Ditch the jar sauce and whip up your own batch of Homemade Alfredo Sauce from scratch! (And have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes!) This easy recipe will help you make deliciously creamy pasta dishes that are way better, and cheaper, than anything you can order at Olive Garden. The best part is this recipe for Homemade Alfredo Sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days!
WHAT IS ALFREDO SAUCE?
This thick, creamy Alfredo Sauce—what we like to call an “Amerifredo” or an American-style alfredo sauce—is a decadent pasta sauce made with butter, garlic, heavy cream, and tons of Parmesan cheese. Authentic Roman alfredo sauce does not include any heavy cream or garlic, and it derives all of its creaminess and flavor from the butter and really good Parmesan. But if you’re used to the “alfredo” served in American restaurants or bought in a jar in U.S. grocery stores, that’s what this recipe delivers.
CAN I USE MILK INSTEAD OF CREAM?
To make Homemade Alfredo Sauce that is thick, creamy, and delicious, you need to use heavy cream. Using whole milk or half & half will not work as well because the high water content in these ingredients will not allow the Parmesan to emulsify and melt smoothly into the sauce. The sauce will end up runnier, it may not cling to the pasta as well, and it will likely be a little clumpy or gritty in texture.
#1 Tip for success? heat control.
Make sure the heat is on low before stirring in the Parmesan cheese—even taking the pot off of the burner for a minute so the cream is no longer boiling—otherwise, the sauce could break. High heat separates the proteins and fats in cheese, which will give you a lumpy, unappetizing sauce. Waiting until the cream is no longer boiling will also help prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and not melting into the sauce properly.
What kind of parmesan is best for alfredo sauce?
We tested this recipe using grated Parmesan cheese (the kind in a can). It’s the most budget-friendly option, and will still give you insanely-delicious results! If you have the money to splurge, freshly shredded Parmesan will make the most creamy, dreamy Alfredo Sauce you’ve ever tasted.
tip: save your parmesan rind!
Dropping big bucks on a block of Parmesan cheese is absolutely not necessary (see above), but I do enjoy working it into my budget now and then. To make the most of every single morsel, SAVE THE RIND! Stash it in the freezer for your next soup or stew. Simply toss it in the pot while everything’s simmering and infuse the broth with rich, Parmesan flavor! (Remove it before serving…or sneak a bite when no one’s looking.) Add a leftover Parmesan rind to these soup and stew recipes:
EAT LEFTOVERS ALL WEEK!
One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can make it ahead. No more terrible re-heated leftover creamy pasta! Instead, let the alfredo sauce cool and store it in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Then gently reheat and add to freshly cooked pasta.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH HOMEMADE ALFREDO SAUCE
Drench this ultra-rich sauce over plain pasta or add some chicken, shrimp, turkey meatballs, or hearty vegetables even use it in a decadently cheesy pasta bake. And make sure to serve some garlic bread and a simple side salad on the side!
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Servings 4Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp salted butter ($0.30)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.15)
- 1 cup heavy cream ($1.00)
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper ($0.01)
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese ($1.15)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for two minutes or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Whisk in the heavy cream, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Allow the cream to come up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Continue to stir the mixture until all the cheese has melted and the sauce thickens.
- Serve over your favorite pasta, chicken, vegetables, and more!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
How to Make Homemade alfredo sauce – Step by Step Photos
Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepot over medium heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and saute for two minutes or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Whisk in 1 cup of heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly-cracked black pepper into the sauteed garlic. Allow the cream to come up to a boil. (About 5 minutes.)
Once the cream is boiling, reduce the heat to low. and stir in the Parmesan cheese. If needed, take the pot off of the hot burner for a minute so the cream is no longer boiling. (High heat could cause the cheese to separate.)
Continue to stir the mixture until all the cheese has melted and the sauce thickens. (About 5 minutes.)
Serve over your favorite pasta, chicken, vegetables, or more! This homemade alfredo sauce can also be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Oh, heck yeah! Who’s eating pasta all week?! (We definitely did!) ~ Marion :)
A great no-flour recipe, but I’d definitely recommend that you make it with either unsalted butter or omit the salt. It was a chore trying to counter how salty this was, and in the end, I had to thin it out, then thicken it again with flour (which than goodness nobody in my family is gluten sensitive). A keeper, with tweaks.
Delicious and so easy. I agree with the other review about it being a touch salty though, maybe my parmesan was on the saltier side too. I’d wait til the end to season next time
I made a half batch of this using half and half (used about 2/3 c) and it turned out perfectly. The recipe is so easy to make and makes a delicious sauce, I paired it with fettucine and Italian baked chicken.
Fast, simple, delicious. :)!!
Incredible. This will quickly work its way into our regular rotation. I would cut the salt in half, though.
I followed the recipe exactly. I don’t see the need for the Italian seasoning (it does mellow a bit the second day) and would cut down on the salt and pepper!
I am still enjoy enjoying the end product.
Could half and half be substituted for the heavy cream, or would that make the sauce too soupy?
While we didn’t test this recipe with half and half, I’m sure with some tweaking it will work out okay. Since it has about 2/3 the amount of fat as heavy cream, I’d suggest adding another 1 Tbsp of butter for every 1 cup of half and half you use. So, that’s 1 extra tablespoon (3T total) for this recipe, but add 2 more tablespoons (6T total) if you go on to make the chicken alfredo bake (https://www.budgetbytes.com/chicken-alfredo-bake/). I hope that suggestion works out well for you! ~ Marion :)
Thank you!
Can you double 1sauce recipe
You should be able to double it just fine. :)
Will this come together properly if half and half is used instead of heavy cream?
We didn’t try out the recipe using the same ratio of half and half, but with some tweaking, it would probably work out fine! (Otherwise, it might be a little runny.) I’d add an additional 1 Tablespoon of butter for every 1 cup of half and half. So if you make a single batch of this recipe, use 3T of butter, and if you double it as we do in the Chicken Alfredo Bake, use 6T total. ~ Marion :)
It’s too salty, and I used to find the recipes on this site (when it was still run only by Beth) rather undersalted for my taste. Your own recipe for chicken Alfredo uses 1/4 tsp of salt for the double batch.
Has anyone tried freezing this sauce?
We don’t suggest freezing this because it will probably separate, but it does keep super well in the fridge for about a week! ~ marion :)
I know it’s sacrilege but you can make it in the microwave. It takes 5 minutes total. You melt the butter, garlic, salt and pepper together, then add in the cream and microwave for about 2 minutes till it’s bubbling, then you whisk in the cheese and microwave again for another minute or so. Voilà, Alfredo!
You have changed my life with this information!
Brilliant, thank you!