Fettuccine Alfredo is the white sauce, pasta dish we favor! Made with Fettucine pasta, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and tons of garlic flavor this alfredo sauce recipe is as easy to make as an instant alfredo sauce mix that tastes like Olive Gardens! Easy pasta dinner in under 20 minutes!
Alfredo sauce is the white sauce almost everyone has tried in their lifetime! The creamy sauce can be prepared so many different ways but it’s the parmesan cheese, garlic, and cream that give its signature taste. Try our one-pot fettuccine alfredo recipe for a super quick dinner or our whipped alfredo sauce similar to the olive gardens buy one get one entree dishes.
Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine alfredo is the flat pasta served with alfredo sauce that’s incredibly delicious! It’s no wonder alfredo sauce is one of Olive Garden’s signature pasta dishes. But did you know that cooks actually make the alfredo sauce fresh at the restaurant weekly? I had family working at the Olive Garden and the head cooks would get together to prep all the soups and alfredo sauce was one of the sauces they made in house. They made around 200 gallons worth and stored it in food containers. We’re talking a lot of alfredo sauce!
Olive Garden shared a recipe virally on the internet, from half milk and half cream at one point. Although that was a good alfredo recipe, I still come to believe it wasn’t the same served at the chain restaurants and if you go to Olive Gardens menu they themselves even claim that its made in the house with Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and garlic right in the description! Like any other alfredo recipe, many recipes call for butter which is prone to separate much easier, making the dish more costly to make and not ideal for re-heating which makes it contrary to the whole Restaurant-Making industry. I come to believe that many restaurant dishes are easy and Olive Garden even claims their simple fettuccine alfredo is delightful. Everything in this recipe fits Olive Gardens Criteria!
Alfredo Sauce Mix
So, I was introduced to an Alfredo Mix from my sister-in-law’s engagement party that the head cook used for shrimp and chicken alfredo. It was an instant hit and even made it to her wedding menu too! This dry mix was prepared with heavy cream and tasted like the restaurant alfredo sauces, including one like Olive Garden. It sells by the bulk and makes a gallon worth, making it super easy to whip up alfredo sauce.
Then one day it struck to make my own alfredo mix but using it all up at once without storing leftovers. I carefully inspected all the ingredients off of the Knorr Alfredo Mix and made my own homemade alfredo mix that you can make instantly. The alfredo sauce tastes like a Classic Italian dish without the whole roux technique and use of flour, making it gluten-free and without the use of milk (for lactose tolerant peeps!) It’s ultra-creamy, thickens beautifully, and has tons of flavor without real garlic! Quite fascinating and easy to make! That leads me to the idea that Olive Garden must have had it easy if they were making alfredo sauce by the gallons, which you can easily do with this mix.
If you have been dreaming of a Restaurant-style alfredo sauce then forget the whole butter and roux process and make this alfredo sauce! It’s all made from scratch but in a whole different manner that actually tastes like an ordered alfredo dish! It holds up nicely and is so easy to make!
How to make Alfredo Sauce:
Fettuccine Alfredo
Equipment
- large pot
- saucepan
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 16 oz fettuccine
- 3 cups heavy cream
Alfredo Sauce Mix:
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 5 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 4 oz White American Cheese* (optional but will give you ultra-creamy alfredo)
Instructions
How to make fettuccine alfredo:
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and toss with 2 tbsp of oil. Set aside.- Whisk together all the alfredo mix ingredients. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan heat the cream until almost boiling. Whisk in the alfredo mix (first 5 ingredients) until thickened. Add in the crushed garlic and processed cheese and melt. Ladle alfredo sauce over fettuccine pasta. Garnish with dried parsley and serve.
Notes
- *Processed Cheese: keeps alfredo sauce super creamy even after sitting! It's the secret ingredient to making ultra-creamy alfredo sauce without detecting it! Use Velveeta or American cheese slices.
- To make dry alfredo mix: stir the dry ingredients (use the unrefrigerated parmesan cheese) and keep in an airtight container. Use when needed with 3 cups of heavy cream.
- To Reheat: Alfredo Sauce reheats well only once after making. Avoid reheating multiple times as the cream separates.
- Store: prepared sauce up to 5-6 days in the fridge.
- To freeze alfredo sauce: Place cooled alfredo sauce into freezer bags and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
- To make ahead: cool and store sauce in the fridge. Scoop sauce on top of a casserole and stir after baking or reheat on stove and ladle over hot pasta.
- Yields: approx. 3 cups of sauce. Serve with every 1 pound of pasta.
Nutrition per serving
Q&A
How to make Gluten-Free Alfredo?
