Fettuccine with Winter Vegetables

This fettuccine dinner cooks broccoli and carrots right in the pasta water during the last five minutes, so everything finishes at the same time with just one pot to drain. The sauce is a lighter spin on a classic cream pasta: low-fat milk and reduced-fat sour cream whisked with country-style Dijon mustard and Parmesan for tang and body without the heaviness.

Canadian bacon adds smoky, meaty bites without the grease of regular bacon, keeping the whole dish in lower-calorie territory.

The mustard is doing real work here. It emulsifies the sauce so it clings to the noodles and adds a peppery bite that plain cream sauces lack.

Kitchen Tips

• Add the broccoli and carrots with exactly 5 minutes left on the pasta. Too early and they’ll be mush. Too late and the carrots stay crunchy.
• Warm the sauce over medium-low heat and don’t let it boil. Boiling sour cream causes it to break and turn grainy.
• Toss the drained pasta with the sauce immediately while the noodles are hot and slightly wet. That starchy surface water helps the sauce coat evenly.
• Use country-style (coarse-grain) Dijon for visible mustard seed texture. Smooth Dijon works but gives a more uniform, less interesting sauce.

Variations

• Add cauliflower florets or sliced Brussels sprouts alongside the broccoli for more winter vegetable variety.
• Swap Canadian bacon for diced smoked turkey or crispy prosciutto.
• Stir in a handful of frozen peas right after draining for a pop of sweetness and color.