Creamy comfort food at its finest – without the guilt! This lightened up Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo dish has all of the flavor you love without the extra calories! So good, no one will guess it’s actually healthy!
I have been in an ever loving pasta mooood lately! I just can’t get enough carby goodness these days. Namely, fettuccine alfredo. But it’s also warming up around here. I’ve busted out the flip-flops and short sleeves and I cannot wait for swimsuit season to be here. Basically I just wear my swimsuit under my jeans and light jackets every day. I call it: wishful wearing.
But the thing about pasta? It tends to be on the heavier side. Meaning lots of flavor, which is great, but also lots of calories. That does not help my swimsuit figure. Just saying. So in a desperate attempt to satisfy my creamy comfort food pasta cravings and still be swimsuit ready for the upcoming boating season, I turned an old classic alfredo dish into something a little on the lighter side without sacrificing any of that flavor I need.
I’ve also been in a shrimp mood lately. Big time. So instead of chicken, I went for shrimp in this dish. You can sub chicken if you’ve got it on hand. This Lighter Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo hits the spot when you’re wanting noodles tossed in perfect alfredo sauce! But without the guilt! Which means it’s about 9 hundred and 11 times better, right??
Lighter Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fettuccine noodles
- 12 ounces shrimp - peeled, de-veined, and tails removed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil - (may sub other oil)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic - divided
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 ½ cups fat free half & half - or other milk
- ½ teaspoon salt - or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper - or to taste
- 4 ounces cream cheese - fat free or reduced fat
- â…“ cup parmesan cheese - (shavings or shredded)
- optional: fresh parsley, additional parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In a large pan preheat 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add shrimp, 1 teaspoon garlic, and italian seasoning and stir over medium heat until shrimp are cooked through (3-4 minutes). Transfer shrimp to a bowl.
- In the pan where you cooked the shrimp, melt the butter over medium heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and stir until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring continually until mixture comes together in a sort of clump. Slowly whisk in cream and milk until mixture is smooth.
- Add salt and pepper, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese and stir until cheeses are melted. Stir in shrimp. Serve over prepared noodles. Top with fresh parsley and additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Adapted from Cooking Classy.
I’ve never had fettucine alfredo, it’s not really a thing here, but I do love creamy pastas and shrimp so I’ll have to try this. Especially since it’s lightened up!
Where in the world do you live where fettuccine alfredo is not a thing?!?! That is an abomination!! If you like creamy pasta you will loooove this!!
This looks so good! I can’t wait to try the recipe!
Thanks so much- I hope you love it as much as we do!!
That pasta looks awesome, totally going to make this 🙂
Thanks Chloe! This is one of our new favorites! (especially since swimsuit seasoning is coming up fast!! 😉 )
This looks so delicious, and I love that it’s lightened up! Pinned 🙂
Thanks Rachel!! 🙂
I love your definition of swimsuit season! With the 90° temperatures we’ve been having in my town this whole week, I’m really tempted to do that tomorrow. Maybe bake a little in the morning before the heat wave starts, run through the backyard sprinklers like a little kid in the afternoon… And then have healthy pasta for dinner! If only I wasn’t allergic to shrimp; you make it look so cute and classy at the same time!