You can make a gluten-free alfredo dish if you are gluten-sensitive.
- Choose gluten-free pasta made from brown rice flour.
- Make this alfredo sauce recipe or make an alfredo sauce without flour.
What add-ins are best for alfredo sauce?
Olive Garden serves alfredo sauce over pasta 5 different ways!
- Seafood Alfredo (scallops and shrimp)
- Shrimp Alfredo
- Chicken Alfredo
- Steak Alfredo
- Fettuccine Alfredo
Serve vegetables on the side.
What pasta is best with alfredo sauce?
A flat wide noodle like fettuccine is best, However, pasta such as like linguine, spaghetti, penne, and Cavatappi make great choices as they soak up sauces well. Lasagna noodles can also go with this sauce as you can make an alfredo sauce instead of a traditional meat sauce. Try our our super easy lasagna recipe with ground beef!
I’ve also found egg noodles at the European grocery stores to work very well too! Look for wide flat noodles.
What is Alfredo Sauce?
Fettuccine alfredo is an Italian pasta dish. Typically, a white sauce is prepared, known to be served over pasta like fettuccine noodles. Originally it was made with butter and parmesan cheese but many American recipes call for additional dairy products to make it ultra-creamy like cream, additional cheeses, and sometimes even flour.
Commercial users have figured out an easier way to serve this Italian dish by preparing it from a dry mix which you can pull out and use by simply adding cream or milk. An alfredo sauce mix consists of cornstarch, dry cheeses like parmesan cheese and Romano, and spices. The dried mix can then be added to the liquid to make an alfredo sauce anytime.
Many culinary chefs make the white sauce from a roux, which is melted butter and flour as the thickener to the cream or milk used in many recipes. Although this makes a delicious sauce, a white sauce can be prepared as simple as cheese and cream. Cheese works as a great thickener! Other sauce thickeners can be cornstarch too.
Alfredo sauce can be prepared in many different ways, such as making a roux, a dry alfredo sauce mix, or even whipping heavy cream to form a scoopable consistency, like this no-cook whipped alfredo sauce. The matter of technique varies but the main substance is parmesan cheese and butter or cream.
Commonly used ingredients for Alfredo Sauce:
- butter- use unsalted butter since parmesan cheese is salty.
- heavy cream- very rich.
- cream cheese– adds creaminess and thickness.
- garlic- adds flavor.
- milk- is one of the dairy products that can be used for cream.
- spices- Italian seasoning, garlic salt, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, and pepper are spices typically found in alfredo sauces.
- Parmesan Cheese- the main cheese that binds this sauce together!
Is Alfredo Sauce Keto?
A keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. Alfredo sauce is rich and creamy making it keto-friendly. However, if you wish to eat alfredo sauce with pasta go for gluten-free pasta that is made from brown rice flour.
Can I make alfredo sauce with milk?
Alfredo sauce can be made with milk but it’s much creamier with heavy cream. Half and half is also a good alternative to omitting cream when making alfredo sauce. However, since the cream is high in fat it’s safe to omit the butter in most recipes. If you are using milk then do aim for recipes calling for butter as the fat content in cream would be omitted.
Does alfredo sauce have cheese?
Yes! Alfredo sauce wouldn’t be complete without parmesan cheese! Typically aged Asiago, Romano, or Parmesan cheeses are used in making alfredo sauce. Cheeses like Mozzarella are not recommended in alfredo sauce since they do leave a stringy effect in the later. A head chef in a catering business added slices of White American Cheese towards the end of an alfredo sauce mix that she prepared. It adds that velvety creaminess and richness to the sauce. And cheese works as a great thickener so, if you add enough of it, the flour can be completely omitted!
How many cups does this yield?
This recipe yields around 3 cups of alfredo sauce. Which is perfect for one pound of fettuccine pasta. Every cook can decide how much sauce they will use over noodles and leftovers can always be used as a dipping sauce.
A rule of thumb: for every 24 oz of pasta sauce cook 16 ounces of pasta. So, one 14 oz jar of alfredo sauce is ideal for 8 oz of pasta.
Ways to use alfredo sauce?
Pasta- ladle alfredo sauce over any pasta! Add in shrimp, chicken, seafood, or leftover steak slices to make a quick alfredo dinner! Pasta makes a great dish to soak up this creamy rich sauce!
Pizza- this alfredo pizza is delicious! Add chicken pieces if you wish or just use alfredo sauce recipe over your favorite pasta! Pizza with alfredo makes a great combo and adding spinach and tomatoes to make a white pizza (aka alfredo sauce) is always a good idea!
Dipping- dip breadsticks into alfredo sauce or serve over steamed vegetables like asparagus, Brussel sprouts, or broccoli!
