Use Up Leftover Alfredo Sauce To Dress Up Roasted Vegetables
Alfredo sauce is like a cheesy cure-all to dry, uninspired cooking. With a bit of Alfredo sauce, bland noodles can become a decadent dinner, and a droopy rice casserole can be transformed into a robustly flavorful main course. Packed with butter, cream, parmesan, and garlic, Alfredo sauce offers built-in seasoning and tender moisture to whatever it touches. So, why not bring this winning formula to your simple roasted vegetables?
Working as both marinade and dressing, Alfredo sauce imparts cheesy richness and garlic flavor to carrots, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and even your favorite squash, be it zucchini or acorn. Whether relying on a handy store-bought jar or a homemade batch of Alfredo, this sauce is just as good at adding nuance to vegetables as it is dressing up noodles. In the oven, the parmesan will turn into a golden crust, and the cream and butter will keep the assorted veggies from drying out.
A perfectly creamy complement
First, let's discuss how much Alfredo sauce should be used to coat the vegetables. About ½ to 1 cup of the sauce should cover the bulk of your veggies if you're making a full tray. Remember that you want to coat them but not drown them in the sauce, otherwise, the vegetables will never caramelize in the heat. Think about further seasoning your Alfredo-doused vegetables with a hefty dose of cracked black pepper or red pepper flakes, as that salty richness could benefit from some heat cutting through it.
Next, think about what vegetables would work best with the Alfredo flavor; there aren't many wrong answers. Earthy root vegetables like parsnips, carrots, radishes, and turnips all welcome that Parmesan-garlic taste. Starchy potatoes and cauliflower are also natural pairings and are mild enough to work in concert with the stronger sauce. Even cabbage wedges would be lovely with a generous brush of Alfredo sauce and an extra pinch of parmesan sprinkled on top. The formula is fairly flexible, so feel free to play with a number of combinations. As long as there's Alfredo present, the results will be tasty.