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Home / Recipes
50 minutes
4.2 from 5 votes
5 Comments

Pasta Shells with Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

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  • 241
by: Joanna Cismaru

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A bowl of Pasta Shells with Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

You’ve probably seen cauliflower alfredo sauce recipes all over the internet. It seems to be all the rage now, or it has been and I’m just now noticing. Anywho my point is, I got curious and I wanted to see what all the rage is about, so I decided to take a stab at this special cauliflower alfredo sauce and make my own, maybe a little bit different to make it my own, because that’s what I love to do.

Now classic alfredo sauce is basically just butter and Parmesan cheese, so obviously the reason for using cauliflower in this sauce is to make this dish healthier. There are many different variations to this cauliflower alfredo sauce, but for my sauce I decided to keep it simple with simple ingredients you probably already have in your house.

As far as complexity for this sauce there is none, super simple to make. You boil some cauliflower then you blend it in a blender with some milk, salt, pepper, garlic, lots of garlic and just because I love Parmesan cheese I added a bit of Parmesan cheese to mine. Surprisingly the sauce is so delicious,  you will not miss the fat here. I love it, I’ll probably never make regular alfredo sauce again. So give it a try, you might like it and save a few calories.

Close up shot of Pasta Shells with Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce in a bowl

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a bowl of pasta shells in cauliflower alfredo sauce

Pasta Shells with Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

4.2 from 5 votes
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 50 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 6
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower cleaned and cut into florets
  • 8 ounce pasta shells or your favorite pasta cooked according to package instructions
  • about 6 to 8 cups of water
  • 1 head of garlic about 10 cloves, the more the better, minced
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • fresh parsley or basil chopped for garnish

Instructions

  • Place the cauliflower florets in a pot with the 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Turn the heat down to medium to maintain a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is nice and tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat.
  • In a blender add the cooked cauliflower florets (no water), the milk, cheese, salt, pepper and the garlic and carefully puree everything until nice and smooth. If the puree is too thick add additional skim milk until desired consistency. Pour the cauliflower puree in the skillet and cook for a couple more minutes until heated through.
  • Pour over the cooked pasta and toss.
  • Serve garnished with parsley or basil.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 186kcal (9%)Fat: 4.8g (7%)
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Enjoy!

  • 241

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. Brooke says

    January 13, 2020 at 7:17 pm

    5 stars
    Jo, this is another great one! You’re very talented. No one would know it’s made out of cauliflower.

    Reply
  2. wendy says

    June 24, 2015 at 5:06 pm

    4 stars
    For my family 10 cloves of garlic was about 5 too many, burned our mouths! It is a great idea though and with some minor adjustments it will be a regular on our menu.

    Reply
  3. Carole says

    September 25, 2014 at 10:33 pm

    5 stars
    I am making this tonight. Two of my favorite things.

    Reply
  4. SeattleDee says

    July 14, 2013 at 1:11 am

    You’ve just convinced me to add cauliflower to my shopping list and give Caulifredo Sauced Pasta a try – without mentioning the change to other diners aboard.

    Reply
  5. lindsay says

    July 11, 2013 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    This is a great idea. I’ll definitely be making this for my kids.

    Reply

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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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