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Sharing my favorite No-Guilt Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo from The Half Baked Harvest Cookbook.
Yup, you guys read that correctly, No-Guilt Fettuccine Alfredo. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it’s not!
For those of you who own the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook this pasta should look familiar. It’s hands down one of my favorite recipes in the book and it’s quickly shaping up to be a reader favorite too. So many of you have messaged me with excitement over this creamy, but oh so healthy…ish pasta.
Enter all the giant smiling emojis from me.
I’m sharing the recipe here on the blog today for three reasons.
One, it’s Healthy January and I’ve been making this weekly since Christmas, so I really felt the need to tell you all about it. It’s truly one of my go-to recipes this month.
Two, my hope is that for those of you who don’t own the cookbook, or for any of you newer readers that are wondering what the cookbook is all about, this recipe gives you a glimpse inside the pages. Also hoping the glimpse inside makes you excited enough to order yourself a copy…if I succeeded, you can order here.
And reason three, I created a recipe video for this healthier take on fettuccine alfredo with my friends over at Buzzfeed Tasty and we needed an HBH landing page for the recipe to live on. Well, the landing page is now here, and you can watch the full video for this recipe over on Tasty.
When I was in the middle of creating the cookbook, my days were ridiculously long. I’m talking wake up early, make grocery list, start testing recipes/photographing until the sun set, clean kitchen, write all night, finally go to bed for a few hours, and then do it all over again the next day. If you’re ever contemplating writing a cookbook, let me give you a fair warning, it’s not easy, and your sleep will most likely suffer.
Just being honest here.
Other than that, it’s all good things. You’ll make friends with your team at your publishing house, create delicious food, and in the end you’ll develop a beautiful cookbook to share with the world. I wasn’t sure I would say this while I was in the midst of writing the book, but all the long hours and lack of sleep (and tears) where 120% worth it.
Of course, I could not be more excited about how well you guys have taken a liking to the book. I was SO incredibly nervous when the book first came out that everyone would hate it and that zero copies would sell, but to my surprise, thankfully just the opposite occurred.
Of course there are a few grumpy people who like to leave mean Amazon reviews, but it seems as though most of you are loving the cookbook.
Thank you, thank you!! You guys are the best.
Anyway, the point of my little story there is that while writing the cookbook I had a ton of ingredients on hand at all times. This pasta was actually what I call a “clean out your fridge” pasta, but it turned out so good that I ended up making it a recipe in the book.
So what makes this healthier than any other fettuccine alfredo? Unlike traditional fettuccine, this fettuccine is made without cream and instead with creamy, protein packed hummus. It may seem odd, but hummus makes for the perfect, extra creamy sauce that closely resembles that of an alfredo sauce, and it’s honestly it’s just as good as the real thing.
Promise.
Here’s how this pasta came to be.
I had been testing out homemade hummus recipes for the book for what seemed like days and days, and had tubs upon tubs of homemade hummus just sitting in my fridge. In an effort to not spoon eat all the hummus, I had the idea to use the hummus as a sauce for my fettuccine pasta.
I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but as soon as I started tossing the pasta, I knew it was going to be so good. I mean, what’s not to love about a hummus based creamy pasta sauce with a little parmesan and roasted broccoli on top?
SO GOOD. And I mean, it’s pretty much guilt free…
Hey, I count cheese as healthy food, go with me on this, K? Cool.
Also, major bonus points for this pasta because it takes under thirty minutes and uses just one pot and one sheet pan.
Watch the How To Video:
No-Guilt Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 591 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 small heads broccoli, cut into florets
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta
- 1 cup plain hummus
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (sub nutritional yeast for vegan version)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
- fresh parsley, plus more for serving
- 1 pinch crushed red-pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF.2. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli with the olive oil, cayenne, garlic powder, and a big pinch each of salt and black pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, tossing once, until lightly charred.3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and immediately return it to the pot. Add the hummus, about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, the lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, and Parmesan. Toss until a creamy sauce forms. Thin the sauce with more pasta cooking water, a little at a time, as needed. Add the basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Taste and season as needed with salt and black pepper.4. Add the broccoli to the pasta and toss gently. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and fresh basil and/or parsley on top.
