Creamy Lactose-Free Alfredo
Alfredo is usually a wall of cream and butter — a lactose minefield. This version keeps every bit of the silky richness using lactose-free milk and aged parmesan (which is naturally almost lactose-free), so a big bowl won't cost you the evening.
Classic alfredo leans on cream and lots of it. Swapping to lactose-free milk thickened with a quick roux gives you the same silkiness, and parmesan — virtually lactose-free thanks to its long ageing — carries all the savoury depth.
What you'll need
- 400g fettuccine
- 50g butter low lactose
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 500ml lactose-free milk (Zymil / Liddells) lactose-free
- 80g parmesan, finely grated no lactose
- to taste salt, black pepper, pinch of nutmeg
- handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
How to make it
Cook the pasta. Boil the fettuccine in well-salted water until al dente. Scoop out a cup of pasta water before draining.
Soften the garlic. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat and cook the garlic for a minute until fragrant, not browned.
Make the sauce base. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute, then slowly pour in the lactose-free milk, whisking constantly until smooth and thickened, about 4–5 minutes.
Finish with parmesan. Off the heat, stir through the parmesan until glossy. Season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Loosen with a splash of pasta water if needed.
Toss and serve. Fold the drained pasta through the sauce, adding pasta water until it coats every strand. Scatter with parsley and extra parmesan.
Little tips that help
- Aged parmesan is one of the lowest-lactose cheeses there is — grate it fresh for the best melt.
- Adding the parmesan off the heat keeps the sauce smooth instead of grainy.
- Want it protein-packed? Fold through grilled chicken or prawns at the end.