Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo

This lightened up Fettuccine Alfredo uses cauliflower to create a rich sauce without the cream!

Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo

Tell me your life in 15 songs- Part Three (read Parts One and Two)

This has been an interesting exercise for me. I don’t usually get very personal on the blog and these three posts required quite a bit of thought and editing. How much sharing is too much? Where is the line between personal and private? I’m glad to have shared these songs with you and hope they’ve given you more of a glimpse at the gal behind the recipes. As promised, Part Three has a happy ending.

You’re the piece of gold that flashes on my soul

This is possibly one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard… it tickles my soul. Give it a listen with your eyes closed. I can’t remember where or when I first heard it but I believe it fits well here. To me this song is joy, melancholy, beauty, regret and peace all wrapped up in a delicate lyrical package. I will never grow tired of it and I’d go so far as to say Playground Love is my #1 song on this list of 15. I was listening to it quite often when my prince charming finally arrived. After years of disappointing relationships I met Jeff and everything changed almost overnight. We’ve been together for 6 years now and I truly think I’m one of the luckiest girls in the world. In my wildest dreams I never imagined finding someone so amazing.

So talk amongst yourselves while i try to figure it out.
I’ll let you know in my time.

After 2 years Jeff and I moved in together and it slowly became apparent to both of us that while I was happy in love and at home I was miserable at work. I had fallen into a rut, a comfort zone that I was scared to break away from. I considered leaving my job many times over the years but I had no idea where to go or what to do. I felt trapped, indecisive and frustrated. I was obsessed with the idea that I’d never be happy until I was passionate about my work. Over the next several years I went back to school multiple times and always quit soon after I realized I was headed in the wrong direction yet again. I knew there was something out there that would bring me satisfaction.

When I read Julia Child’s My Life in France, everything changed. I connected with her story. I saw myself in her joyful delight over small details such as a beautiful neighborhood or a delicious butter sauce. She moved to Paris and discovered her passion for food and cooking. Jeff and I were doing a lot of international travel at the time and I became increasingly more interested in food and discovering new cuisines. Julia enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu at age 37. I was 29 and wanted to become an amazing cook. Finally after a lot of debate and many skeptical looks I decided to leave my job and attend culinary school. It was Jeff who convinced me to go to and I don’t know that I would have had the courage to do it without him.

You can never win or lose if you don’t run the race

If Playground Love is my #1 song on the list, this comes in as a close second. Why is this song so beautiful to me? It’s very 80s but it also has this timeless quality to it. I love his voice and the melody. When I was working the line during my culinary school externship, I had a coworker who played the same songs constantly and wouldn’t let anyone else control the music. To this day I cringe when Pink Floyd comes on the radio. I don’t care how good they are; you try having The Wall blasted in your ears at 7am for 6 months straight when you’re not a morning person. That being said, there were a few songs in his rotation that I never minded and this was one of them. I hated working the line but this song always took the edge off the heat of the kitchen.

Would you always
Maybe sometimes
Make it easy
Take your time

Life is a lot better these days and I’d even go so far as to say it’s fantastic. This song is pure joy to me. I got my happy ending: the career, the man, the life. And I could listen to this song a million times without getting sick of it. Isn’t that the definition of a favorite song?

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Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hrs 15 mins

 

This lightened up Fettuccine Alfredo uses cauliflower to create a rich sauce without the cream!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Jennifer Farley

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
• 2/3 cup water, plus more as needed
• 1 cup 2% milk
• fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• white pepper to taste
• optional: 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1 box fettuccine (approximately 16 ounces)

Instructions

1. In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium-low. Add onion to the pan with a pinch of salt and sweat for several minutes on medium-low heat. Once soft, add the cauliflower and turn up the heat to medium. Cook the vegetables for a few more minutes, stirring, until the cauliflower has softened up. Add the stock and water and bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the pot and lower the heat. Allow the mixture to simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.
2. Prepare the pasta according to instructions and set aside.
3. Carefully ladle the sauce into a blender. Puree until smooth and silky. Return the sauce to the pot and add the milk. Season with fresh grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cheese if using.
4. Toss the sauce with the pasta and serve.

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