This Pesto Spinach Alfredo Sauce is light in calories — made with milk instead of cream — and packed full of flavor! Better than plain old Alfredo sauce!
Who doesn’t love alfredo sauce?
I make mine lighter (and more convenient for me) by using milk instead of cream. It’s such an easy sauce to add different flavours to and experiment with — this is just one of many ways you could mix things up.
If you’re not digging spinach or pesto, feel free to leave them out and you’ll have a basic Alfredo sauce recipe that you can leave as is or flavour any way you want.
This is an awesome recipe to use for pasta, scalloped potatoes, pizza, lasagna — anywhere (and everywhere) you’d like a little more creaminess in your life.
And if you’ve never tried pesto, now is the time! It gives such a nice herby flavour to anything you put it in: soups, pastas, sandwiches, there are no limits for this stuff. You can easily make your own, or buy a store bought jar (as I will admit that I do).
*Note: This is a small recipe. It is super easy to double, or triple, or whatever. I made such a small batch because it’s always easier to make more than less. This recipe would be good for one very large pizza (which is where I used it the first time I made it — I’ll show you that recipe later this week). If you were making pasta for more than 2-3 people, I would suggest increasing the amounts.
{Healthier} Pesto Spinach Alfredo Sauce
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1/8 cup butter
- 1/8 cup flour
- 1 cup low fat milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pesto
- 1/4 tsp minced garlic about 1 clove
- 1 cube frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry (about ¼ cup) or a handful of fresh, chopped fine
- 1/4 cup parmesan
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter.
- Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook 1 minute.
- Stir in milk with whisk. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, whisking often, until thickened.
- Stir in salt, pesto, garlic, spinach and parmesan and cook 1-2 minutes until flavours have combined.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Olivia says
I can confirm this recipe SUCKED. I messed it up a total of 6 times… and I even got this recipe off a website called “10 Pasta Sauces you Can’t Mess Up!!”. Ironic. In the sauces defense, I am gluten free. So making a roux ended up being hell in disguise… It turned into mash potatoes. So I ended up skipping the flour part, and ended up with cold pasta mixed with some garlicky milk. Maybe if you’re gluten free, (and a terrible cook) don’t go for this recipe. Stick to the buttered noodles.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Olivia, the recipe has worked well for myself (and others). Changing it will give you different results then what I’ve tested and it’s not something I can guarantee.
Cassie says
I made this recipe for my husband and I. It is the perfect amount of sauce for half a pound of spaghetti, which feeds two people nicely. I substituted heavy cream for the milk because I had some on hand that needed to be used up and it still turned out great. I did a half cup but then probably added about two extra tablespoons during the cooking process. We ate it with chicken in the pasta and broccoli on the side. Wonderful dinner!
Cassie says
Forgot to mention that I halved the recipe***
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Cassie!
Angela says
Made this recipe tonight and will be making it again! I didn’t have any spinach and I needed to add some additional milk and more pesto (personal preference) but very delicious! Everyone in the family approved!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Angela!
Chrissy says
Hey Ashley, tried the recipe and encountered difficulty in the first step. The flour started clamping together when I added into the melted butter – any idea?
Also added almond milk which tastes too sweet for my liking.
My pasta tastes like flour rn )-:
Ashley Fehr says
Do you mean that it got thick? It will get thick, like a paste, but it should all be absorbed by the butter. Once you add the milk and whisk, it will come together as a sauce.
Jennifer says
What is the calories per 1/3 cup sauce- the nutrition charts not loading. Thank you.
Ashley Fehr says
118 calories per 1/4 of the sauce
Stephani says
Do you think a Greek yogurt in place of the milk would be good? Just to lighten it up a bit more?
Ashley Fehr says
Well Greek yogurt will add significantly more calories but probably more protein, so it depends what you mean by “lighten it up”. I think it should work fine if you like yogurt in savory dishes!
Denise says
Can I have butter fried (sauteed shrimps) with that?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, absolutely!
Dyan says
Sounds awsome! App.what is the amount of spinach. For this recipe??
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Dyan! The amount is right in the recipe. Let me know if you have any other questions!
aimee @ like mother like daughter says
I love that you added spinach pieces to this alfredo sauce. And it looks lighter than mine, I can’t wait to try this!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Giiirl, I love alfredo… but my hips, not so much! 😉 Loving that you lightened it up a bit! Now I can totally bathe in this stuff and not feel so guilty! And I love that you added pesto and spinach! Sounds and looks seriously delicious! I’ll take a vat please! 😉 Cheers, dear!
Ashley Fehr says
Haha, I totally hear that! I definitely faceplanted in this plate after photos were done!
Dorothy Dunton says
H iAshley! I make a seafood pizza and this would be a great base for it! It’s nice to be able to make a fresh sauce in just a few minutes, especially when it takes about the same amount of time to get pasta ready!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Dorothy! I used this sauce on a pepperoni pizza with tomatoes and it was awesome! Homemade is just always better, I think, when you’ve got a few minutes to whip something up. Your pizza sounds so good!
Lauren Everson says
Made this tonight for pizza. I don’t usually like alfredo – I find it boring, but adding my recipe for spinach-basil pesto really gives it some great flavor! Thanks for the idea – I’ll be making this again.
Ashley says
I’m glad you liked it, Lauren!
Linda Warren says
Wow, an almost healthy Alfredo sauce! Love it! Adding spinach sounds like a great addition to the sauce almost like a spinach dip and love the idea of using my fresh basil pesto. Thanks for the great idea and sharing on The Weekend re-Treat.
Ashley says
Thanks Linda! My pleasure 🙂
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says
Oh man I am all about pestos now that summer is on its way! And a spinach pesto alfredo sounds absolutely amazing! Full of veggies and yet so creamy and delicious. 😀
Ashley says
Thanks Jess! It was so good, and the spiciness of the pepperoni worked really well with it!
Annie @Maebells says
Yum! I love that you lightened it up a bit. I actually made Alfredo sauce recently and thought it needed something extra, it was just so plain. I am trying your version next!
Ashley says
Thanks Annie! I had never made it with spinach before, but it’s a nice way to make it even better for you 🙂