This homemade Alfredo sauce takes this classic creamy and cheesy flavor to the next level. Made with simple yet delicious ingredients like butter, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, and heavy cream.
The BEST Homemade Alfredo Sauce
The perfect Alfredo sauce does not exi— that’s where you’re wrong! Ditch the store-bought jar of Alfredo sauce and try out this homemade version for pasta night. It’s rich, creamy, and full of mouth-watering flavor that’ll have you scooping for seconds, no matter what you’re serving it with!
Unlike other classic Alfredo sauce recipes, we decided to add a little secret ingredient to take the flavors of this sauce to the next level, and that’s nutmeg! The slightly nutty, woody, and sweet notes really take this sauce from bland to bold.
Serve it with chicken fettuccine, or use it as dunking for your garlic bread. However you decide to indulge in this silky sauce, know that you’ll be dining like royalty.
why you’ll love it!
- A classic family favorite sauce. What’s not to love?
- It’s ridiculously easy to make and will be ready in under 30 minutes.
- You won’t get enough of it on your favorite pasta, meats, and veggies!
- The texture and flavor of this delicious homemade sauce are absolute PERFECTION.
Featured Ingredients
- Butter: we used unsalted butter, but salted works fine as well. Just omit any additional salt until you’ve taste tested the sauce first.
- Olive oil: a key ingredient for getting this rich pasta sauce nice and silky smooth.
- Garlic: fresh garlic cloves are the way to go for this recipe! It adds a lot of great flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream: heavy cream gives you the richest, creamiest alfredo sauce with an ideal thickness.
- Salt & pepper: a little salt and pepper goes a long way! They enhance all the delicious flavors of the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese: freshly grated parmesan provides the best taste. The store-bought brands just won’t melt as nicely.
- Nutmeg: a little bit of nutmeg really rounds out all the flavors to give this sauce more depth.
Recipe Variations
You don’t have to cook this creamy white sauce all by itself! Feel free to toss in some other ingredients and let them absorb all that rich, creamy goodness. Here are some ideas!
- Mushrooms: mushrooms taste outstanding with Alfredo sauce! Just swap your saucepan with a skillet and saute the mushrooms first before adding the sauce.
- Spinach: fresh spinach tastes delish with creamy Alfredo sauce, and it adds more nutrition to boot! Just toss some of those greens in at the end of cooking to let them wilt.
- Spice: Like a kick of spice in your pasta sauce? Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper at the end to get that heat you crave.
- Low-fat: although we stand by making Alfredo sauce rich and indulgent, that doesn’t mean you can’t make a low-calorie/low-fat version. You could swap the heavy whipping cream for regular heavy cream, half-n-half, or whole milk if you wish! Just keep in mind that the sauce might not come out as thick.
How to Make Homemade Alfredo Sauce
HEAT BUTTER + OIL
In a large saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
ADD GARLIC + CREAM
When the butter has melted, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the whipping cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
STIR IN CHEESE
Next, add the parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir occasionally to melt the parmesan cheese.
SERVE + ENJOY
Once your Alfredo sauce has thickened to the desired consistency, allow it to cool and serve immediately with your pasta of choice or any of our recommended pairings below. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Homemade Alfredo Sauce
So many things taste amazing with creamy Alfredo sauce! You can do the obvious (but delicious) Chicken Alfredo with fettuccine noodles, Chicken Alfredo Lasagna, or use any al dente pasta of your choice.
You also can’t go wrong with some Cheesy Garlic Bread or using it as a rich, creamy marinade for our Pork Loin, Beef Roast, or Whole Roasted Chicken found on our sister site, Fit Foodie Finds!
Top Tips for a Delicious Alfredo Sauce Recipe
- Use fresh, high-quality Parmigiano-Reggiano if you can. The pre-shredded kind won’t melt as nicely and will make your sauce grainy.
- Whisk, don’t stir! The whisk helps to keep the sauce from separating.
- Don’t overheat the sauce — it should stay at a low simmer. Boiling will cause it to break and become clumpy.
- Make and serve the sauce right away, as it tastes the best when served fresh!
FAQ
Can you freeze Alfredo sauce?
You could, but we don’t recommend it. When the fats from the cream, cheese, and butter begin to thaw from frozen, the sauce will become grainy and unappetizing.
Storage
Pour any leftover Alfredo sauce into a glass jar, allowing it to cool completely. Then seal the jar and place it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, pour your alfredo in a saucepan over low heat until heated through. We don’t recommend the microwave as it makes the sauce oily.
FYI: this sauce can only be reheated once before you’ve got to toss it, so only take what you need!
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 oz. fettuccine noodles
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Make the alfredo sauce. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the whipping cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Next, add the parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir occasionally to melt the parmesan cheese.
- Add the noodles to the alfredo sauce and toss to combine.
