My Alfredo sauce recipe is a rich and creamy white sauce made with garlic, butter, heavy cream, and parmesan.
This savory cheesy sauce infuses garlic into the butter and can be used with all kinds of pasta or even on top of vegetables. Once you make this recipe, you will never again buy a jar of alfredo sauce from the store again!
Table of contents
Why This Is the Best Alfredo Sauce
This rich and creamy sauce can be used in so many dinner recipes to add flavor and richness.
- Only four ingredients are needed: The main ingredients are the only ingredients! The complete list includes butter, garlic cloves, heavy whipping cream, and real parmesan cheese.
- Quick and easy to make: If you're searching for an easy alfredo sauce recipe, look no further. This is an amazing recipe.
- Infused garlic: The fresh garlic is cooked low and slow into the melted butter to really infuse the incredible flavor into every bite. The infused garlic will also turn a beautiful golden brown and give your finished alfredo sauce a gorgeous color.
- Makes just the right amount: This recipe will make enough sauce for one pound of dried pasta and the recipe can easily be doubled if you need more
How to Make Alfredo Sauce
The best homemade alfredo sauce recipe is quick and easy to make! Even if this is your first time making this delicious cream sauce, you will get perfect results.
- Infuse garlic in butter: Melt butter in large shallow pan over a very low heat. Add minced garlic and stir frequently. By cooking the garlic and butter over a very low temperature, you're able to extract all of that wonderful flavor from the garlic without it burning. It will, however, turn a wonderful golden brown color. That intense flavor carries through all the way to the finished sauce.
- Add heavy cream: You will not add all of it. A small amount will be reserved to stir in at the end. You want this cream to come to a gentle simmer in the garlic butter. Mercy.
- Add parmesan: To finish the sauce, you'll remove it from the heat and stir in the grated parmesan as well as the remaining heavy cream.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Results
- Use Quality ingredients. The higher the quality ingredients you use, the better your sauce will be. Make sure the garlic is fresh and, if possible, grown locally. Kerrygold is my butter of choice, but there are so many great ones available. Be sure to buy real authentic aged parmesan cheese imported from Italy.
- Press the garlic. When garlic is minced through a garlic press instead of chopped, you expose the maximum amount of surface area. That means you'll extract the most flavor from it.
- Grate the parmesan yourself using a microplane. You can certainly use shredded parmesan, but it will not melt properly due to the large size of the pieces. Additionally, any ingredients added to the cheese to prevent sticking may interfere with its ability to easily melt. I highly recommend grating from a block of cheese using a microplane grater. It will make the parmesan melt instantly.
- Additional ingredients or seasonings: No other ingredients are needed, however, you could always add black pepper, salt, onion powder, or Italian seasoning. A great way to make this cream sauce even richer is by mixing in an egg yolk (similar to a Carbonara sauce).
How to Thin Alfredo Sauce
The secret to thinning cheese sauces is to mix in small amounts of starchy pasta water. If you are making Alfredo Sauce for pasta, simply use a measuring cup to scoop out about a cup of the salted pasta water just before you drain the pasta. Then, if the finished sauce seems too thick, stir in small amounts of this starchy water until you have the desired consistency.
Storage Instructions
Any leftover alfredo sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It is best used within a few days.
How to Reheat Alfredo Sauce
This alfredo sauce will thicken as it cools. Reheating Alfredo sauce can be a tricky process because if it gets too hot, it will separate.
This sauce must be reheated gently. There are three ways to do this properly.
- Stovetop: The sauce can be added to a saucepan and gently heated over very low heat. Be sure to stir the sauce frequently so that it gets heated at the same rate. As soon as it is heated through, remove the sauce from the heat source.
- Microwave: Leftover Alfredo sauce or pasta coated in Alfredo sauce can be heated in the microwave. Use 50% power in 1-minute increments. After each minute, stir the sauce, and continue heating this way until it is heated through.
- Super hot pasta: If you let leftover Alfredo sauce warm to room temperature, you can actually add super hot, freshly drained pasta to your sauce. The residual heat should be enough to warm the sauce.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Heavy cream substitutions: Many readers ask if part-skim milk (less than 1% fat), whole milk (3-4% fat) or half and half (10-12% fat) can be used in place of heavy cream (38-40% fat). The answer is YES, although I don't recommend it because you will have a thinner sauce due to the lower fat content. If you need to make this substitution and feel that the final sauce is too thin, you can always stir in a bit of mascarpone or cream cheese at the end to thicken it. You can also thicken the sauce by mixing a tablespoon of modified corn starch with a tablespoon of milk and whisking it into the finished sauce.
- Butter substitutions: If needed, butter can be replaced by olive oil. For best results, use a high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
- Garlic substitutions: The infused garlic really does impart so much flavor, but if you are out of fresh garlic, you make use garlic powder in its place.
- Parmesan cheese substitutions: Authentic Italian alfredo sauce must have Parmigiano Reggiano, however you can also use Romano cheese or a parmesan/Romano blend.
