Keto Alfredo Sauce - Two Ways

Who can argue with the keto diet when you can have something as rich, satisfying, and delicious as Alfredo sauce completely guilt-free?

The key, of course, is to find a suitable pasta substitute that will turn this base sauce into the perfect keto meal, but don't overlook how delicious it is as a topping over steamed broccoli, cauliflower, or your favorite protein like cooked shrimp or grilled chicken.

Let's explore two ways to enjoy Alfredo, one super quick and one homemade. (Huge thanks to my client Patsy G. for sharing this yummy recipe for us all to enjoy!)

We'll start with Patsy's homemade version and then we'll look at the best store-bought option for those times when you're in a pinch with no ingredients but need to make something that looks and tastes totally gourmet!

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

1 stick grass-fed butter, salted

2 ounces cream cheese

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1-1/2 cups parmesan cheese

Dash of ground nutmeg

Salt and cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Melt butter and cream cheese over low heat

2. Add cream and whisk until creamy

3. Add garlic, pepper, salt, and parmesan

4. Stir on low until creamy and heated through

OPTIONAL: Add cooked shrimp or chicken and serve over your favorite pasta substitute (Palmini, spaghetti squash, or zucchini noodles.)

MACROS:

Calories: 386

Fat: 26.6g

Carbs: 1.3g

Protein: 5.5g

*Macros are for 1/2 cup serving of sauce only

Keto "Pasta" Alternatives:

My family's favorite pasta swap is spaghetti squash, but if squash isn't your cup of tea you may want to try another popular plant-based "pasta" known as Palmini.

Palmini is available in most grocery stores and comes in a variety of pasta-like shapes.

It's important to drain and rinse Palmini prior to cooking. It can be warmed in pot of boiling water just like pasta or you can pop it in the microwave.

You'll notice it has a distinct veggie "bite" regardless of how long you cook it but I have found it takes well to sauce-based dishes and picks up the flavor of whatever you are serving quite nicely.

Other great pasta swaps are zucchini noodles, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, or cooked eggplant.

Quick and Easy Alfredo Dishes

When I first started following keto, cooking went from my least favorite activity to one of my favorite things to do. Still, making everything from scratch all of the time can wear down even the most enthusiastic cook and it isn't always an option.

Here is a quick alternative to our made-from-scratch recipe, along with a few variations that can take this sauce to a level nice enough to serve to guests (even the ones who aren't keto!)

When choosing a clean keto-approved sauce, always start with the ingredient list.

You will likely find that most jarred sauces contain seed oils, hidden sugar, and lots of other sketchy ingredients.

One of the cleanest jars of Alfredo sauce I've found is Rao's Alfredo Sauce. Like all their other fine products, you'll find that their ingredient list is far superior to other store-bought brands.

Rao's makes all of their sauces in small batches and they refrain from using cheap toxic seed oils. This means you will pay a little bit more, but the extra cost for quality and taste will be money well spent. You won't find fillers, sugar, or artificial coloring, but you will find lots of flavor.

Here's one way I use this delicious sauce to create one of my favorite go-to dishes in under 15 minutes:

Quick Shrimp Alfredo with Asparagus Tips

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce jar Rao's Alfredo Sauce

1 Tablespoon grass-fed butter

1 medium red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound wild-caught shrimp, peeled and deveined

8 ounces fresh organic asparagus, trimmed to tips only

2 teaspoons pepper flakes, optional

Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a large frying pan to high and add butter

2. Once butter is sizzling, add onion and cook on medium heat until slightly tender

3. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute

4. Add sauce and heat to a slow simmer

5. Add asparagus and shrimp and season to taste

6. Cover and cook on medium until shrimp and asparagus are tender (about 3 to 4 minutes)

MACROS:

Calories: 308

Fat: 15g

Carbs: 4.8g

Protein: 36.5g

*Macros are based on 1 cup serving of sauce with shrimp only

MACROS: (if substituting shrimp with cooked chicken breast)

Calories: 349

Fat: 16.1g

Carbs: 4g

Protein: 44.4g

*Macros are based on 1 cup serving of sauce with chicken only

About Dianne Orwig:

After 12 years as a personal trainer, helping thousands of people lose weight, Dianne fell upon a completely different approach to weight loss. Despite having debunked low carb diets her entire career, an exhaustive search into the benefits of combining intermittent fasting with a clean Ketogenic diet convinced her to try it.

This complete paradigm shift resulted in a loss of 40 pounds, a clearer mind, and a happier, younger body in just 4 months, prompting Dianne to come out of retirement and help others do the same. She is now a woman on a mission, driven to share this amazing Fasting:Keto lifestyle with others.

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