Creamy Alfredo with Sauteed Veggies

There's just something about a big mouth full of pasta that makes my heart happy.  This is one of my favorite dinners when you want something that everyone in your family will inhale.  Comfort food at its best.  Kids and adults alike adore this creamy goodness, and the best part is that you can mix and combine any toppings that your family prefers.  I used what I had on hand tonight.  First I started out preheating a skillet (medium heat) with a TB or so of olive oil.  Then I added sliced mushrooms and yummy asparagus.  I like to keep the veggies simple, as the sauce really is the star of the show, so I seasoned with s&p and chopped garlic.  While the veggies did their thing, I moved on to the sauce.

For the sauce, get a medium sized sauce pan and combine:
-2 cups half and half (heavy cream is what the recipe actually called for, but I had half and half on hand, so that is what I used and it came out beautifully-
-1 stick of butter
-1/2 block of cream cheese
Melt slowly stirring regularly, once it is all melted add:
- 3/4 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese (not the canned stuff)
-1/2 tsp garlic powder. 

Combine with a wisk.  At this point it is very important to NOT let it boil.  It will get clumpy and lose its smooth texture.  That's it!  Super simple, yet completely divine!  Add to 1 pound of pasta noodles and add desired toppings.  We love the classic with grilled chicken or shrimp, or another favorite is fresh garden tomatoes with crumbled bacon.  Tonight we went meatless, and nobody complained.  Be creative!  My favorite is to add a couple big shakes of red pepper flakes to my plate.  Heck, skip the noodles all together and use it as a dipping sauce for breadsticks!

 

Posted by Tiffany :)