Homemade Alfredo Sauce
The best Homemade Alfredo Sauce recipe from scratch with butter, cream, Parmesan, garlic, and a few seasonings. It’s rich, creamy, so easy to make in minutes, and is just begging to be paired with your favorite pasta!See below the recipe card for step-by-step images.
Servings: 6 (1/4 cup per serving, or 2 & 1/2 cups total)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter cut into large cubes or slices
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Add the butter and cream to a large nonstick saute pan, over medium-low heat; whisk until butter has melted.
- Add in the minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; whisk until combined and smooth.
- Bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil) and cook for 3-4 minutes, whisking constantly, until it starts to thicken.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese just until melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Take off the heat and toss with 16 ounces cooked fettuccine noodles (or your favorite pasta.) If the sauce isn't quite thick enough, allow it to stand for 2-3 minutes before tossing with the pasta, keeping in mind it will continue to thicken as it sits.
Video
Notes
Use fresh, high quality Parmesan. Real Parmigiano-Reggiano right off the block is key for the best alfredo sauce. Pre-shredded Parmesan in the shaker-style containers or tubs don't melt properly and can make the sauce grainy, plus it simply doesn't taste as good.
Whisk, don't stir. Using a whisk will help avoid your sauce from separating, so ditch the wooden spoon and spatula for this sauce.
Don't overheat. Do not allow the sauce to boil. It's a short, gentle simmer over medium-low. If the heat is too high and/or the sauce begins to boil, it will cause the sauce to break/separate and become clumpy. Not good!
Swap the heavy cream with milk. 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.
Optional add-ins. Feel free to toss in some cooked chicken, shrimp, or veggies!
Make and serve right away. This sauce makes about 2 & 1/2 cups, which is enough to fully coat 16 ounces cooked pasta. It's best served right after making it, so if you are serving it with pasta, try to time the cooking so they finish at the same time. If not using it right away, it will fit in a large mason jar to store for later (detailed storage instructions are included in the article below the recipe card.)
**More detailed and helpful information can be found in the full article.
Nutrition
Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 172mg | Sodium: 796mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1904IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 456mg | Iron: 1mg