Best Ways to Enjoy Homemade Alfredo Sauce
This rich, creamy, alfredo sauce is not only delicious but it is also versatile and can be used for so many delicious recipes!
- Use this sauce to smother homemade pasta. Throw some blackened chicken on top and you have an outstanding version of chicken fettuccine alfredo. Or turn it into everyone's favorite Cajun Shrimp Pasta.
- What about smothering your favorite veggies, like wilted garlic spinach or sauteed asparagus, with some of this warm cheese sauce. YUM!
- Parmesan chicken is traditionally covered in marinara sauce, but how delicious would it be if it were smothered in Alfredo sauce instead? You could always balance the richness with zucchini noodles. The possibilities are endless.
- Use it as a dipping sauce for fries or even better, zucchini fries.
Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Alfredo sauce is a rich and creamy white sauce made with garlic, butter, heavy cream, and parmesan. This savory cheesy sauce infuses garlic into the butter and can be used with all kinds of pasta or even on top of vegetables. This recipe is different, I dare say better, than an alfredo sauce recipe with cream cheese.
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CLICK TO PLAY RECIPE VIDEO
Hover to scale: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic (finely minced or pressed)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (divided)
- 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese (finely grated)
Instructions
- Add butter and garlic to a saute pan and heat over low heat. Allow to cook until the butter is infused with the garlic, about 5 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of heavy cream, stir, and allow to come to a simmer. Increase heat to medium, if needed. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and immediately add in parmesan cheese and remaining heavy cream. (Note: the parmesan will easily melt if it was finely grated from a block. If you used pre-grated cheese that is thicker, you may have to continue heating over low heat to get it to melt.) Stir to combine. It will take several minutes for the cheese to melt. It will look goopy at first and then the sauce will be creamy and smooth. If sauce needs to be thinned, add additional heavy cream.
- To serve, toss with tossed pasta or use to cover vegetables.
Notes
Makes about 3 cups.
Cooking tips:
- Quality ingredients. The higher quality ingredients you use, the better your sauce will be. Make sure the garlic is fresh and, if possible, grown locally. Kerrygold is my butter of choice, but there are so many great ones available. Be sure to buy real authentic parmesan cheese imported from Italy.
- Press the garlic. When garlic is minced through a garlic press instead of chopped, you expose the maximum amount of surface area. That means you'll extract the most flavor from it.
- Grate the parmesan yourself using a microplane. You can certainly use shredded parmesan, but it will not melt properly due to the large size of the pieces and anything that has been added to the cheese to prevent sticking. I highly recommend grating from a block of cheese using a microplane grater. It will make the parmesan melt instantly.
- Reheating. This alfredo sauce will thicken as it cools. If it cools too much, it will get too thick. If it gets too hot, it will separate. The trick is to keep it just warm enough. This sauce must be reheated gently either on the stove over low heat, in the microwave on 50% or lower power, or by adding super hot, freshly drained pasta to your sauce.
- Substitutions. Many readers ask if whole milk (3-4%) or half and half (10-12% fat) can be used in place of heavy cream (38-40% fat). The answer is YES, although I don't recommend it because you will have a thinner sauce. If you need to make a substitution and feel that the final sauce is too thin, you can always stir in a bit of mascarpone or cream cheese at the end to thicken it.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 37mg | Vitamin A: 650IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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This recipe was originally published in April 2019 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don't worry - the recipe hasn't changed!
Bridget Vaughn
Made this recipe yesterday and it was so easy and the best I’ve eaten in a long time (other than being at my favorite Italian restaurant). Loved this sauce!
Lawanda
This is my first time making my own Alfredo sauce and I will NEVER buy store jar Alfredo again!!!
Martha Lizaola
Very good recipe, and easy to cook,
Penny
I didn’t have whole milk so used skim and about 1/4 pkg of cream cheese, a dash of lemon juice, and a twist of black pepper. Really good!!
Valeigh Davis
WOW! My whole family said it tasted better than a fancy restaurant! And sooo easy! Thank you!
Lovey Turner
Do you need to use salted or unsalted butter?
Krissy
I almost always cook with unsalted butter so that I can add salt, if needed, but you can use whatever works best for you. With this recipe, I'll often use Kerrygold since it's my favorite, but that is a very salty butter.
Christine
Absolutely delicious. My family gobbled it all up and licked their plates. I’ve had trouble finding a quick and tasty Alfredo and will definitely add this to my recipe box!
Jennifer Murphy
Thank you for such a great recipe! I wanted something quick and easy in the heat of summer and this was wonderful! I was out of Parmesan cheese and substituted Pecorino from the local farmers market. I may make it with a mixture of both cheeses next time!
Hugh
Can this alfredo sauce be frozen ??
Krissy
I haven't frozen it myself but I believe it can be. Just be sure to fully thaw and then gently reheat before serving.
