Fettuccini Alfredo

Makes 3 servings

For those of you who are having white cheese sauce or béchamel withdrawals, I suggest you pay close attention. This recipe is sure to delight your taste buds and give those children of yours a true treat! Madeline, age eleven, LOVED her fettuccini Alfredo before SCD. She didn’t care if it involved gluten-free noodles or not—after all, it was the sauce that was the pièce de résistance. Once I became proficient cooking in the SCD ways (and endured my fair share of failures!), this sauce came to be one night when I relied on intuition, familiar flavors, and the irresistible cashew to knock this one out of the park. My girl’s response, “Are you serious? I can eat this? Thirds, please!”

3 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 3 to 4 hours (can substitute macadamia nuts)
3 to 4 tablespoons ghee or butter
4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups homemade chicken broth
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

  1. Using either a mandolin or a good sharp knife, cut the zucchinis lengthwise into long, flat strips about ¼ inch wide. (You may want to discard the innermost, seedy strips, as they tend to fall apart when cooked.) Then cut the strips into "noodles" that resemble fettucine or spaghetti.
  2. Put the olive oil into a large sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. In one or two batches, stir-fry the zucchini noodles, turning them frequently until they're soft and pliable but not falling apart. Add salt and pepper to taste while the noodles are cooking. Set aside.
  3. Drain the cashews well and set them aside.
  4. In a saucepan, melt the ghee. Add the minced garlic and stir until it's gently brown. Add the broth and heat until steaming. Carefully pour the hot broth into a blender; add the cashews and blend until the mixture has thickened and no bits are noticeable. (I use a Vitamix and set it to high speed for a minute or two.)
  5. Return the sauce to the saucepan and add the Parmesan cheese, plus the nutmeg if you're using it (no, thank you, for me!). You may vary the amount of cheese, depending on your desired consistency.
  6. Toss the warm zucchini noodles with the Alfredo sauce and serve garnished with a sprig of rosemary or thyme.

— Stacey, SCD mom from Alabama