Casseroles- like lasagna would work fantastic with alfredo! Toss in tomatoes and spinach for an alfredo lasagna. Or you could bake ziti with some chicken pieces to make a complete meal!
Canning- If you can buy jarred alfredo sauce why not try canning your own?
Dried Mixes- you can buy a packet of alfredo sauce mix at the grocery store and Restaurant supply stores carry it in bulk to whip up alfredo quickly! This recipe was inspired from an alfredo mix! Make it instant by following the recipe and using it all for one pound of pasta or double the batch and keep the dried mix until needed.
How to store alfredo sauce?
There are shortcuts to making fettuccine alfredo. Since this recipe calls for no butter it is safer to reheat and handle certain ways. Make this alfredo sauce in advance or store in three easy ways;
How long to keep alfredo sauce in the fridge: alfredo sauce can keep up to 5-6 days. Keep covered.
To freeze alfredo sauce: you can freeze alfredo sauce! Keep in mind higher fat recipes that call for butter may not work as good as its more prone to separate. Place cooled alfredo sauce into freezer bags and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
*Freeze in 2 cup portions for every 8oz of fettuccine or 3 cup portions for every 1 lb of pasta. Two cups of sauce are equivalent to a 16 oz jar of alfredo sauce.
To make alfredo sauce in advance: remove from heat as soon as it thickens. Cool and store in the fridge until needed. To reheat: avoid heating twice. If using in a casserole scoop cold over the pasta and stir after baking. If ladling over freshly cooked pasta heat until hot then serve over pasta. Heating alfredo sauce more than once after it has cooked will lose its creamy texture and look more greasy.
Can you freeze alfredo sauce?
To freeze alfredo sauce: you can freeze alfredo sauce! Keep in mind higher fat recipes that call for butter may not work as good as its more prone to separate. Place cooled alfredo sauce into freezer bags and keep frozen for up to 3 months.
*Freeze in 2 cup portions for every 8oz of fettuccine or 3 cup portions for every 1 lb of pasta. Two cups of sauce are equivalent to a 16 oz jar of alfredo sauce.
How to make an Alfredo Sauce Mix like Knorr?
The packet alfredo mix is super easy to make at home!
- Combine all the dry ingredients first (finely grated Parmesan and Romano Cheese, cornstarch, and spices.)
- Keep the dried mix stored in an airtight container or zip-lock bag until needed and double as you need.
- To make alfredo sauce mix: Heat heavy cream in a sauce-pan until almost boiling. Whisk in the mix and bring to a simmer or stir until thickened.
- Ladle over cooked Fettuccine pasta or store cooked alfredo sauce for up to 4 days.
How to make alfredo sauce like Olive Garden?
The alfredo sauce at Olive Garden is actually made fresh in the restaurant, weekly. I had family working at the Olive Garden and the head cooks would get together to prep all the soups and alfredo sauce was one of the sauces they made in house. They made around 200 gallons worth and stored it in food containers. We’re talking a lot of alfredo sauce! This makes it easy for line cooks to do their job in preparing the food per orders.
At one point Olive Garden shared some of their recipes publicly directly from their website years back and the alfredo sauce recipe they shared was a total of 3 cups liquid. Although that was a good alfredo recipe, I still come to believe it wasn’t the same served at the chain restaurants. The head chefs made gallons of alfredo sauce, so the whole roux process really convinces that perhaps it’s done that way after all. Besides if you really follow the recipe that they shared virally on the internet, like any other alfredo recipe, many times the call of butter makes it more greasy and is prone to separate much easier. Thus making the dish more costly to make and not ideal for re-heating which makes it contrary to the whole Restaurant-Making industry.
The Alfredo Sauce Mixes make large amounts of alfredo sauce, which is why they are sold in bulk for Restaurants. This powdered mix will give you a gallon of alfredo sauce in no time! It’s literally so easy and quick to make that no wonder Restaurants use it! And if you’ve ever made it, it’s really compatible with the Restaurant tasting alfredo dishes! This recipe is like an instant alfredo mix that is all made from scratch!
Tips:
- Mix the dry ingredients and store it, in an airtight container like an alfredo sauce mix packet.
- Use heavy cream as the base and omit the butter (after all butter is made from cream.)
- Add additional cheese towards the end for extra richness.
- Only whisk until thickened, get the sauce off the heat to retain its thickness. The longer it’s heated the more it can separate.
More Recipes using Alfredo Sauce:
- Baked Salmon in the Best Lemon Alfredo Sauce
- Alfredo Pizza
- Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe
- Salmon with Shrimp and Mushroom Alfredo
