This Homemade Alfredo Sauce recipe is rich and creamy, made from scratch, and the perfect pair for your favorite pasta. Quick and easy this delicious sauce is made in just 15 minutes to make a simple weeknight meal or cozy Sunday dinner with family. Use it tonight to make a tasty fettuccine alfredo, a creamy white lasagna, or even white pizza! For a quick overview on how to make this recipe, check out my web story on Homemade Alfredo Sauce.
Homemade Alfredo Sauce For Pasta
There is nothing like a good homemade alfredo sauce slathered all over freshly cooked pasta. The ultimate comfort food, right? This recipe is a family favorite for an easy alfredo sauce for pasta. Not only is it quick to make, but it's packed full of amazing flavor. Growing up I wasn't a huge fan of marinara, so alfredo sauce was always my first pick for pasta. It's rich and creamy flavor is the perfect comfort food when you are in need of a pick me up!
What Is Alfredo Sauce Made Out Of?
There are many different versions of alfredo sauce out there. Some alfredo recipes are made with cream, while others are made with half and half or sometimes milk. Some use flour to thicken the sauce and some use different types or combinations of cheese. The original alfredo recipe was actually comprised of only two ingredients: parmesan cheese and butter. While this version contains a few more ingredients than its authentic origination, it's still my favorite! Here is what you will need to put together this delicious sauce:
- Butter
- Chopped garlic
- Flour
- Half and Half
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt & Pepper
- Ground Nutmeg
If you are using this alfredo sauce for pasta, I highly recommend adding some of the pasta cooking water to the sauce. Not only does it add flavor to the sauce, but it also helps bind the sauce to the pasta.
How to Make Alfredo Sauce from Scratch
This sauce is so simple to put together and can be whipped up in just a few steps:
- Melt your butter in your pan until it stops foaming, then add your garlic in and saute until you start to smell the garlic.
- Next, sprinkle in your flour and whisk together while cooking the mixture for a bit.
- Then, you will whisk in your half and half and continue cooking while stirring until it starts to thicken up.
- At this point, you will remove the pan from the heat and add in your cheese, salt, and pepper, and don't forget the nutmeg!
- The sauce will be pretty thick at this point, so adding 1-2 cups of the pasta cooking water will help thin it to your desired consistency.
Don't worry if you accidentally drained your pasta without reserving the water. First of all, I've done this a million times and it works just fine to use a bit of milk or water to thin it to your desired consistency. You can also do this if you are using this alfredo sauce for pizza.
What Is Alfredo Sauce Used For?
The most common use for alfredo sauce is for the well-known classic dish, fettuccine alfredo. There are, however, many different uses for this delicious sauce. Pair it with my Homemade Spinach Fettuccine for a Sunday dinner to remember or my Roasted Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo for an easy weeknight meal. Try this sauce with other types of pasta, such as penne, rigatoni, or even bucatini. This easy alfredo sauce would also be a delicious substitute for marinara in my recipe for The Perfect Classic Italian Lasagna to make creamy white sauce lasagna. Lastly, it would make a delicious white sauce for pizza using either my Cast Iron Pan Pizza or Pizza on the Grill recipes.
More Pasta Sauce Ideas...
I hope you enjoyed this Homemade Alfredo Sauce recipe and that it soon becomes your favorite! For even more pasta sauce ideas, check out these other ones below:
Don't forget, if you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and give it a rating. I love to hear from each and every one of you! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram as well, if you make any of my recipes. It makes my day to see all of your photos of the food you have made.
Happy Cooking!
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This creamy and flavorful Homemade Alfredo Sauce is made from scratch and is perfect with fettuccine, angel hair, or any type of pasta!
Ingredients
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 pint half and half
- ½ cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1-2 cups pasta cooking water or milk
Instructions
- In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium-high heat until it stops foaming. Stir in chopped garlic, allowing to cook for about 30-60 seconds, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.
- Pour in half and half and whisk to combine. Lower heat to medium and cook while whisking until sauce thickens.
- Remove pan from the heat and whisk in parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- If serving this with pasta, reserve 1-2 cups of the pasta cooking water to whisk into the sauce at the end to achieve the desired consistency. Milk can also be used as a substitute for this step.
- Category: Sauces
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Nutrition
- Calories: 156
Keywords: cheese, comfort food, italian, pasta, sunday dinner
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think: