Creamy 6 ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo. This Alfredo Sauce is the BEST EVER and takes just a few minutes to make. Skip Olive’s Garden Alfredo Pasta and fall in love with this outrageous Alfredo Sauce. Turn a busy weeknight dinner into something special.
Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo doesn’t even compare to this homemade Alfredo version. I’ll admit, I never really like alfredo sauce but that’s only because I never had a version as good as this before. Skip the store-bought alfredo sauce bottles and make this Best Ever Alfredo Sauce. I have never been more passionate about a recipe as I have with this one. This easy Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta Sauce is exceptional!
Types of Parmesan Cheese
Fettuccine Alfredo is incredibly easy to make at home. I’ve included easy to follow recipe directions that’s guaranteed to turn out just right. The key to making a good alfredo sauce is to use good quality ingredients. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND using a wedge of fresh Bel Gioioso Parmesan Cheese. I’ve tried a variety of parmesan cheeses in this recipe and I’ve always come back to this brand. Other brands can be bitter or overly salty.
Also, it’s important to grate your own cheese. Often times, pre-shredded cheese comes with potato starch to prevent the shreds from sticking. This will change the texture of the sauce. Most grocery stores carry a wedge of Bel Gioioso Parmesan Cheese by the gourmet cheese section. Also, Walmart has this cheese.
A few weeks ago while at the grocery store picking up the ingredients for homemade Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce, I came across a lady in line that picked up 10 bottles of alfredo sauce to make a hungry group of kids. I kind of just cringed at the thought of bottled alfredo sauce because it tastes nothing like a homemade version. Plus, in this case, it’s cheaper to make it homemade than to buy premade jarred sauce.
If it’s your first time making this recipe at home then you’re in the right place. I’ve made this recipe dozens of times and I’ve adapted it to include a lot of flavors. One thing I cannot get enough of is fresh garlic. Garlic is an American addition to authentic Alfredo Sauce. Without garlic, the recipe is still great but it’s outrageously delicious with a lot of fresh garlic. I toss an entire bulb of garlic into a small food processor with a tablespoon of dried parsley. Then, I add a little to the sauce while it comes together. Each bowl gets the additional garlic and parsley mixture.
AUTHENTIC ALFREDO SAUCE VERSIONS
Authentic Alfredo Sauce from Italy uses only butter and parmesan cheese. Since Fettuccine Alfredo was brought to the United States, both cream and garlic have been added to it. I have been to a few authentic Sicilian restaurants in New Orleans and the pasta dishes usually only include butter and grated parmesan cheese. It wasn’t until I had an incredibly delicious version for Fettuccine Alfredo at Katie’s Resturant in New Orleans that I discovered how delicious fresh garlic with the combination of cream, butter, and parmesan cheese tasted. It was the BEST EVER Alfredo Sauce. That week I got started on this recipe and it’s been a staple in our house since!
I’ll be the first to admit, I’m an Alfredo snob now. Sometimes I order this dish at restaurants and I’m immediately disappointed. The hubs says I shouldn’t even bother trying other versions since nothing will EVER compare to how delicious and tasty this sauce is.
One trick I use to get perfectly creamy alfredo sauce is to not boil the butter or heavy cream. I use a low heat setting to simply melt the butter first then whisk in the cream. Once the cream has heated up but not boiled, I add in the freshly grated parmesan cheese. The sauce should be creamy and it will thicken slightly once the cooked pasta is added. Recipes that use flour to thicken the sauce have it all wrong. Flour should never be added to alfredo sauce.
I recommend tasting the sauce before adding salt. Keep in mind that 1 1/2 pounds of cooked pasta will be added to the sauce and in general, it will need more salt.
Maybe you’ve tried a variety of Alfredo Sauce recipes on the internet but they were all lacking in taste. In that case, I find that adding salt and freshly minced garlic takes the pasta sauce from bland to exceptional.
SERVING SIZE
Want to make more or fewer servings? Hover over the serving size and choose how many servings you’d like to make. The recipe will update the correct measurements, however, the nutritional facts are based on the full servings that I’ve stated!
Best Ever Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fettuccine pasta
- 3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks ) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream just under 1 pint
- 5 ounces ( about 1 1/2 cups ) freshly grated Parmesan cheese I use only BEL GIOIOSO Parmesan Cheese
- 3/4 teaspoon salt *** see notes below
- 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook al dente pasta according to package directions. Mince garlic and mix with dried parsley flakes. I like to mince half a bulb of garlic and save the remaining to sprinkle over the top at the end. It's amazing!In an extra-large skillet or pot, melt butter over low heat. The butter should not come to a boil. Whisk in heavy whipping cream. Again, mixture should not come to a boil. I usually set my stove to 2 or 3 heat level. Whisk in freshly grated Parmesan cheese until melted. Stir in 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic and dried parsley. Whisk in pepper and salt. NOTE * There is a wide variety of Parmesan cheese available. Some are saltier than others. I HIGHLY recommend Bel Gioioso Parmesan cheese. This can be found in most grocery stores and Walmart. Take into consideration that a lot of pasta will be added to the sauce so it won't be as salty when served.Fold in pasta. Serve with extra minced garlic ( highly recommended ).
Notes
REHEATING - To reheat leftovers, add 1/2 tablespoon milk to the top of a bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes.
ADDING FLAVOR WITH GARLIC - I highly recommend mincing half of a garlic bulb for this recipe. I usually toss all the garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon dried parsley into a small food processor then add 1/2 tablespoon of mixture to the sauce. Then I top each bowl 1 teaspoon of the mixture. The flavor combination is to die for!Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate and it's accuracy is not guaranteed to be exact.
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