Alfredo Variations

Try using herbs, Pestos and vegetables in Alfredo-like sauces.  They will still be heart attack bombs, but well worth it...ONCE IN A WHILE...
I had to laugh the other day when John came home with groceries.  He said, "well...I didn't get the sausage that was on sale because it was too fattening; but I got some cream and I thought you might make some of that creamy pesto we had in Italy".
Well, I had never heard of a creamy pesto that we had in Italy, but it was not too hard to interpret it.  I am not a big fan of Primavera sauces, but vegetables, herbs etc. are not too bad in an Alfredo.
I thought that it might be nice with grilled veggies or mushrooms and onions(like the mushroom caviar posted elsewhere).
For onions or mushrooms:
Melt half a stick of butter in a saucepan.  Place the mushrooms, mushroom caviar, or just onions into the butter and cook till softening slightly.  Do not cook to a paste.
Add a cup of heavy cream, salt and pepper, and bring the cream to a boil.  Reduce the heat and allow the cream to evaporate slightly.  Then add a big handful of Parmesan cheese, finely grated.  Stir till smooth,  Add a little sage or Nepitella to the sauce.  Thin it out with pasta water or milk if desired and toss with Fettucini( I do not like Fettucini, but any pasta will do.  It would be best to use something broad.  Farfalle comes to mind immediately.).
When using herbs or pesto, start with the butter, add the cream, boil down slightly and add the herbs or pesto along with the Parmesan.
Double or treble the recipe if desired.
Try substituting Gorgonzola for the Parmesan.