Fettuccine Alfredo

I love Fettuccine Alfredo but had never really found a good recipe. Unfortunately, this is a very rich meal and is often loaded with calories and fat so I don't have it that often, but I was excited when I saw this recipe in Cooking Light. This way I could enjoy one of my favorite pasta dishes and eat a relatively healthy meal at the same time. One great tip that I can pass along from my experiences making this recipe is to save some of the pasta water from cooking the fettuccine and add it to your plate after you serve it. This makes the sauce creamier and smoother. I also added a little bit of extra Parmesan cheese on top as well as some parsley and pepper. I will definitely make this many more times! Here's the recipe from Cooking Light:

1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups 1% low-flat milk
1 ¼ cups (5 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (8 ounces uncooked pasta)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Cracked black pepper

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream cheese, and salt, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt. Toss sauce with hot pasta. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped parsley. Garnish with black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
399 calories and 13.5 grams fat per serving