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Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine pasta topped with a homemade rich decadent alfredo sauce
There are certain recipes that are essential to have in your recipe box and one of them has to be a phenomenal Fettuccine alfredo recipe. Years ago, when I was teaching kids’ cooking classes, this was one of the first things I taught them. Almost every single kid around goes crazy for alfredo sauce! It is so easy to make a homemade alfredo sauce that you will never buy the jarred variety again!
This homemade alfredo sauce is made with simple ingredients — butter, parmesan cheese, garlic, heavy cream, and salt. It’s a 5-ingredient alfredo sauce that is beyond easy!
If you are looking for a lighter version, I created a low-fat fettuccine alfredo version called Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo. You can find the recipe HERE.
This homemade alfredo sauce can be tossed with the pasta so the pasta soaks up all of the sauce or it can be spooned over hot, fresh pasta. I love to use fresh refrigerated fettuccine noodles because it tastes that much better. If you want the fettuccine alfredo to be a little more “saucy” toss the sauce with less than one pound of pasta (you may start with 12 ounces of fettuccine).
Tips for making PERFECT FETTUCCINE ALFREDO:
- Start by bringing water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt to the water to season the pasta. Once it is boiling, add pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Saute the garlic and butter together until softened — about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and let simmer over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add half of the parmesan cheese to the mixture and whisk well until smooth.
- Save some pasta water. The pasta water is full of flavor and can be used to thin out the sauce.
- Toss alfredo sauce with fettuccine pasta and add half of the parmesan cheese. Once it is tossed, garnish with the remaining parmesan cheese. Add a little pasta water if it needs to be thinned out.
- Garnish with Italian parsley, if so desired.
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Fettuccine Alfredo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fettuccine Pasta
- 6 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Garlic Clove (minced)
- 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Italian Parsley (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat water over high heat until boiling. Add salt to season the water. Once it is boiling, add fettuccine and cook according to package instructions.
- In a large skillet or pan, heat butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream.
- Let heavy cream reduce and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Add half of the parmesan cheese to the mixture and whisk well until smooth. Keep over heat and whisk well until cheese is melted.
- Save some pasta water. The pasta water is full of flavor and can be used to thin out the sauce.
- Toss alfredo sauce with fettuccine pasta and add half of the parmesan cheese. Once it is tossed, garnish with the remaining parmesan cheese. Add a little pasta water if it needs to be thinned out.
- Garnish with Italian parsley, if so desired.
Video
Notes
- Use real parmesan cheese, which is refrigerated.
- If you like it to be more "saucy", you may use less than 1 lb. of fettuccine pasta.
- Leftover pasta water may be used to thin out pasta sauce.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I hope you love this fettuccine pasta with homemade alfredo sauce. Happy Cooking, my friends!
How much does this recipe make?
The fettuccine alfredo could serve 4 as a meal and 6 as a side dish, depending on how much everyone eats. I hope this helps!
So tasty and super easy. Easily forgivable if, like me, you hate to measure ingredients!
I can completely relate! Before Modern Honey, I wouldn’t measure and would just go by “feel.” I bet you are a great cook! Thank you so much for trying my alfredo recipe.
I was a little sceptical but it was perfect! I also ate with with shrimp to give it more color, its flavorful and tastes like its from a restaurant (ONLY ADD 3-5 TABLE SPOONS OF BUTTER!) it doesn’t need all six and trust me on this because I only used 3 and it came out delicious!
I’ve made this sauce two times in the last 3 days. The 1st time I made with fettuccine as directed and served with broccoli Rabe as a side. Tonight I used the leftover broccoli Rabe and halved the alfredo to make a white pizza with spicy Italian sausage. Perfect! Pinned to my pinterest! Thank you!
Love hearing that this recipe has quickly become such a favorite! And it’s SO SMART to use this sauce on a white pizza. Absolutely brilliant! Thanks for trying it out!
So delicious, thank you! When I tried to reheat the next day on the stove it was
Just basically oily noodles. All the creamy goodness was gone. How do you reheat to maintain the creaminess?
It does break down when reheating, I just add more cheese and a bit of cream..still tasty
My 15 year old and I just made this for her friend’s birthday party/Italian-themed potluck. It is DELICIOUS! I used 2 boxes of fettuccine and tripled the sauce. And of course added an obscene amount of garlic. 😂 We will definitely make this again.
I love that your 15-year old made this for a party! That’s seriously amazing. I am so happy that it turned out so well and you loved it.
It was a huge hit. It was the first and only dish to to be absolutely demolished. Everyone loved it. Several parents asked for the recipe.
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
Thank you so much, I am going to make this dish this week.
I’m such a pasta lover and I had recently tried this so i had to learn how to make it, 10/10 for sure!
Delicious! Will definitely make it again. Thanks!
If you’re looking for that restaurant quality Alfredo recipe, this is it! I have tried many different recipes and they never quite got the flavor I wanted. This is so yummy!
You are so sweet Nikki! I love that you described this as restaurant quality. What a compliment! I really appreciate it!
The directions say to add the first half of the parmasan cheese in step 3 and step 5, I think, the way I’m understanding it?
Hi Sherry! You want to be adding the Parmesan a little at a time to avoid it clumping together. So yes! Add it in both steps.
This was so good! I did 5 tablespoons of butter instead of 6 and used half and half. It was perfectly creamy and thickened up quickly- foolproof. I topped it with toasted Panko breadcrumbs and some broccoli for some crunch and color. I prefer this recipe to other Alfredo sauce recipes which always seem way too rich or not rich enough.
Could you make this sauce a few hours ahead of time and let it sit in on warm in a crock pot?
I am sure this is a great recipe but I am a purest when it comes to Alfredo sauce. Garlic is not an ingredient in Alfredo it is cheese, butter, cream and pepper clean and simple just the way I like it.
Cream is not an ingredient in authentic alfredo sauce either.
I honestly was not aware cream wasn’t part of an authentic Alfredo sauce. If not cream, what should I be using instead?
Butter and Parmesan tossed with the pasta.
Love it with garlic added shrimp delicious!
Search up Vincenzo’s Plate Fettucine Alfredo for an authentic recipe. It’s fabulous. But, I am partial to this recipe though. I love the creaminess.
I’m a chef of 25 years. although these are not authentic to a t, it’s an absolutely fantastic recipe that i myself have served in my restaurant and have had outstanding feedback.
That’s right!
Then f*** off Kris and make “authentic Alfredo”. I thought your personal recipe for Alfredo was fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
Lol. Calm down there lil’ buddy. Everyone’s fettuccine alfredo is delicious in their own special way.🤣
I’m living for this thread…haha. And I can’t wait to make this!
Yes its an ingredient. Heavy whipping cream