Whether you're a die-hard Alfredo fan or you're in the mood for stovetop mac and cheese (which we think is better than baked) , you can't go wrong with a rich, creamy white sauce paired with your favorite pasta. The trouble is, most creamy, dairy-based sauce recipes can feel a little too heavy when they're made with cream. If you're craving a lighter linguini, don't stress because there's an easy milk swap to make a lighter pasta sauce: Use 2% milk instead of whole milk or cream.
There are two approaches to making a creamy white sauce for pasta. The first is reducing the milk or cream until it gets thick enough to qualify as sauce, and the second is using a roux-based cream sauce (also known as a bechamel). The easiest way to lighten up a pasta recipe with lower-fat milk is to use the second approach, that way you're not relying solely on fat in the dairy to thicken the sauce.
That's not to say you can't use 2% milk in a reduction sauce, just be prepared to thicken it a little differently. Make a lighter bechamel Even if you don't know the fancy name for roux-based sauces, you've probably made a bechamel if you like pasta with white sauce. This royal-based mother sauce is extremely simple to create; all you have to do is mix equal parts of fat and flour to make a "roux," and then whisk in the milk or cream.
When the sauce comes up to gelatinization temperature, which is around 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, the starch molecules expand and thicken the sauce. This is important .