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 442mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review

Evan says
March 18, 2020 at 7:42 pm
Sounds like you added Cauliflower to simple Alfredo Sauce….. Is the skinny part just using Skim Milk instead of cream? I am not knocking it, it sounds delicious!
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  March 23, 2020 at 1:13 pm
  Yes, it uses far less heavy cream thanks to the creaminess of the cauliflower, as well as the skim milk to thin it down. Plus you get the added bonus of some hidden veggies. I hope you like it. :)
  Reply
Tally Wegiel says
October 19, 2019 at 11:24 am
Tastes nothing like alfredo sauce not to say that it was bad. It just wasnt great. Almost overflowed my blender. Maybe would have been a better idea to make it in a food processor. I also used almond milk and earth ballance dairy free butter. Had to add a little more milk and butter.
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  October 20, 2019 at 1:41 pm
  See Also
  The Best White Chicken Chili Recipe - Food.com
  Thanks for the feedback! Your adaptations probably altered the taste as well, since alfredo sauce is made with real dairy products. Did you put the cheese in?
  Reply
pat says
April 19, 2019 at 8:41 pm
I had around 1 cup of cauliflower cut up from a recipe a few days ago. So i steamed it (if i’m not going to use it for soup stock soon, i’ll drink the little water that’s left after steaming). While that steamed, i sauteed a small clove of garlic in a little olive oil with some raw cashew pieces and a little salt. And cut up some snow peas. Dumped the steamed cauliflower with the garlic and cashew pieces, a smallish pour of soy milk and pinch of nutmeg into my blender. While that “blended” i boiled up some edamane and mung bean fettuccine (“Explore Cuisine” – tastes better than it sounds and it packs 24 grams protein in a serving and only 20 g of carbs!) while steaming the snow peas in the pan i steamed the cauliflower. In minutes it was all done so i mixed the peapods with the sauce and plopped it onto servings of pasta. Delicious! I didn’t miss the cheese. So it was also vegan and nutritious!
Thank you Rachel!
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  April 22, 2019 at 11:21 am
  I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! My kids have nut allergies so cashews aren’t an option for my family, but I bet that was so creamy and delicious!
  Reply
katie says
March 4, 2019 at 2:48 pm
Im planning on making this this week but it seems that this recipe yields way more than needed. Any idea on how long this stays good in the fridge? Or can it be easily frozen and defrosted without losing any qualities? Thanks in advance!
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  March 6, 2019 at 10:13 am
  I haven’t tried freezing it, but I think that would probably work great! There is a possibility that it might separate slightly when it thaws. I’m sure you could also halve the recipe. And it should keep for at least a few days in the fridge. Hope that helps!
  Reply
Terri Simonds says
December 25, 2018 at 11:53 am
What is a serving size? I want to try this and counting calories.
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  December 28, 2018 at 5:25 pm
  Serving size is 1/2 cup.
  Reply
Elizabeth Priddle says
August 20, 2018 at 6:25 pm
Just made this for dinner. Absolutely delicious. Tastes just like regular Alfredo sauce, very rich and creamy. Delicious! Everyone in the family loved it.
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  August 21, 2018 at 9:14 pm
  Hi Elizabeth! I’m so glad you all liked this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
  Reply
Justin says
June 19, 2018 at 11:48 am
Just a little FYI. Not that anyone would forget to add it, but you do not have the Grated Parm(the cheese that makes this alfredo!!) listed in your cooking instructions. See step 3.
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  June 19, 2018 at 11:58 am
  Sure enough! Thank you so much for letting me know….forgetting the cheese would be a tragedy! :)
  Reply
Katelyn Mack says
May 29, 2018 at 9:24 pm
Do you think you could substitute almond milk in for the skim milk? Has anyone tried this?
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  May 29, 2018 at 9:30 pm
  I think that would absolutely work! Unsweetened and unflavored, of course. ;)
  Reply
Michelle says
December 1, 2015 at 2:29 am
I”d like to ask if it’s possible to sub out the milk and butter and insert vegan options such as coconut milk, or nut mylks and vegan butter and vegan cheese to make this a vegan option?
I’m not vegan by choice, but I have a dairy allergy.
I also know that when it comes to recipes, it’s all about the chemistry of the ingredients. From a chemical structure standpoint, is it possible to achieve this creamy alfredo-sauce without all of the dairy?
PS. I gave up dairy almost 2 years ago, so if this works, I’d be happy to put this on my health and wellness blog. Just saying!
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  December 1, 2015 at 8:55 pm
  I’ve never tried it with a dairy milk alternative but I think it would work! Let me know if you try it!
  Reply
Laura Dembowski says
May 2, 2015 at 12:07 pm
I make a sauce like this all the time and just can’t get enough. I add Shirataki noodles to save more calories. It’s the bomb, even without cheese.
Reply
Andrea says
March 5, 2015 at 9:27 am
OH MY GOD! I made this last night. It was beyond incredible! My husband and I both loved it! I swear if you didn’t tell anyone they’d never know it was cauliflower in there. And it wasn’t 29,050,329,023 calories! Thank you!!! It was so easy to make too!
Reply
- Rachel Gurk says
  March 5, 2015 at 12:16 pm
  This comment totally made my day — thank you!!! So glad you guys liked it.
  Reply

Older Comments