Creamy comfort food with less guilt: Lightened-up mushroom fettuccine

Pasta is my weakness. I’ve been doing a paleo challenge for just about a month now, and I can resist a lot of things. Sweets haven’t been as bad as I thought (although a trip to the local ice cream joint where I just watched everyone else enjoy their cones wasn’t particularly fun), and for the most part, I haven’t craved grains at all. Pasta is the one exception to that statement.

There’s nothing I love more than a big bowl of creamy pasta comfort (it’s the Italian in me), and this creamy mushroom fettuccine is no exception. A few twirls of the fork might’ve been sneaked in while I was cleaning this up, and I can tell you one thing: This will be the first indulgence I enjoy after the challenge is over. Twenty-eight days ago, I would’ve told you it’d be chocolate, but today I’m saying pasta beats chocolate, and that’s how you know this is good. And bonus, this lightened-up version uses Greek yogurt in place of heavy cream.

Creamy mushroom fettuccine recipe

Dig into this bowl of creamy comfort, but leave the guilt at home. Made with crème fraîche and Greek yogurt, this fettuccine is incredibly creamy, yet there’s no heavy cream in sight.

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fettuccine
• 20 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper
• 8 ounces crème fraîche
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta, and cook according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it has melted, add the shallots, and cook for about 2 minutes, until softened.
3. Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, and then add the mushrooms. Give a quick stir, and let the mushrooms cook untouched for about 5 minutes, until softened.
4. Stir the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and then stir in the crème fraîche and Greek yogurt.
5. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the skillet, and toss with the mushrooms until fully incorporated and coated with the creamy sauce. Add some pasta water as needed to thin out.
6. Garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.

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