Every Alfredo sauce recipe that I’ve ever made has had heavy cream in it – but heavy cream is just not something that I usually have in the refrigerator.  So, out of frustration, I decided to wing it and see if I could make an Alfredo sauce with just milk – 2% milk, no less.  The result was a sauce that was just as thick and creamy as the sauce made with heavy cream.  Except this recipe didn’t involve any cursing or begging for someone to run to the grocery store for the missing ingredient.

This pasta dish is also great with the addition of chicken, broccoli or shrimp.  Mangia!

Easy Alfredo Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 8-10 oz cooked pasta
• 1 cup whole milk (2% works just as well)
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, minced finely (or less, if you don’t want it too garlicky)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain well.
• Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium-low heat; stir in milk and garlic and bring to a simmer.
• Remove from heat; while whisking milk mixture, add Parmesan cheese and eggs yolks; keep whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling (seriously, don’t stop – whisk, whisk, WHISK!).
• Place sauce pan back on low heat and whisk until thick (2-4 minutes).
• Pour sauce over pasta and stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with parsley.

*Sauce will thicken as it sits.  If it becomes too thick, add 2-3 Tbsp of milk as needed.