Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccine, Bacon & Brussels Sprouts is loaded with a guilt-free sauce that you’ll want to make over and over!
Creamy and flavorful, Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce with fettuccine, bacon and Brussels sprouts is a wonderfully easy meal in less than 45 minutes that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen! Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce, the dish’s star, comes together quickly using cauliflower, garlic, yogurt, and parmesan cheese for a almost too delicious sauce when paired with pasta, Brussels sprouts and bacon.
Awesome Alfredo
Who doesn’t love a delicious food hack so we can have our cake and eat it, too? Or, in this case, Alfredo! Creamy, comforting alfredo can be a little time-consuming and is not for enjoying often, unlike this amazing and easy-to-make Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce! Perfect for weeknights, each element, from the Alfredo sauce to the pasta to the bacon and Brussels sprouts, is simple and takes only minutes to make. Big flavors and big comfort, Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccine, Bacon, and Brussels sprouts have it all!
What goes better with pasta than bread?!? Start with an appetizer of Mini Cauliflower Pizza, and then enjoy a batch of Low Carb Cauliflower Breadsticks with dinner!
Other Recipes to Serve with Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccine
- Perfect for cold, busy days, Crock Pot Cheesy Cauliflower Soup is the ultimate veggie comfort meal!
- Apple Pecan Brussels Sprouts Salad is a wildly delicious mix of textures and flavors that are so crave!
Ingredients
Veggies: To make the sauce, you will need a couple of 16-ounce bags of frozen cauliflower and a few cloves of garlic. You can also use fresh cauliflower in this recipe if you prefer.
Dairy: Pick up nonfat Greek yogurt and parmesan cheese for the sauce. The parmesan cheese can be pre-shredded, but grating a block of parmesan cheese is recommended for a smooth and creamy sauce.
Pasta: Pick up your favorite fettuccine and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.
Bacon: Peppered bacon is perfect for this dish, but regular bacon can also be used. If you go with regular bacon, add a little pepper to the dish, which always goes well with alfredo.
Brussels Sprouts: You will need a pound of Brussels Sprouts to complete this dish.
How to Make Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccine, Bacon & Brussels Sprouts
STEP ONE: To make the cauliflower alfredo sauce, begin by steaming the cauliflower and garlic, either in the microwave or on the stovetop, until soft.
STEP TWO: Once softened, add the cauliflower, garlic, Greek yogurt, and hot water to a blender and puree until smooth.
STEP THREE: Transfer the blended cauliflower mix to a saucepan. Stir in the parmesan cheese and salt, and heat the sauce over medium-low. While warming the sauce, cook the fettuccine according to the directions on the package in a large pot of boiling water until al dente before draining.
STEP FOUR: Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy, and then set the cooked bacon on a towel-lined plate to cool.
STEP FIVE: Drain the bacon grease from the skillet and add the chopped Brussels Sprouts and water. Cover the Brussels sprouts and cook until they are tender. Once tender, remove the lid and allow the Brussels sprouts to continue to cook until browned and slightly crispy. Toss with the cooked bacon.
STEP SIX: To assemble the dish, toss the pasta, alfredo sauce, Brussels sprouts, and bacon until everything is well coated. Or you can layer the sauce on top of the pasta and then top with the roasted Brussels sprouts and crispy bacon. Enjoy both ways of serving this dish!
Tips for Success
- The cauliflower and garlic can be steamed in a microwave or steamer basket using a double boiler on the stovetop. Both ways turn out great.
- Fresh or frozen cauliflower works amazingly well in this recipe, so pick whatever works!
- Store cauliflower alfredo sauce in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Warm the sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop to reheat when ready to enjoy it again!
What is cauliflower sauce made of?
Cauliflower alfredo sauce is a tasty, blended combination of cauliflower, garlic, dairy, and seasonings. While cauliflower and garlic don’t change much from recipe to recipe, the types of dairy or non-dairy products used and additions such as broth can be found. Besides the taste, the great thing about cauliflower alfredo sauce is how well it works for people with food allergies and those making healthy food choices. This recipe can easily accommodate vegetarians, vegans, those with nut allergies, and those looking for low-carb and low-fat food options.
Do I have to wash and trim the Brussels sprouts before cooking?
Those cute little cabbage-looking veggies are not root vegetables, so they are less dirty than others but still need to be washed. Brussels sprouts are tough vegetables that get tossed around quite a bit, so generally, peeling off the first layer, which is usually scuffed and tired-looking is a good idea. The stems are not good for eating, so trimming them is also a must-do. Brussels sprouts can be cooked whole, halved, quartered, or shredded; the smaller the pieces, the quicker the sprouts will cook. For this recipe, trimming and halving or quartering the sprouts help them cook in a shorter amount of time so that you can get dinner on the table even faster.
More Veggie Power Packed Dishes to Enjoy!
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- Citrus Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Wild Rice and Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Skinny Broccoli Macaroni & Cheese
*This post was originally posted on 01/14/2014.
Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccine, Bacon & Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
- 36 ounces frozen cauliflower (three 12-ounce bags)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup hot water
- 3 heaping tablespoons non-fat plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
Pasta
- 16 ounces fettuccine
- 8 slices peppered bacon chopped
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts ends trimmed, loose leaves removed, and large sprouts in cut half
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Steam the cauliflower and garlic until soft in a steamer basket in a large pot of simmering water or in the microwave.
- Add the veggies to a blender along with the hot water (I used the water from steaming the cauliflower) and Greek yogurt. Cover and blend until smooth.
- Pour the cauliflower mixture into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and salt. Stir periodically until the cheese is melted and the sauce is heated through.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, add the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until crispy. Then, remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard excess grease.
- Return the skillet to the heat and add Brussels sprouts and water to the pan. Cover and steam for 5 minutes or until the sprouts are tender. Remove the lid and continue to cook until slightly browned and crisped. Add the bacon back to the skillet and toss with the sprouts.
- To serve: Toss the pasta, bacon, Brussels sprouts, and sauce together, or layer the sauce, bacon, and sprouts over the pasta after plating it. Serve warm.
- Store leftover cauliflower alfredo sauce in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or place it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. Warm the sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop to reheat when you're ready to enjoy it again!
Notes
- Calories 115 kcal
- Fat 4g
- Carbs 14g
- Protein 10g
- Cholesterol 9mg
- Sodium 861mg
- Fiber 5g
- Sugar 5g
Easy, delicious and nutritious! Will definitely make again. Yum!
Thanks Lisa!
This sounds so amazing and creative! I love all the veggies and the use of Greek yogurt! Yum! If you get a chance, we’d love for you to link this up at {Healthy} Tips and Tricks Tuesday! This recipe would be a great way for someone to feel like they’re getting their “splurge” meal!
Thanks Kristin!
What a beautiful dish Aubrey! Such fantastic colors! Pinned!
Thanks Trish!
Looks fabulous! have to try your recipe! Nettie
Thanks Nettie!