Healthier Creamy White Sauce Pasta with Veggies
I’ve been making some version of this healthier Alfredo sauce for almost two decades — the original version not gluten-free and slightly different (recipe has long been lost) — and it’s still a staple in our household because of its ease, flavor and ability to create a truly creamy sauce without butter, heavy cream or roux.
Our healthier creamy white sauce pasta uses a small amount of gluten-free flour plus cream cheese and grated Parmesan or Romano as the only thickening agents. Our milk is gently warmed to a simmer to allow all of the ingredients to blend together and form a sauce you’d swear was built on cream.
You can easily make this recipe vegan by using non-dairy milk, coconut-based cream cheese and nutritional yeast as well.
Be sure to whisk or stir your sauce frequently throughout the process, leaving it in between to simmer and thicken. The sauce will only firm up while cooling — which we find even better!! It also reheats like a dream and is delicious for lunch the next day.
Get creative and toss in some chicken, tofu or chickpeas for some added protein. We love to use a mixture of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots but you can mix it up by using edamame, peas, or a blend of your other favorite frozen veggies.
Best of all, this sauce cooks up in about 15 minutes — in the time it takes you to cook your pasta, you’ll be ready to combine, serve and enjoy!
Healthier Creamy White Sauce Pasta with Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen veggies we like a broccoli, cauliflower & carrot blend
- 8 to 12 oz gluten-free pasta
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves chopped or sliced
- 1 tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cup coconut or other dairy free milk or low-fat dairy milk
- 2 tbsp dairy-free or regular cream cheese
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- garlic powder
- salt
Instructions
Pasta & Veggies
- Thaw your veggies in a colander in the sink for a few hours prior to cooking; you can skip this step and add in the frozen veggies if you prefer
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Use anywhere from 8 – 12 oz dry pasta — If you use a brand like Banza, the package will be 8 oz; if Barilla gluten-free it will be 12. The only difference will be the sauce will be slightly lighter with more pasta
- During your last 3 minutes of cooking (or last 5 minutes if your veggies are frozen), drop your veggies into your water with the pasta and bring back up to a boil. Drain — your pasta should be done right around the same time as your sauce
White Sauce
- Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add your garlic and cook 2-3 minutes or until fragrant
- Add your gluten-free flour and whisk in, 1 minute. Begin adding your milk in small additions of about 1/4 – 1/3 cup at a time; this does not need to be exact; you simply want to bring the milk up to just below or at a simmer each time. Whisk frequently to break down the flour
- With or before your last addition of milk, add your 2 tbsp cream cheese and stir or whisk to combine and melt into the sauce
- Add your grated cheese, stirring well to combine. Let your mixture heat up thoroughly – it will thicken slightly. Season with salt and garlic powder as desired
- Combine your pasta and veggies into your sauce and stir to coat. Let warm and serve; this will thicken up slightly as it cools and sometimes we think it's almost better that way! This is also great reheated and leftover
Notes
- Keep whisking or stirring your sauce very frequently, leaving it in between to warm, simmer and thicken
- You can cut back on the parmesan or make this dairy free by using nutritional yeast; you will simply have a sauce that is slightly less thick but still delicious
- Be creative and substitute in your favorite protein (chicken, tofu and garbanzo beans work great) for some of the veggies or pasta
Nutrition
Try our Healthier Creamy White Sauce Pasta today and find more recipes and inspiration here
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