Spaghetti Recipe ⤑ Lighter Spaghetti Alfredo with Cauliflower

This cauliflower spaghetti Alfredo is a great 'bridge' recipe, helping us transition from rich, decadent offerings to much leaner fare. I also love the dusting of crispy Parmesan breadcrumbs that top this delicious pasta. This tastes and feels very rich, but is actually quite light. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 head cauliflower, cored and separated into florets
• 4 cups water
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) package spaghetti
• ½ cup fine dried bread crumbs
• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnishing
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ½ lemon, juiced

Cooking Directions

1. Cook and stir garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cauliflower, water, Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to taste. Bring water to a boil, cover, and cook until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
3. Meanwhile, combine bread crumbs, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until cheese has melted and mixture is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat, sprinkle with salt to taste, and mix in basil; set aside.
4. Add cream to cauliflower mixture and puree in the pot with a stick blender until smooth and creamy. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese until melted; season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
5. Mix in lemon juice with spaghetti and stir in Alfredo sauce to coat pasta. Serve topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and the seasoned bread crumb mixture.

Nutrition Facts

• calories660.4
• carbohydrateContent91.4 g
• cholesterolContent35 mg
• fatContent23.1 g
• fiberContent9.4 g
• proteinContent23.6 g
• saturatedFatContent8.2 g
• sodiumContent413.3 mg
• sugarContent4.5 g