The best homemade Alfredo sauce recipe made from scratch with only a handful of natural ingredients. It’s so easy, comes together in just minutes, and will knock your pasta socks off! Store-bought Alfredo doesn’t even compare.
If you love Alfredo like we do, you won’t want to miss our Chicken Alfredo or Shrimp Alfredo recipes!
Is there anything better than the combination of butter, cream, and cheese? Maybe a warm chocolate chip cookie. Maybe. This homemade Alfredo sauce recipe is rich, creamy, and completely luscious. It’s just begging for some warm pasta to coat.
Alfredo sauce is made by melting butter, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese together. Unlike other pasta sauces that use tomatoes as a base, alfredo omits vegetables altogether and uses dairy products to achieve its mouth-watering flavor.
What is Alfredo Sauce?
Alfredo Sauce is a rich, smooth and creamy white sauce perfect for serving with cooked pasta. Authentic Italian Alfredo sauce is typically made with Parmesan cheese, butter, some warm pasta cooking water, and salt. Over the years, it’s been adapted to include heavy cream – I think we can thank the Americans for that one. Lol.
Alfredo Sauce Recipe Ingredients
Most Alfredo sauces are made with only Parmesan cheese, butter, cream, and salt. But we took the liberty of adding in some garlic and extra seasonings to make it that much more delicious. This is the only recipe you will ever need! Here’s the breakdown:
- Parmesan cheese: For optimal results, use real Parmigiano-Reggiano right off the block. Avoid those shaker-style containers or tubs filled with pre-shredded cheese. They don’t melt properly, making your sauce grainy. And they simply don’t taste nearly as good as fresh.
- Butter: Either unsalted or salted work great. If using salted butter, I recommended omitting the additional salt until you’ve tasted the sauce and then add extra, if necessary.
- Heavy Cream: We use heavy whipping cream for the ultimate indulgence. This will give you the creamiest, richest results. Go big or go home, right? You certainly can use regular heavy cream, though, and it will still be wonderful! (See note below for lower-calorie options.)
- Garlic: We use a mix of garlic powder and fresh garlic, which we think is perfect. If you want a more subtle garlic flavor, you could cut back on one or the other.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and dried Italian seasoning. This trio of spices really takes the sauce up a level. Parmesan cheese is already salty, so we’re only adding in a touch more.
- Can I make Alfredo Sauce with milk instead cream? Yep! To us, this sauce is meant to be indulgent, so we go all out and use heavy whipping cream, but if you want to lighten it up and cut back on calories a little, we get it! Regular heavy cream, half-n-half, or whole milk can definitely be used. Keep in mind, that the less fat content, the less thick the sauce will be.
- How to thicken Alfredo Sauce? We think our recipe is thick enough, but if you want it even thicker, you have a couple options. (1) Make a roux: In a pan over medium heat, melt some butter and then whisk in an equal amount of flour; whisk constantly until combined and smooth, then whisk a little bit of that into the simmering sauce. (2) You can also make a slurry: in a small bowl, whisk together a little cornstarch in with some cold water until the mixture is smooth. Slowly, whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce until the desired consistency is reached.
- Is it gluten free? Yep! This recipe does not include a roux made with flour, so it is considered gluten free.
- Is Alfredo sauce keto? Yep! This sauce is low carb. But, don’t kid yourself into thinking it’s healthy!
- How many cups does this yield? This particular recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups, which is perfect to fully coat 1 pound of cooked pasta. If not using it right away, it will fit in a large mason jar.
Making The Perfect Fettuccine Alfredo (3 Ways)
FAQ
What is real alfredo sauce made of?
What does pasta Alfredo contain?
How was Alfredo originally made?
Is Alfredo sauce made of milk?
Who invented Alfredo sauce?
The original Alfredo sauce recipe was developed by restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio in 1920s Rome. His hallmark dish, fettuccine Alfredo, combined hot fettuccine with a rich sauce made of butter, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, and generous grindings of pepper.
Do you need a jar of Alfredo sauce?
No, not a jar of “ Alfredo” sauce. You need fresh, grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, butter, and fettuccine. THAT’S IT! There’s not a drop of cream in Alfredo’s original recipe. Just cheese, mixed with pasta, pasta water, and butter, to create a creamy sauce without the cream!! How Did We Get American Fettuccine Alfredo?
Why is fettuccine Alfredo called Alfredo?
Fettuccine Alfredo, when made the authentic way (with only butter and parmesan) is Italian. They just don’t know it by that name! Why is it called Alfredo? The dish got the name Alfredo because Alfredo di Lelio featured this pasta at his restaurant “Alfredo” in Rome back in the early to mid-20th century.
Why is Alfredo’s fettuccine so famous?
The fame of the dish, called on Alfredo’s menus maestosissime fettuccine all’Alfredo (“most majestic fettuccine, Alfredo style”), comes largely from the “spectacle reminiscent of grand opera” of its preparation at table, as described in 1967: