This Easy Alfredo Sauce is so rich and velvety, full of flavor and uses only 5 basic ingredients. It goes perfectly with your favorite pasta dishes, pizzas, potatoes and casseroles and can be ready in just 10 minutes.
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Better Than Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
Our recipe for Easy Alfredo Sauce is an American-style version, as opposed to an Italian “authentic” Alfredo sauce recipe which is basically just butter, Parmesan cheese and pasta water seasoned with salt and pepper.
American-style Alfredo Sauce is likely what you are most familiar with if you live in the United States. It’s almost always made with heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and seasoned with garlic and nutmeg. This creamy sauce is silky smooth, incredibly rich and goes great with a variety of different pastas, pizzas and casseroles.
This homemade version is honestly the only one you will ever need! Between this recipe and our Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks, we’ve got your pasta night covered. The sauce only takes about 10 minutes to whip together and you can easily double this batch to freeze some for later!
Easy Alfredo Sauce Ingredients
- Heavy Cream - this is what really gives that velvety, creamy flavor. If you want to cut a little fat from the recipe, though, you can substitute milk, but you will need to add 1-2 teaspoons of flour in order for it to thicken properly.
- Chicken Broth - you can also substitute vegetable broth to make this vegetarian.
- Parmesan Cheese - this adds a nutty, salty flavor. You’ll want to either grate your own, or purchase freshly grated, but avoid the Parmesan in a can. It doesn’t have the same flavor and won’t melt well.
- Nutmeg - this is a classic ingredient in American-style Alfredo sauce and gives a great flavor to all sorts of rich, creamy dishes.
- Garlic Salt - you can purchase this pre-made, or mix together half salt and half garlic powder. You can also substitute minced garlic and regular salt if you'd like. Just be sure to mince well.
How To Make This Alfredo Sauce Recipe With Cream
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and broth and bring to a boil. Continue to boil while stirring for 1 minute.
- Add the grated Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and garlic salt, and simmer while stirring for about 5 minutes so that the cheese can melt and the sauce can reduce slightly.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Enjoy!
What To Eat With Easy Alfredo Sauce
Fettuccini Alfredo and Chicken Alfredo are pretty self-explanatory, but the uses for Alfredo Sauce definitely don’t end there. Here are a few more ideas:
- We also have an delicious recipe for Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo, and if I can say so myself, its amazing!
- Creamy Garlic Tortellini Alfredo
- Chicken Stuffed Shells with Alfredo - you can substitute this Easy Alfredo Sauce in this recipe.
- Mix in a cup of Alfredo Sauce to your scalloped potatoes, such as these Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes, for a seriously delicious variation.
- Drizzled over Steakhouse Style Baked Potatoes
- Make your next batch of Mac and Cheese with a hefty dose of Alfredo Sauce mixed in for an even creamier, cheesier sauce.
If you are looking to cut down on the fat, you can substitute milk for the heavy cream in this recipe. However, since cream thickens the sauce more than milk will, you’ll need to add about 1-2 teaspoons of flour to the milk which will help thicken the Alfredo Sauce as it boils.
Besides adding a touch of flour, another great way to thicken your sauce and add a little extra flavor is by adding in some cream cheese. Instead of 2 cups of Parmesan cheese, you can add 1 ½ cups of Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of room temperature cream cheese.
You may need to adjust the seasoning just slightly before tossing with pasta, grilled chicken or drizzling on top of your favorite pizza.
Yes, Alfredo Sauce freezes well. Just make sure to cool completely, then transfer into freezer bags or an airtight container and you can store frozen for up to 4 months.
When you go to reheat, you will want to be sure and reheat over low heat, while stirring frequently so that it doesn’t burn, but also so that it does not curdle.
How to Store Easy Alfredo Sauce
- Fridge- This recipe freezes really well. You can put it in a jar or covered container in the fridge and it will last for about 5 days.
- Freezer- Unfortunately this doesn't freeze very well. Because it is made with fresh ingredients, it doesn't thaw and re-heat very well.
- Re-Heat- You can place the alfredo sauce to a saucepan, add a little milk or chicken broth to thin it out and heat it slowly. Be sure to stir constantly so the cheese has a chance to melt without scorching.
Easy Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Chicken Broth can substitute vegetable broth
- 2 cups Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 pinch Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Salt or half salt, half garlic powder
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and broth and bring to a boil. Continue to boil while stirring for 1 minute.
- Add the grated Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and garlic salt, and simmer while stirring for about 5 minutes so that the cheese can melt and the sauce can reduce slightly.
- Remove from the heat, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Here are some other simple pasta recipes that we love!
- Homemade Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Tortellini Bake
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Garlic Parmesan Orzo
- Baked Penne Pasta with Italian Meatballs
- Homemade Meat Sauce for Pasta
- More Pasta Recipes
- More Sauce Recipes
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This Easy Alfredo Sauce is silky smooth, incredibly rich and goes great with a variety of different pastas, pizzas and casseroles. Plus, it uses only 5 basic ingredients and comes together in just about 10 minutes.
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