Creamy, luscious, restaurant-quality alfredo pasta sauce needs to be your next go-to dinner recipe. This homemade alfredo sauce is better than jarred, has only 5 ingredients, and is keto diet-friendly.
You know what I always get at an Italian restaurant? Fettuccine Alfredo.
I had no idea that it was so easy to make my own alfredo pasta sauce. We often have some kind of pasta, be it spaghetti or penne, and it’s so awesome to be able to pull this recipe out at a moment’s notice.
My husband requests fettuccine alfredo often, and it was my go-to, spur-of-the-moment dinner when I was in my third trimester with my youngest! So, we’ve made this sauce a lot!
Yup, it’s that good, and it’s that easy.
The Five Ingredients
This incredible sauce is made with butter, heavy cream, cream cheese, garlic, and grated Parmesan cheese.
Because it’s made with so few ingredients, I highly encourage you to get the freshest, best quality ingredients that you can.
(Of course, I’ve also made this with a stick of butter that’s been sitting on the counter all week and a half open packet of cream cheese, and it has turned out pretty well, too!)
Cream Cheese
Butter, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and even garlic are pretty standard ingredients for alfredo. The cream cheese is what takes this alfredo sauce recipe over the top.
Cream cheese makes this sauce extra-melty, extra-velvety, extra-cheesy, and just plain delicious.
At our house, we’ve been known to toss some cream cheese in our spaghetti sauce, too.
Cream cheese is the best, and no, I don’t use the 1/2 fat or that tricky Neufchatel cheese that’s packaged to look like cream cheese!
Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano?
Please use real parmesan cheese. This is called Parmigiano-Reggiano, and it comes straight from Italy.
The stuff in the little plastic jars is an imitation and mostly filler anyway. Plus, it won’t melt.
Get the chunk of real cheese from the fancy cheese counter. (Don’t be scared of the fancy cheese people. They’re really nice, I promise!)
Here’s the Recipe for Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Stop using jarred sauces and make your own dreamy, indulgent alfredo sauce! It’s perfect for any recipe that calls for alfredo sauce.
Toss it with fettuccine to make a delicious alfredo pasta recipe.
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 2 cups heavy cream (1 pint)
- 1/2 cup cream cheese (about 4 oz)
- 2 tsp granulated garlic (or 1 tsp fresh minced garlic)
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (freshly grated)
- salt
- white pepper (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pan over medium low heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle in the garlic and stir to break up large clumps.
- Next, add the heavy cream and cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese is melted.
- Let the sauce simmer on medium low heat until it starts to thicken (about 5 minutes). Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan.
- Lastly, stir in the grated Parmesan. Taste and add salt and white pepper if desired.
- Add cooked fettuccine pasta to the pan, if using, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Cook 1 lb fettuccine pasta and toss with the alfredo sauce to make fettuccine alfredo.
- When reheating leftover sauce, be careful not to overheat or the butter will separate from the cheese.
- To make mushroom alfredo sauce, saute 1-2 cups of finely chopped mushrooms in the melted butter before adding the heavy cream and cream cheese.
One Acceptable Parmesan Substitute
If you start substituting any of these few ingredients, the sauce really won’t taste the same. But sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures.
The one cheese I’ve liked in place of parmesan is Pecorino Romano.
Unlike Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is made with cow’s milk and has a mild, nutty flavor, Pecorino Romano is made of sheep’s milk and has a strong taste. It’s saltier, tangier, and bolder than parmesan, so I really like it! I use less of it because it has such a bold flavor.
You can try any other real, aged cheese. Aged cheeses are typically hard, sharp, and more flavorful than the younger cheeses.
Think OUtside the Fettuccine Box
Love this sauce with pasta? Try this homemade alfredo sauce with other foods.
1. Zoodles. Zucchini noodles are a great vehicle for this sauce and will make your dish keto-friendly.
2. Chicken. Dress up a simple baked or grilled chicken with cheesy-licious alfredo sauce.
3. Broccoli. Ever had cheesy broccoli? Now imagine alfredo broccoli. Mmmm…
4. Pizza. One of my favorite pizzas is made with alfredo sauce, bacon, and mozzarella. You guys HAVE to try this!
5. Lasagna. Make a creamier version of traditional lasagna by substituting alfredo sauce for the tomato sauce and the ground beef and sausage for shredded chicken.
6. Mushrooms. Chop up mushrooms and saute them in the melted butter before adding your other ingredients to make a mushroom alfredo sauce.
7. Shrimp. Saute some shrimp with a little Cajun seasoning and top your fettuccine alfredo with that for a fun Cajun twist.
What Are You Cooking for Dinner?
Try out this recipe. Then let us know what you paired your homemade alfredo sauce with for dinner!
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