How to Prepare Alfredo Sauce from Scratch

Once you've mastered the basic Alfredo sauce recipe, the possibilities are endless. You can easily customize it by adding your favorite ingredients to create classic dishes like Chicken Alfredo. Continue reading for detailed instructions on making Alfredo sauce and explore delicious recipes to try.

What Is Alfredo Sauce?

Named after an Italian chef, the original Fettuccine Alfredo consisted simply of fresh pasta tossed with butter and cheese. (To recreate Alfredo Di Lelio's legendary dish, try this recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo.) As it became popular in the U.S., cream was introduced, transforming the sauce into the rich, creamy version we know and love today.

How to Make Alfredo Sauce from Scratch

Our top-rated and most popular Alfredo Sauce recipe is the perfect starting point; I’ll guide you through the process, sharing tips and advice along the way. The sauce is so quick to prepare that you can easily cook the pasta at the same time. Fettuccine is the ideal pasta choice, with its broad, flat shape perfectly complementing the rich, creamy sauce. If the pasta is ready before the sauce, simply drain it (no need to rinse) and set it aside.

You Will Need

Necessary Equipment

• Large skillet (large enough to toss the cooked pasta with the finished sauce)
• Whisk
• Large pot (if you're cooking pasta)
• Colander (for draining pasta)

Ingredients List

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 clove garlic, crushed, finely grated, or pressed (optional)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or you could use half Parmesan and half Romano*)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
• ¼ chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

Get the recipe: Ultimate Fettuccine Alfredo

Instructions

1. In a saucepan or skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. If you're adding garlic for flavor, toss it into the melted butter and cook for about a minute—don’t let it brown.
2. Whisk in the cream and let it simmer gently for 5 minutes to reduce some of the water content.
3. Take the pan off the heat and gradually whisk in the cheese, adding it a handful at a time until fully melted.
4. Return the pan to low heat and let the sauce simmer for an additional 4-5 minutes until it thickens. Be careful not to let it boil, as this will cause the sauce to separate and lose its smooth texture. Season with salt and pepper, and add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional), which adds a beautiful touch to the cream sauce.
5. If cooking pasta: Once your pasta is cooked al dente, drain it well (don’t rinse) and toss it into the skillet with the hot Alfredo sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

*Avoid using pre-grated cheese; it’s coated with an anti-caking agent that prevents smooth melting and can negatively affect the texture of your Alfredo sauce.

How to Thicken Alfredo Sauce: 5 Simple Methods

1. Increase the cheese amount. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in another handful of grated cheese until it melts. Place the sauce back on low heat, heating gently without boiling.
2. Incorporate cream cheese. This Cream Cheese Alfredo recipe shows you how to do this.
3. Make a roux with butter and flour, like in the Buttery Alfredo Sauce recipe.
4. Use cornstarch. If you're making a lighter Alfredo sauce with low-fat ingredients, you can thicken it by adding a teaspoon of cornstarch, as demonstrated in Fettuccine Alfredo II.
5. Add egg yolk, as shown in Fettuccine Alfredo V. To avoid scrambling the yolk, temper it by whisking in a little hot cream, then gradually add the yolk-cream mixture back into the sauce.

Discover more of our delicious Alfredo Sauce recipes.