Chelle
So wonderful.. and Gluten free
Kim
This sauce is amazing and I love that it’s so simple and only consists of four ingredients! My family loves this recipe and this pasta sauce is always the top dinner request. Thank you for sharing!
Debeka57
Omg! This was incredible! Added chicken and mushrooms, sautéed them before the garlic! Never made homemade fettuccine Alfredo before. Will never but a jar again!
Meghn
So delicious!!
Debbie
This recipe is absolutely terrific!!! Because of additives and preservatives that I cannot have in my diet, this is a dream recipe. It made me feel like I was at my favorite restaurant in my own living room.
Thank you so much for making my dinner so perfect!!!!
C-Hawk
This is the one! No flour, just butter, heavy cream, cheese (for me, parmesan and romano). I Don’t use the garlic, except sometimes 1/2 tsp of powder. But I like to add about 1/3 # Virginia ham, thick sliced at the deli counter and diced, and about 5 oz of coarsely chopped baby spinach, added at the end so it is just wilted.
Kimberly Smith
Love this recipe! I added fresh chopped basil and it was amazing. Great sauce❣
Brandy Perez
So easy and so good
I like my extra cheese
Nick
Good but very bland needs salt and pepper
Elizabeth R.
Love this recipe, very easy to follow. I made with Tortellini some chopped leftover ham and peas. Will definitely be making it again.
Jenn
I just realized I bought whipping cream instead of heaving whipping cream will that make a difference in the way the sauce will turn out?
Krissy
If you bought it in a carton, it's the same stuff. If you bought it in a can (like Reddi Whip), it's not the same.
Emoke
Both my kids (16 & 21yrs old) LOVE Alfredo sauce, me not so much... I just made this for them, was about to pop in a frozen pizza and a little in pan left, my kids said it was AmaZing and I’m like ok I’ll try it instead of wait another 15 min til pizza done for myself lol...and low and behold... MY GOODNESS this is some amazing sauce!!!! And I never ever really liked Alfredo sauce, whether from jar or restaurant eh, but wow 10 out of 10 on this!!!! At first I thought it was goopy, but keep stirring, I used a whisk and kept it going.. smooth and delicious! Thank you!!!!!!!
Donna
Cut the recipe in 1/2 because it is only my husband and myself. Followed recipe and video - Perfect!
Karma
I look forward to trying this recipe. Does it matter if you use salted or unsalted butter?
Krissy
I always like to cook with unsalted butter so I can add just the right amount of salt to suit my taste, but salted would work in this recipe if you prefer
Carol
OMG I may never need to go to Olive Garden again! This was awesome just as the recipe states. I accidentally purchased heavy cream when I meant to buy half & half for another recipe so I was looking for a way to use the heavy cream and stumbled upon your recipe. Made a half box of fetucinne noodles and now have some leftover sauce for when I choose to cook the rest of the pasta. I had tried cream cheese based alfredo and it was not what I was looking for, this however, is perfect! Thank you and I have it saved for future use.
Carmen
I don't know what I did wrong... Parmesan cheese didn't melt....😭 the taste was good! But it didn't work.
Krissy
Did you grate it yourself or buy it pre-shredded?
Tara
I have realized with ANY cheese you have to buy it in block and shred it yourself. When you buy it ore shredded they add a wax like substance to the cheese for preservation purposes. That WILL NOT break down completely when cooking.
Krissy
This ^^^
Jay
Thanks for sharing the recipe. Turned out great! Found it helpful to leave it on low heat while the cheese melted
Wendy Simpson
I love to add some fresh grated nutmeg to almost any cream sauce. It really brings a nice nuttiness to the sauce
Julia Rodgers
This by far beat any alfredo sauce that I've had in any restaurant!! Very easy to make! And, my husband even cleaned his plate!! Thank you for this recipe!
Diane Weimer
OMG Krissy, this is killer good! I made it exactly as written...used it for a 18 ounce bag of fresh (not frozen) spinach & ricotta ravioli. Added some cooked shrimp and this was the perfect sauce. To me, there was plenty of sauce for this.
You MUST use freshly grated (finely) parmesan and add slowly to melt. This was beyond restaurant quality. BTW, the brand of ravioli I used was Giovanni Rana from Walmart! So delicious...thank you for recipe I'll make over and over.
Michelle
I'm thinking of making this sauce a day ahead to make for a quick but delicious meal for Valentines day (I have less time tomorrow). Do you think it would work out ok if i make the sauce today and noodles tomorrow? Recommendations?
Krissy
You can make the sauce ahead of time, but you'll need to reheat it VERY gently. If you reheat it on full power in the microwave, it will turn into a greasy mess. The sauce is really easy to make, though, so I highly recommend you make it right before you want to serve it. Enjoy!
Michelle
I ended up making it tonight and added extra garlic (we are a garlic family). I also made shrimp, scallops, broccoli and snap peas and through them in. It was amazing! Thank you so much!