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Homemade Alfredo Sauce is rich and creamy and takes about 15 minutes to make from scratch with just a few ingredients. This best Alfredo Sauce recipe is perfect over your favorite pasta – you’ll never want to resort to store-bought again!
This homemade Alfredo Sauce recipe is super simple, tastes like you slaved over it, and is delicious with all kinds of pasta. We especially love it with Tortellini or Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells. For a unique spin on a classic, try my creamy Pumpkin Alfredo.
Main Ingredients for Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Homemade Alfredo sauce requires just a few easy to find ingredients:
- Butter – Real butter, not margarine.
- Heavy Cream – Do not use milk or even half & half. You need full fat heavy cream for this recipe.
- Parmesan Cheese – Freshly grated off the block. Do not use pre-shredded.
I also love to add fresh garlic and black pepper to give it a little more depth but it’s always so homey and comforting. It’s no wonder it’s such a popular dish!
While serving it over pasta is my favorite, you can also pour it over chicken, pasta, or even pizza. It makes a great bread dip too!
How To Make Alfredo Sauce From Scratch
Homemade Alfredo is a creamy sauce that’s super delicious and is the best over fresh, hot pasta. Once you learn how to make Fettuccine Alfredo from scratch, you’ll never go back!
- Simmer the butter and cream. Melt the butter over medium-low heat with some minced garlic, then add the heavy cream. Do not use milk or half and half for this recipe; go all out with the full fat cream. Bring it to a simmer, just barely bubbling, but do not boil.
- Work quickly with the cheese. Whisk in fresh grated or shredded Parmesan cheese. Once you add the cheese, you’ll want to whisk vigorously in order to incorporate it into the sauce and so it can melt. This will keep your cheese from clumping. Simmer away for a few minutes or until the sauce has thickened up.
- Season, garnish, and serve. Salt usually isn’t needed because the butter and cheese have enough salt to flavor the sauce quite nicely, but you can judge for yourself. Toss with your favorite pasta and add some fresh minced parsley and cracked black pepper.
FAQs
A classic alfredo sauce is a creamy, cheesy white sauce served over pasta, usually fettuccine. You can make it the traditional way by heating the ingredients on the stove or the non-traditional method which involves creating a roux. Hands down, I prefer the traditional method.
If you’re looking for a Skinny Alfredo Sauce without heavy cream, be sure to check out our Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti.
Alfredo sauce is thick and creamy and so delicious. It’s got a nuttiness from the parmesan cheese and the garlic adds a whole other level of flavor.
While it’s similar in taste and texture to the butter and cheese sauce on Cacio e Pepe, alfredo is slightly more complex and uses heavy cream.
If you don’t have any heavy cream, you can use milk but with a caveat. It won’t won’t as just a 1:1 substitution; you’ll need to make a roux first by adding a few tablespoons of flour to the melted butter.
Serving Suggestions
Alfredo Sauce is usually served with Fettuccine Pasta. The long, thick Fettuccine noodles mop up the luscious sauce so you don’t miss a drop. Spaghetti or linguine work too. You could also try your hand at making some homemade pasta.
Sprinkle on some fresh minced parsley or chopped basil for a little color in the presentation. Because it’s so rich, we usually serve alfredo topped pastas with just a copycat Olive Garden Salad and some homemade Garlic Bread.Â
You can also add some protein to your pasta like grilled chicken, shrimp or even Garlic Butter Steak Bites.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Storage: If you happen to have some leftover, you’ll want to store the pasta and sauce separately if possible. If it’s already mixed together, don’t freeze it, but keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Refrigerator: If you happen to have leftover sauce, you can reheat it but proceed with caution. Add a teaspoon or two of milk/cream to the pasta and sauce, then simmer it over low heat or heat in the microwave at 50% power, stirring often, until warmed through. Reheat slowly and stir frequently or the sauce can break and create a greasy mess.
- Freezer: Freeze Alfredo sauce by itself (no pasta) in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 6 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight, then place the sauce in a saucepan on the stove over low heat. Stir constantly until heated through to avoid breaking the sauce (when the cream and butter separate and your lovely sauce becomes a greasy mess). Make fresh pasta when you’re ready to use the sauce.
- The cheese is important! You will want to buy only fresh Parmesan cheese when you make your homemade sauce. The grated stuff in the can doesn’t melt and can end up tasting grainy, and the pre-packaged shredded Parmesan won’t melt as well either because of the coating they add to it to keep it from sticking together in the bag. Buy a block of good quality Parmesan from the deli for the very best results.
- How to thicken a thin Alfredo sauce: Sauce not thick enough for you? Add a couple ounces of softened cream cheese (from the block, not the spread) to your sauce and it will give it a creamier texture and will help it thicken up a bit. You could also add a roux to the mixture. To do this, melt a couple of teaspoons of butter in a small saucepan, and add a couple teaspoons of flour. Cook until golden, then add to your simmering sauce and stir until it’s completely incorporated.
- Let it simmer. Be sure to turn the heat down when you add the Parmesan cheese. You don’t want to boil this sauce at all, just a simmer (a few small bubbles coming to the top) will do fine. Boiling can result in a broken sauce, and nobody likes that.
