Fettuccine Alfredo, deconstructed

My son and I love pasta.  Fettuccine Alfredo tops our favorites, but sometimes good old spaghetti and meatballs is just as satisfying!  So this week’s deconstruction targets three recipes:  Alfredo sauce, a simple tomato sauce, and pasta. (Meatballs were deconstructed in week one.)

Experimenting with possible substitutions resulted in a wide variety of options for ingredients. Sometimes, I actually preferred the substitution to the original ingredient!  For example, I have become a big fan of spaghetti squash as a substitute for traditional pasta. With a little additional seasoning, I found it lighter and more flavorful. 

Alas, my son took one look at his plate, and said, “What the heck is this?”   The beauty is he can still have his traditional pasta, while I indulge in spaghetti squash!

Jane’s coronary-blocking Fettuccine Alfredo!

1 lb. dry fettuccine

2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 c. grated Italian cheese (I use a combination of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano)

½ c. white wine

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. dry parsley 

½ tsp. lemon zest

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Add the cream, wine, and garlic, and let simmer until sauce begins to thicken.  Add all spices except the parsley, stir, and taste.  Adjust seasonings as desired.  Stir in the cooked pasta and toss, making sure all pasta is well-covered.  Cook on low an additional 5 minutes, and remove from the heat.  Add the cheese and toss.  If sauce is too thick, add pasta water or more cream. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley.

Jane’s coronary-blocking Fettuccine Alfredo, deconstructed
1 lb. dry fettuccine

>Health alert:  Pasta can be very high in carbohydrates, salt, and sugar. Some of the product labeling is extremely deceptive!  Check the ingredients carefully when selecting any type of pasta.  (Just because pasta is labeled “whole wheat “or “vegetable” does not mean it is a healthier alternative!)   Tasty and healthy pasta alternatives include spaghetti squash, zucchini ribbons, rice pasta, quinoa, whole grain pasta, and black bean pasta.

2 c. heavy cream 

>Fat alert:  Heavy cream is packed with fat, that’s why it tastes so good!  Try low or no-fat varieties of Half and Half, or milk.  If you’re feeling adventurous, try alternatives to cow milk, such as soy, rice, or almond milk.  

>Ingredient alert:  Cream is a thickening agent in the sauce. For a creamier substitution, boil half of a head of chopped cauliflower or four chopped parsnips (about four cups) in low fat milk or low fat chicken stock until tender, and puree. Cream alternatives can also be thickened with corn starch, gelatin, Agar Agar, lemon juice, or cream cheese.

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

>Fat alert:  Butter is high in fat.  The amount of butter used may be reduced.  In the alternative, a light butter or dry butter substitute, such as Butter Buds or Molly McButter may be used.

>Ingredient alert:  Butter significantly enhances the flavor in this sauce. Reducing or substituting it will affect the flavor. The best substitute appears to be a combination of chicken broth and a dry butter substitute, such as Butter Buds or Molly McButter. 

2 c. grated mixed Italian cheese (I use a combination of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano)

>Fat alert:  Cheese is high in fat, but there are many low-fat and no-fat varieties available.  There are also fat-free dry cheese substitutes available, such as Molly McButter cheese sprinkles.  Read the labels and select the version you can live with.   You can also reduce the amount of cheese, or eliminate it altogether.

>Health alert:  Salt is the cheese maker’s friend and they will argue that it is essential!  Fortunately, in recent years, efforts have been made to reduce the salt in cheese.  There are low-sodium varieties available in all forms.    

½ c. white wine

>Health alert:  Wine can have a high sugar content.  If sugar is an issue, use a reduced-sugar wine, or replace the wine with lemon juice or chicken stock. 

2 tsp.  minced garlic

2 tsp. dry parsley 

½ tsp. lemon zest

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

(Follow the cooking instructions above.)

Making your own pasta sauce

Processed tomato, spaghetti, or pasta sauce often contains all types of nasty additives, including salt, sugar, anchovies, and MSG.  Years ago, I just decided to avoid it altogether and make my own.  

After the growing season ends, I “process” the tomatoes and peppers I have grown in my garden for use throughout the winter.  (If you don’t grow vegetables, store-bought is fine.)  I remove the skin and seeds from all the tomatoes.  Some I simply puree in my food processor, and freeze in pint and quart-size containers.  Others are roasted in the oven (30-45 minutes at 400 degrees, lightly sprinkled with olive oil), pureed, and frozen.

Since I grow sweet and hot peppers, “processing” gets a little more complicated.   I remove the seeds and puree a fourth of the sweet peppers, and freeze.  I do the same with a mix of the hot peppers (jalapeno peppers, Cubano peppers, Fiesta chili peppers).  However, since the seeds add the heat to the peppers, I do not remove all of them. I roast about a half of whole sweet peppers, peel, dice, and freeze them in ice cube trays, ultimately depositing the cubes in freezer bags.  I do the same with the hot pepper mix.  Finally, I mix together the remaining peppers, roast, peel, and remove some of the seeds, and puree.  Some I mix with roasted tomatoes, and freeze.

Each batch of sauce/puree is carefully labeled before freezing. 

I realize not everyone grows tomatoes and peppers, or has the time to process them as I do.  Substituting canned varieties is fine, as long as you carefully check the labels for offensive ingredients! Some contain significant amounts of fat, sugar and/or salt.  (I prefer Muir Glen, or Hunt’s.) I also have a preference for roasted garlic in many of my recipes, but using regular garlic is fine in a pinch!

Jane’s simple tomato sauce

2 c. tomato sauce

1 medium-size sweet onion

2-4 large cloves garlic

1 TB.  dry Marjoram or Oregano

1 tsp. dry Rosemary or Basil

½ tsp. Chili pepper flakes

Salt, pepper and/or sugar or sugar substitute to taste

Optional:  ¼ c. of your favorite white or red wine, or chicken broth. (See health alert above.)

Puree the onion and garlic in a blender or food processor.  (The onion and garlic may be roasted at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or left in their original form.)  In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients except the spices, and let simmer for an hour.  Add all the spices except the sugar, and let simmer for another 10 minutes.  Taste, and adjust seasonings as preferred.  For a greater sweetness, add sugar or a sugar substitute, again to taste.  Serve over pasta, or a pasta alternative.

Jane’s spicy diablo sauce
1 c. tomato sauce

1 red pepper, diced, seeds removed

1 jalapeno, diced, seeds removed

1 other medium heat pepper, diced, and some seeds removed

1 medium-size sweet onion

2 cloves  garlic

1 tsp. dry Marjoram or Oregano

1 tsp. salt

Optional:  ¼ c. Tequila or Vodka

Red chili pepper flakes to taste

For this recipe, the onions, garlic, and peppers may be roasted (400 degrees for 30-45 minutes) or left in their original form.  Remember that the heat in the peppers comes from the seeds, so adjust your handling of the peppers accordingly.  Puree the peppers, onions, and garlic in a blender or food processor.  In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients except the Marjoram and red chili flakes.  Let simmer for an hour.  Add the remaining spices and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.