Low Sodium Alfredo Sauce Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis low sodium alfredo sauce recipe is a creamy tasty low salt sauce, perfect for your next pasta night. This easy sauce recipe is ready in about 20 minutes and uses lower sodium ingredients than traditional alfredo sauces.
This alfredo sauce can be paired with any pasta shape, but I used fettucine which is classic. Serve this up with low sodium garlic bread for an easy weeknight dinner you can enjoy that is low in sodium!
We regularly enjoy pastas for dinner (most pastas have 0mg added sodium) – and this is the perfect creamy sauce to serve alongside them. This alfredo recipe is a lightened-up version of alfredo sauce, and uses less cheese and no added salt. Making your own alfredo sauce at home is simple, and can easily be adapted for low sodium cooking!
Start by sautéing garlic in butter and olive oil, add in milk, a little parmesan cheese, and flour to thicken, and toss in your favorite pasta. Finish with lemon and herbs for some great flavor! It’s an easy and affordable dinner idea you can make with simple ingredients.
This Low Sodium Alfredo Sauce Recipe Is
- Creamy
- Light
- Easy to Make
- Satisfying
- Versatile – Add In Your Favorite Vegetables
- Made with Less Cheese
- Ready in 20 Minutes
Low Sodium Pasta Recipes
Pastas and noodles are one of our staples on a low sodium diet – most have 0mg sodium. However, it can be tough to find a store-bought sauce, so I love using bright fresh flavors to make my own homemade alfredo sauce.
This low sodium alfredo sauce is perfect for a tasty meal for the family, and also great to make for company if you are having guests for dinner. Traditional alfredo sauce recipes are loaded with cheese and salt, but this tasty version uses simple swaps and still tastes like the real thing. This low sodium creamy sauce takes only 20-30 minutes to cook, so you can enjoy extra time to prep sides or a salad. Browse all our low sodium pasta and sauce recipes here!
Ingredients You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
- Unsalted Butter – we only use unsalted butter in all our recipes, it’s a great way to cut down on your salt & sodium intake with a simple swap.
- Garlic, preferably fresh, I like to use the whole garlic clove instead of jarred or garlic powder for this recipe.
- All Purpose Flour – to thick the sauce into a roux, I used all purpose but you could also use wheat flour.
- Unsalted/ No Salt Added Chicken Stock – is a delicious base of this soup. I prefer using an unsalted broth to control the amount of salt in this dish. You can buy a fantastic container of low or no sodium broth or make low sodium chicken stock at home!
- Whole Milk – you could also use heavy cream if desired. I would use a higher fat milk for this recipe (not skim milk or a low fat milk) for extra creaminess.
- Parmesan Cheese – I used this parmesan cheese, which has 55 mg of sodium per tablespoon. I used 1/3 cup for this recipe, which is 6 tablespoons totaling 330mg total. It’s a lot less than classic alfredo sauce, and still nice to get some real cheese flavor.
- Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. Make sure you get a no-salt-added variety like! A little goes a long way.
- Lemons, freshly squeezed
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh ground Black pepper – for garnish& extra flavor.
- Pasta – I used fettuccine noodles, but you can use whole wheat pasta, penne, or even spaghetti squash noodles instead.
Other Add-Ins
- You can add cooked chicken breast too if desired for a hearty meal.
- Add some fresh baby spinach for added greens!
The Best Low Sodium Chicken Broth & Chicken Stock?
There are a few different types of low/no sodium broth on the market. I’ll break down some options below so you can choose what fits in with your dietary needs. Always check the labels to ensure the sodium content fits in with your needs.
- ‘Low Sodium’ or ‘Reduced Sodium’ Chicken Broth/Stock – even though the packaging says “low or reduced sodium” this broth still often contains salt. It just contains a lower amount than regular chicken broth or stock. The sodium content per serving can range and vary based on brand, I usually stick with an organic low sodium broth.
- ‘Unsalted’ or ‘No Salt Added’ Chicken Broth/Stock – This broth has no added salt, which keeps the sodium content low. It still can contain a low amount of sodium from the natural ingredients that the stock is made of (vegetables/chicken). My recipe for no-salt-added chicken broth is here.
- Sodium Free Bouillon – Bouillon cubes or packets are a great 0 sodium option. You just add water to a cube or powder, and you have broth in minutes. I like these 0mg sodium packets I use in my recipes.
- Homemade Broth/Stock – this is my go-to option for soups, as I can control the ingredients and flavor that goes into the broth. You can follow my low sodium chicken stock recipe here! Add all the ingredients to a large pot, simmer for an hour, strain and enjoy in this soup.
How To Make This Recipe
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large saucepan or skillet, heat the butter over medium low heat. Add the minced cloves of garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned. Add in the flour, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is well combined. Pour in the chicken stock, and stir again for 4 to 5 minutes over low heat until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Add the whole milk, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasonings to the pan. Stir well.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce, and heat until the pasta is warmed through and the sauce is bubbling. Squeeze in the fresh lemon juice.
- Toss with fresh parsley, and add pepper if desired. Serve immediately!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
More Low Sodium Pastas
- Low Sodium Bolognese Sauce Recipe (No Salt Added)
- Low Sodium Orzo Salad Recipe
- Creamy Low Sodium Goat Cheese Pasta Bake
- Low Sodium Meatballs Recipe (No Salt Added)
- Low Sodium Peanut Noodles Recipe
Let’s keep in touch – don’t forget to follow over on Instagram, Facebook, & my Youtube channel for more easy low sodium recipes.
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Low Sodium Alfredo Sauce
Equipment
- large pot
- Pan
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta of choice I used fettucine
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1.5 cups no-salt-added chicken stock
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese see note below
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend no salt added
- 1 lemon juiced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large saucepan or skillet, heat the butter over medium low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned. Add in the flour, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is well combined. Pour in the chicken stock, and stir again for 4 to 5 minutes over low heat until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Add the whole milk, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasonings to the pan. Stir well.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce, and heat until the pasta is warmed through and the sauce is bubbling. Squeeze in the fresh lemon juice.
- Toss with fresh parsley, and add pepper if desired. Serve immediately!
Notes
Note on Parmesan
I used this parmesan cheese, which has 55mg per tablespoon. I used 1/3 cup for this recipe, which is 6 tablespoons totaling 330mg total. You can choose to use more or less parmesan for this dish, depending on your dietary needs.Nutrition
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used, it may vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify sodium amounts.
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Great flavors
Super delicious
Made this for my mom. She is on a low sodium diet. I mixed in fresh cut spinach. Turned out great. First time in weeks she ate a complete meal. Thank you so much. I will be making this again.
P.S. my mom doesn’t like Italian seasoning. I substituted Mrs. Dash. Turned out well.
Hi Debbie, thank you so much for the comment, that makes me so happy to hear your mom loved it! And appreciate the recommendation for the seasoning swap, that’s a great low sodium option instead of Italian seasoning.
Best, Kelly
So creamy. So good
Love it
Used this sauce on homemade gnocchi, and it was delicious. I did use a little more parmesan than called for and added a little garlic powder at the end. Really enjoyed this. And served it with your low sodium grilled vegetables. Yumm! Thank you for these recipes, they make healthy cooking much easier and tastier.
Yummy, unexpectedly low sodium
Thank you Rose! Really glad you enjoyed the alfredo, thank you for the review and rating!
– Kelly
A great pasta