Skinny Fettuccine Pesto Alfredo

Hiiiii! It's Thursday! And this weekend is Easter so naturally, it already feels like the weekend! YAYYY!

I'm sure we are all getting ready to boil more eggs than we know what to do with. I am actually having my family over for Easter this year! I am super excited to have them and hope I can pull it off. Believe it or not, I haven't really cooked Easter dinner for a full on group yet. This morning I started nailing out different to do lists that I've got to get done over the next few days.

I'm most excited about my 'backyard' to do list. We recently built some herb garden planters and I went and got a few more batches of flowers to plant around. We also took some really fun photos at the nursery, so stay tuned for those! This week I am on a hunt for some fun lawn games to put out as well. I am thinking giant jenga and corn hole?! If you have any other great outdoor family games let me know! 

Before we go full on Easter mode for the next few days, I wanted to share a new healthier pasta recipe for skinny fettuccine pesto alfredo with you! If you didn't know Jared and I started working out at a new gym like 5-6 times a week! Which was a total flip-flop for us because we used to work out very little!

If we're being totally honest the new gym is on the expensive side so I want to make sure I am getting my moneys worth. Which means getting up at 5:30 am and putting in some major WORK at class every day. Killing all my progress would make me super frustrated so I am trying to make healthier meals that we actually want to eat! Tilapia and brown rice is great once in a while, but most meal prep type food makes me want to barf. The thought of the whole 'bodybuilders diet' makes me extremely sad. I am thinking about doing a whole Mediterranean style meal prep post that packs some major flavor! But first.... pasta!

This skinny fettuccine pesto Alfredo is one of my favorite healthy weeknight dinners! I recently tried this new pasta called 'banzo' which is entirely made from chickpeas and it didn't disappoint. There is like 3 times more protein and way less carbs than regular pasta. That healthy pasta paired with this skinny pesto Alfredo sauce is a mad match in heaven! Most Alfredo sauces are made with copious amounts of butter and heavy cream. Don't get me wrong now, I really love the real thing. I can never turn down a rich and creamy sauce but on regular weeknights it isn't our 'standard' go to.

The skinny sauce version is still just as creamy and flavorful! I swapped out butter and cream for veggie broth and cashew milk! The veggie broth keeps the sauce very savory and flavorful and the cashew milk thickens everything up! Be sure to use an unflavored/unsweetened cashew milk for this! The whole sauce should come together in less than 10 minutes! I hate giving you guys weeknight dinner recipes that take forever, so believe me when I tell you that you'll be eating dinner in less than 30 minutes with this meal. Weeknight time is so valuable and making dinner shouldn't take up all of the time! 

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday weekend and I'll be back on Sunday for The Sunday Slate! 

Skinny Fettuccine Pesto Alfredo

8 Oz (1 Standard box) of Fettuccine noodles, I am loving these noodles but you can use anything!
3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
3 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 Cup of vegetable broth
1 Cup of cashew milk, unflavored & unsweetened
1 Cup of shredded parmesean cheese
Freshly cracked pepper
3 Tablespoons of pesto

Bring a large stock or regular pot of salted water (3 tbs of salt or so) to a rolling boil. Add in noodles and cook for 8-9 minute depending on the size of your noodles (follow package instructions). While water is boiling for noodles, prepare your sauce. 

In a large saute pan heat olive oil on medium. After about 30 seconds add in garlic cloves and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Stir in all purpose flour to garlic and cook for 60 seconds. Mixture will be clumped together. Add in vegetable broth and cook for 3-4 minutes or until mixture has thickened. Be sure to whisk veggie broth and flour mixture continuously so sauce smoothes out. Whisk in cashew milk to broth mixture for 1-2 minutes. At this point stir in pesto, if desired! Add in parmesan cheese and a few turns or freshly ground black pepper and stir for one final mix! 

Reserve pasta water and drain noodles with a slotted spoon! Add pasta into sauce and mix well. If sauce begins to thicken add in a few tablespoons of pasta water at a time! 

Garnish with more parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves!