Pesto Spinach Alfredo Sauce

Prep Time 2 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Servings 8

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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!

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pesto spinach alfredo sauce in white skillet with wooden spoon stirring

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.

fettuccinie with light alfredo sauce and chopped spinach on grey plate

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).

close up of fettuccine on grey plate with light pesto spinach alfredo sauce

*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.

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{Healthier} Pesto Spinach Alfredo Sauce

5 from 5 votes
A healthier take on alfredo sauce that gets a nutritional boost from spinach and a wonderful herby flavour from basil pesto.
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 12 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Sauces and Condiments
Servings 8
Calories 61cal

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 is estimated and will vary depending on exact serving size, types and brands of products used. Nutrition information given is based on a serving size of ⅓ the recipe.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 61cal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 41mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. 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.

  2. 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!

  3. 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!

  4. 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

      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!

  5. 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!

  6. 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!

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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. 😀

  10. 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 🙂

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