- Salt your pasta. The sauce won’t need any added salt, but do add salt to your pasta water. At least a tablespoon or two to 4-5 quarts of boiling water.
More Pasta Sauces to Try
- Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Authentic Pasta Carbonara
- Creamy Garlic Penne Pasta with Chicken
- Easy Bolognese Sauce
- One Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Shrimp Alfredo
- Easy Alfredo Chicken Lasagna
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream (not milk)
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese off the block
- Fresh cracked black pepper and fresh minced parsley to taste
- 16 ounces cooked Fettuccine (or other pasta)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Be careful not to burn.
- Whisk in heavy cream and allow to bubble up to a simmer, then simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Vigorously whisk in the parmesan until melted and bring to a simmer – do not boil – for about 3-4 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
- Add fresh cracked black pepper to taste and toss with fresh, hot pasta. Garnish with fresh minced parsley.
Notes
- Recipe makes about 3 cups of sauce, which is enough for a pound of fettuccine pasta.
- Nutritional information does not include pasta.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
I didn’t have any heavy cream so I made the skinny Alfredo with roux, chicken broth, and milk and it came out delicious. This will definitely be my go to Alfredo sauce. It was so easy.
Thank you Tomika for the awesome feedback.
So good! I liked the directions they helped me not over heat and separate the sauce. Such a good Alfredo! Definitely recommend.
Thanks for stopping by Sam!
We love this recipe! Thank you! ??
Nice! Thank you Laurie for stopping by.
Thank you for such a great sauce delicious. I added 1/4 cup finely chopped mushroom and tossed with shrimp i will use this sauce from now on
You are so welcome Gregory, Thanks for stopping by.
I cut the recipe in half since there is just two of us, so easy and so delicious! I did add some additional garlic power & garlic salt because I can never have too much garlic. Will definitely make again!
Thank you Tina for sharing your positive experience.
If I wanted to make it with chicken, when would I add the chicken? After the sauce has already thickened? Or before?
Cook the chicken separately and add when plating or stir into the finished pasta and sauce.
this recipw is simple, quick and yummy
Thank you Ras for sharing your Positive experience!
How many servings do you get out of this recipe? I need to serve 20.
You should be able to get 4-5 servings for the sauce, maybe more. It depends on the size of your servings.
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate? How long do you think it will last?
You can freeze it, but use caution when reheating as the sauce canvery quickly and easily separate. Reheat on the stove, not in the microwave, and stir continuously.
Can you prepare the day before and then reheat the next day?
I don’t recommend it. Alfredo sauce tends to be delicate when it comes to reheating and can break easily (separate). It’s a pretty simple sauce and doesn’t take long to make at all.
Could you add pesto to this recipe? If so how much would you suggest?
You could add pesto, sure! I think it would have to be a personal taste though. Maybe start with a few tablespoons and continue adding until you’re happy with the flavor and texture.
Thank you for your recipes! I’m loving your ingredients for the sauce.
Thank you Sandra! So glad you enjoyed it!
Is there a link to your skinny alfredo sauce recipe? I looked over the website and can’t find it. I love this recipe, but I’m trying to lower our sodium intake. I’d like to compare the recipes. The family loves alfredo, and more specifically this recipe. My husband recently found out he has high blood pressure. It’s a struggle to revamp the dinner menu.
Hey Heather, I used the skinny version in my Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti. You can find it here: https://www.yellowblissroad.com/chicken-alfredo-baked-ziti/
Hi,i wonder if i can use this sause for carbonara?
Carbonara has a creamy egg sauce, so it wouldn’t be the same thing. I do have a Carbonara recipe though: https://www.yellowblissroad.com/pasta-carbonara/
If you want to add cream cheese, how much and at what point during the cooking process?
I usually will add the cream cheese to the white sauce, before adding the Parmesan, if I’m concerned it won’t be thick enough. You could also add it after the cheese, but soften it a bit in the microwave (10 seconds).
This is amazing, delicious, and so easy! We used it on both pasta and French bread pizza and it’s delicious and perfect. The addition of cream cheese to thicken is a great idea. Thanks for the recipe!!!!
Thank you Pam! and thanks for sharing your experience!
Just made your recipe at first I wasn’t feeling the consistency and thought I should add another ingredient but I took it off the stove and let it settled and it began to thicken. OH MY GOSH DELICIOUS!
Thank you Sandra,thanks for sharing your experience!
This was a huge hit. I didn’t use fresh grated cheese, but made sure I got high quality grated parmesan from the deli. It worked fine. Yum!!!!
Thank you Kendra!
Love this recipe I can’t go back to store bought after this.
Thank you SUNITA!
I made this Alfredo Sauce recipe this evening and added shrimp to it and it was the best Alfredo Sauce I have ever had , beats even the finest restaurants. My husband and guest raves over it . Will definitely be making this again. I also added four ounces of cream cheese to thicken as suggested and it was the perfect consistency, thank you for sharing this outstanding recipe.
You should have your own tv show. Competition for Rachael Ray if you asked me. Oh my god your recipes are to die for. Or go on her show and tell her I said that.