Tortellini with "Skinny Alfredo Sauce"

Tonight was a lazy night.  We were low on groceries, and needed to use the Trader Joe's three cheese tortellini before it expired.  The standard garlic tomato sauce didn't sound good, so we looked for a 'healthy' alfredo sauce.  I haven't ever made alfredo before, but the normal recipes are atrocious!  A whole stick of butter, cream cheese, heavy cream... Yikes.  This recipe uses olive oil, chicken broth, cheese and skim milk! Wooooo!  AND IT WAS DELICIOUS!  So good.  Perfect for a chilly night.  Recipe is from the "Gimme some Oven" blog (link below).  She made it with fettucine, but it was delicious with tortellini, too.  We also added chopped ham to ours.  Adding broccoli would have been great if we had some!

• olive oil (a healthier fat)
• fresh garlic (a must!!)
• flour (to thicken)
• chicken broth (my favorite — more flavorful than milk; you can also sub in veggie stock)
• low-fat milk (you can use any milk, even soy)
• Parmesan cheese (the fresher, the more flavorful)

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 ounces fettuccine (or any pasta shape)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)
• 3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• (optional topping: chopped fresh parsley)

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta al dente according to package directions, in generously salted water.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Sprinkle with flour, and stir to combine. Saute for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally.

Slowly add chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. Whisk in milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for an additional minute until thickened, then stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the cheese melted. Reduce heat to medium-low until pasta reaches al dente.

Drain pasta, then immediately add pasta to the saute pan with alfredo sauce. Toss to combine. Serve topped with chopped fresh parsley if desired.