Quick Garlic Broccoli Fettucine Alfredo

This is a recipe you can throw together very quickly and it is rich and indulgent.  I made this yesterday for The Blog Tech and his wife.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 cup finely-grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 lb fettuccine pasta, cooked according to package instructions and *1/2 cup cooking water reserved

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, saute broccoli and garlic in olive oil, stirring occasionally 7-10 minutes until broccoli is tender. Set it aside.
2. Make the alfredo sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Very slowly add cream, whisking constantly until incorporated. Add milk to saucepan. Bring sauce to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat and whisk in cream cheese, nutmeg, parsley, and parmesan cheese until smooth.
3. Place fettuccine in a large serving pot and pour sauce on top along with 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water. Add broccoli mixture and very gently toss noodles until evenly coated with sauce. Season pasta with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately with extra grated parmesan cheese while warm.

 This is also very good as a side dish to chicken or fish.