I know that this seems like it’s way out of season- but I swear to you, this IS summer food. I know, I know, When I traditionally think about Alfredo, it’s heavy and rich and faaaaatttttty. (oh goodness how I miss it!) but this here, is faux Alfredo sauce. Still deceptively rich and creamy, but (drum roll please….) it’s made with cauliflower puree. It’s a pretty brilliant substitute for a thick cream sauce.
Oh yes, then we add bacon and make it feel even more indulgent, when in reality you have a pretty healthy meal (outside of a little bacon!) that happens to be gluten and dairy free and packed with veggies!
This is an awesome weeknight meal for hungry kids (although I think mine are the only ones that are still in school for another week gahhhh!!!!) or if you get a June gloom evening- this will fit the bill: Summery, but comforting, right?
Happy Weekend Guys!!
Recipe: Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Fettuccini with Bacon- gluten and dairy free
Ingredients
- 1 pound gluten free pasta
- Cauliflower “Alfredo”
- 3 cups chopped cauliflower florets
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt
- 5 slices thick cut bacon, cut into lardons
- ½ yellow onion, finely diced
- Finely diced chives or flat leaf parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium pot add the cauliflower and the water and bring to a simmer. Add a lid to the pot and steam the cauliflower over low heat for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
- Add the cauliflower and any remaining liquid to the jar of a blender and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then puree until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with kosher salt and set aside.
- Add the bacon to a large sauté pan and cook the lardons over medium-high heat until the fat has rendered, about 7 minutes. Add the onions and cook them in the bacon fat until tender, about 7 more minutes.
- While the bacon is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to manufacturers directions.
- Drain the pasta and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta to the bacon and onions and then add the cauliflower “alfredo sauce”. Toss everything together well and season to taste with kosher salt. Serve hot.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 4
What a pretty and colourful pasta!
Great substitute….and you’re right, perfect for a nice big weeknight meal!!
Cauliflower alfredo so brilliant. Alfredo sauce has always been such a rich and fattening dish – thanks for remaking it. Can’t wait to see if my kids will eat this. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you this guide. I love it.
Oh Heather, how I love you! This looks so good and it is alfredo Armando can actually eat!! You are a genius and we are moving in, like tomorrow…you have enough room for 4 more people, right? 🙂
Hi Heather,
Congratulations on your Cuthroat Kitchen win, l was rooting for you!
Looking forward to trying some of your dishes, l’m Greek, gluten, dairy, and usually sugar free too.
Take care, kaley orexy!
Sounds great, I will try it soon.
What garnish is that you used, the purple one, looks like a type of flower? The other one is chives, right?
Those are chive blossoms
Made this tonight for me and my boyfriend. Both of us ate it up fast. The cauliflower “alfredo” sauce was awesome! A few things I did differently was I left out the bacon and onions, and instead put in some artichoke hearts and mushrooms. Definitely made for a filling pasta. Yum!
I tried this last night and it was so delicious. I can’t believe how much it tastes and feels like real alfredo. The cauliflower needs a lot of seasoning (salt and pepper) that I applied after I combined all the ingredients. I was a little confused about what to do with the cup of pasta water, but I didn’t end up needing it at all since the “alfredo” sauce was so creamy. Next time I would want to add same sautéed veggies. I thought we’d have leftovers all week but we couldn’t stop eating it!