Notes
Reprinted from the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook Recipes from My Barn in the Mountains.
PS. if you’re wondering about the hummus recipe in the book, there isn’t one, it got cut. Too many recipes, not enough pages. Enter sad face. Should I share it on the blog?
I don’t suppose there’s a store bought brand of hummus someone could recommend for this? I won’t get a chance to make my own this time around. I assume something as smooth as possible and also gentle on the lemon flavor?
Hey Megan,
Any hummus brand that you love will work with this recipe! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This. Was. Amazing!!! Thank you so much. I couldn’t imagine the hummus in it, but it was amazing. Will for sure make it again!
Thank you so much Donna! xTieghan
I just made the sauce recipe and had it with the Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi. I used almond milk instead of the pasta water since I didn’t have any pasta water and it worked well but I will thin it out with water next time. It turned out really yummy but I will say that if you don’t like hummus you may not like this.. I LOVE hummus so I loved the recipe. And the lemon was delicious – don’t skip the lemon juice or zest! Thank you for a no guilt Alfredo sauce – I am really looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch today!
Amazing!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you, Sarah!! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I just love this recipe! I saw it on instagram (i follow you as @phi-fatourada). I have made it in a different way, with fresh cream in many of my dinners BUT definitely the humus is the twist igredient. I loved the video, as all your videos. Greetings from Greece
Thank you so much for trying this one, Maria!! I am really glad this one turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Have you made this with a flavored hummus? I have a roasted garlic hummus in my fridge but was curious if it would taste weird with a flavored one instead of plain.
Hi Lindsay,
I would recommend using a plain hummus unless you really want the flavor from the hummus because that will take over the dish. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Freaking delicious! I made it, ate it… I should have tried without Parmesan to see if it would be good for vegan recipe.
Hi Cindy! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
This turned out even better than I’d hoped. Delicious, seriously only 30 minutes to make, and barely any cleanup. ~ karen!
Thank you Karen! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Sooo yummy! I added sautéed shallots, peas and used chickpea noodles. Will make again for sure
Thank you Courtney! I am so glad to hear that! xTieghan
This was so good. I made this recipe today and broccoli pesto with whipped ricotta last week and they were both so delicious and relatively healthy. You are one of the best out there. Thank you for your creativity!
Thank you so much for trying this Amy!! I am so glad you loved this! xTieghan
This is delicious! I used a combo of vegan parm and nutritional yeast. My 2 and 5 year old loved it, too! Will definitely be making again. Oh, and when I reheated a bowl later, I added extra vegan butter and parm–SO GOOD!
That sounds amazing! Thank you so much Chelsea! xTieghan
Made this for th second time tonight. But I roasted some nice sea scallops with the broccoli and added both. Completely delicious with a nice California white wine pairing.
YES! I am so glad you loved this Bruce! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this last night. Only change was to add about 3/4 Lb of large gulf shrimp. Sees one as the brocholi and roasted along side. Then added both. Super recipe. Thank you.
I am so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you Bruce! xTieghan
Just made this for dinner tonight and it was so delicious!! Everyone loved it!
Thank you Sheilyn! xTieghan
I actually got this recipe from your cookbook and am ECSTATIC!!! My five year old is the pickiest eater ever (she could eat strawberries and pb&j for every meal and be totally cool with it), but she ate this sauce on some cheese ravioli tonight. Mom enjoyed it too because it was easy and delicious. HBH for the win!
That is so amazing!! I am so glad you both loved this recipe, Genevieve! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight, used Cali’flour Foods penne pasta and added some shredded chicken for protein, SO good!
Thank you so much Courtney! xTieghan