Description
You can make this rich, creamy, restaurant-style Alfredo sauce right in your kitchen in just 20 minutes. This easy recipe tastes just like the famous Olive Garden version and is perfect over fettuccine or for dipping breadsticks.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic to the melted butter and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown.
- Pour in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low.
- Slowly whisk in the grated Parmesan cheese, a little at a time, until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and the pinch of nutmeg, if you are using it.
- Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings as needed. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of milk or reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
- Serve immediately over hot fettuccine or use as a dip for breadsticks.
Notes
- For the best texture, use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Pre-shredded cheese often contains anti-caking agents that can make the sauce grainy.
- If you are serving this sauce with pasta, reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water before draining the noodles. You can use this water to thin the sauce if it becomes too thick.
- This sauce is excellent as a base for chicken or shrimp Alfredo dishes.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 42
- Saturated Fat: 26
- Unsaturated Fat: 16
- Trans Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 14
- Cholesterol: 140