I have spinach fettucini, some “baby 'bella” mushrooms and a nice crop of basil growing on the porch. I would like to make some sort of creamy, mushroomy, basily sauce for the pasta. I would prefer not to use actual cream, though, because I’m trying to lose weight. (Yes, I know this whole idea isn’t exactly low-calorie in the first place, but I’m due for a splurge. I just want to make sure it’s a reasonable splurge.)
Is there any way to make something have a vaguely creamy taste/texture without using real cream? I thought about using milk, but I’m afraid it will be too liquidy. Any advice?
“Almond Milk”… Almonds and some non-dairy emulsifier. This can be vegetables, fruit, oil, water, juice, Herbs. However I’m afraid that is not much of a “diet food”. Pecans might go better with the shorooms.
You could use a white sauce as the base, but substitute a small amount of cream for part of the milk for flavor. (White sauce being milk, butter and flour)
I disagree… do not add flour to this sauced pasta! Perhaps a basil, pecan, poke salad, ramps (sparingly), and rocket cream pesto with Baby Bellas tossed with spinach fettucini and fresh grated Romano.
… a warm pesto dish, induction pasta.
I’d fry the shoorooms in bacon and fat till reduced to half size, pull some shrinky dink flavorful reduction ala sautee. Maybe some thyme and shallot.
Evaporated milk is the answer (you can get a low fat version). You do have to reduce it a bit to get the cream consistency. I have done the same thing with powdered skim milk with only 1/3 the normal amount of water.
Half-fat creme fraiche works perfectly - creamy consistency, won’t separate, and not too bad re. calories. It also takes flavours well, and can be thinned out with a drop or two of water if you want a looser sauce.
Another vote for half-fat creme fraiche.
Also, you could still make a cream sauce, but half the quantity. In fact, I often find about a third of the usual quantity is sufficient to enjoy the creaminess without so many calories.
Seeing as the pasta is also incredibly caloric, I’d take a different direction. Use a cream sauce, just use a little bit of it, or don’t make the sauce at all and toss the pasta with a little bit of cream and Parmesan. White wine would also work, with a little cream for flavor.
But the big thing I’d do is add more veggies to bring the percentage of vegetables up to about equal with pasta. You could add some grape or cherry tomatoes in there without much problem, or a handful of fresh spinach, or sauteed yellow or red bell peppers. Or go the meat direction, and throw in some poached chicken breast or diced ham. I think overall, going with a little bit of cream, less pasta, and some veggies/lean meat would result in a tastier and less caloric dish.
What about non-fat Half and Half? When I make baked potato soup, I use part this and part low-fat milk.
Maybe omit the cream entirely - make a sauce from chicken stock and white wine, let it reduce a good bit, then add the mushrooms back in for more flavor. Add garlic, some thyme or terragon, and maybe just a bit of lemon juice at the end to brighten. A couple of pats of butter at the end can help thicken, too, and might be less of a cost calorie-wise than cream.
A new Italian restaurant opened in my town, and they’ve an interesting mushroom pasta dish that uses balsamic vinegar in the sauce (as well as a bit of cream too, from what I can tell, but you don’t need to go there). Just mentioning it as an option.
Lots of good suggestions here. I’ll add pureed low-fat cottage cheese to the list.
I’d use chicken stock and maybe a little white whine, thickened with cornstach until it’s the consistancy you want, then add a small splash of milk.
Because I like stuff to taste good.
Aside from pesto, I have no idea what this stuff is.
I like this! I think I will also up the basil to make it more of a milky pesto sauce than a basil flavored cream sauce.
About the half-fat creme fraiche idea- it does sound really good, but I’ve never had creme fraiche. I see from Wikipedia that it is a “soured cream.” I don’t really like the taste of sour cream. Does creme fraiche taste anything like sour cream?
Thanks for all the ideas! this has been very helpful.
I use low-fat ricotta in dishes like this.
It’s loaded with sugar, and sweetens anything you put it in. It is good in coffee, terrible in savory foods.
I’m sorry- I was just musing over a possible *“Hillbilly Pesto”. Admittedly the ingredients aren’t that common and are simply some wild foraged herbage-
Ramps are a kind of onion/garlic/leek bulb that grows wild pretty extensively in the Eastern part of the US and Canada.
Poke Salad is spinach like greens made with the young leaves of the boiled all to hell (three times) and otherwise poisonous Pokeweed.
And Wild Rocket is simply a wild plant in the Mustard Family or otherwise the more widely known and conventional qarden arugula.
*My Dad used to talk about the stinky ramps that they would stockpile in the Hills of WV and also mentioned the wild Rocket they would use as greens. The Pokesallet is more of a Southwestern Southern thing… and just sounds like an interesting ingredient that might substitute for spinach.
But yes, as Athena and several others mention, the best way to substitute for cream is to increase the “flavor quotient” with fresh flavorful vegetables, herbs, and spices, or as I suggested by the cooking technique (reductions) by flavoring the mushrooms with a small amount of bacon thyme and shallot. I think pestos give the best flavor impact for the buck and you really won’t even miss the cream.
With the baby bellas at hand, I’d leave the lovely basil for a pesto for another day. In the meantime, use this recipe for a no cream creamy mushroom sauce. I’ve used it often, and substituted some thyme for part of the sage called for.