Alfredo? You can call it whatever you want.

In today's heart healthy society people are staying clear of cream sauces. But, I think there's a way to make a dish like fettuccine alfredo and keep the calories reasonable. First off you can load your pasta dish with vegetables. Mine has artichokes, zucchini, yellow bell peppers and onions but you can put in whatever you have on hand. Adding some lean meats like chicken breast or shrimp doesn't hurt either. Instead of using heavy cream I am going to make a light white sauce using skim milk. I use Skim Plus because it has more flavor then regular skim milk. Which isn't saying much since regular skim milk is pretty much water with white food coloring. Here is my recipe for a a full pound of pasta (that's one box).

Ingredients:

1 lbs. of fettuccine
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 1/2 cups bell pepper (sliced)
1 large zucchini (sliced)
1 6 oz. jar of marinated artichokes (drained)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Bring 6 qts. of water to a boil and cook the fettuccine to aldente, 10 mins. Meanwhile prepare the cream sauce. In a medium saucepan bring together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the flour over low heat. Whisk in the milk until thickened. Add salt to taste and whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Set aside. In a saute pan, over medium high heat, add the other tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot add in the onions, zucchini and peppers. Saute 4-5 minutes until tender. Add in the artichokes and the pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. To finish the dish add the pasta to the pan with the vegetables and stir in the cream sauce. If the sauce is too thick add some of the pasta water. Sprinke with parsley if you so desire. Enjoy.