Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Recipe straight from the Restaurant! This is the exact recipe from the chain served with fettuccine pasta. Make it at home in under 20 minutes!
Some of our most popular recipes are Olive Garden Copycats, just read all the rave reviews for our Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno, and Mushroom Ravioli! Olive Garden’s marinara sauce and alfredo sauce are so easy to make at home for a fraction of the price!
Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Recipe
I can’t believe I have the real Alfredo Sauce recipe from Olive Garden.
No, this is not the recipe that was on their official website a decade ago (yes, they actually featured many recipes online for free).
This recipe comes from someone who worked there. They literally took a photo of the recipe (which was a chart) that the cooks go by to make the Alfredo sauce in-house. It doesn’t get any more legit.
We had to scale the recipe down because the smallest serving was for nearly a gallon.
I’m so excited I can make the Alfredo sauce recipe at home with fettuccine noodles and skip all the waiting time and money spent.
What is the White Sauce Base?
Olive Garden uses a dry white base sauce mix that they weigh and add to their traditional Alfredo sauce roux. This dry mix helps thicken the sauce and enhances it with a nutmeg kick. You can find a packet of white sauce in the gravy or dry mix section of major grocery stores, or order it from Amazon.
To substitute the dry white sauce mix, use two tablespoons of flour, 1/8 tsp each of onion powder and nutmeg instead of the packet.
Mise en Place
Equipment:
- Large Pot
- 10-inch deep skillet
- Wire whisk
- Wooden Spoon
- Tongs
- Garlic Press
Ingredients For Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce:
These are the Alfredo sauce ingredients from the card hanging in the restaurant.
- Butter- cut into pieces. I use a high-quality European-style butter block like Irish Gold.
- Chopped Garlic- should be fresh and finely chopped or minced.
- Heavy cream is mainly used for the roux.
- Milk is used, but only a little compared to all the cream.
- White Sauce Base is a dry seasoning mix and is weighed for consistent results. It makes an extra creamy sauce full of flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese is also weighed at the chain restaurant. Grate the wedge for the best results. Freshly grated parmesan will melt smoothly and won’t be as thick if you were to use the shaker parmesan cheese.
- Salt- surprisingly, only a little is used. I think it’s because fresh Parmesan cheese is salty.
- Black Pepper Shaker Grind- if you want it like Olive Garden’s grind, whole peppercorns with a shaker grind.
What Pasta Should I Use?
Long flat pastas like fettuccine or linguine match well with creamy sauces because they coat the strands evenly. Keep in mind that dried pasta takes longer to cook than fresh pasta. Dry pasta can be cooked ahead of time and holds better for service or serving later. Fresh pasta is best made to order or served immediately.
How To Make Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce:
- Sweat the garlic in butter until aromatic.
- Add the dry white sauce mix and whisk until smooth.
- Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Simmer sauce for 3-5 minutes, then stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve with tagliatelle (thicker linguine) or fettuccine pasta.
How To Plate Pasta:
We were taught in culinary school that long strands of unfilled pasta like fettuccine should be arranged in nests or circles. This way it looks neat and more appetizing.
As a rule of thumb, 100 grams of cooked pasta is a typical portion size for unfilled pasta. Be careful not to drown the pasta in sauce. A good guideline is one part sauce to 3 parts pasta.
The most popular garnish for Alfredo sauce is fresh herbs like parsley or fresh basil. A drizzle of olive oil and additional grated Parmesan cheese make it attractive.
Holding and Refreshing Pasta:
If you’re holding dried pasta for service, undercook it slightly because it cooks further when reheated. As soon as it’s finished cooking, quickly cool the pasta by shocking it in ice water, then drain it well and toss in a little oil to prevent it from sticking.
When it’s time for service, reheat the pasta by adding it to boiling water until it just heats through. Pasta loses heat fast, so heat the plate it is served in to keep it warmer for longer.
Helpful Tips:
- Alfredo sauce thickens and hardens as it stands or cools. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of pasta water or milk to thin it out when reheating.
- Shred a Parmesan wedge for a high-quality sauce. Many of the pre-grated cheeses have cellulose added as an anti-caking ingredient that can change the texture of your sauce.
- Coat the pasta with Alfredo sauce right before serving and place onto a plate, making nests for a pretty presentation. Garnish with parsley flakes.
- A serving size of pasta should be 100 grams of cooked pasta per person.
- A good guideline for Alfredo sauce to pasta is one part sauce to 3 parts pasta.
More Olive Garden Copycat Recipes To Make:
Love to recreate Restaurant Copycats? Try these recipes next!
Olive Graden Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb fettuccine pasta
Ingredients for Alfredo Sauce:
- 4 oz salted butter
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 oz milk
- 4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper (shaker grind)
- Fresh parsley for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
Directions:
Cook 1 pound of long pasta per the package instructions until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.- Melt 4 oz of butter in a deep 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic and sweat it until aromatic (30 seconds).
- Add the packet of dry white sauce* and whisk until no lumps remain.
- Stir in 2 fluid oz of milk and 2 cups of heavy cream. Heat until it's steaming hot but not boiling. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Add the cooked pasta, swirling into nests using tongs, and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve 100-120 grams of pasta per serving.
Notes
- A good guideline for Alfredo sauce to pasta is one part sauce to 3 parts pasta.
- A serving size is about 100 grams of cooked pasta.
- Parboiled dry pasta keeps well for service later. Fresh pasta is best cooked once before serving.
- To substitute the 25-gram packet dry white sauce base, use 2 Tbsp of flour and 1/8 teaspoon each of onion powder and nutmeg. Squeeze half a lemon into the sauce at the end to replicate the dry packet.
- Add protein like grilled chicken breast strips or steamed veggies for a main dish meal.
