This copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce recipe is easy to make with only five ingredients. Once you make it from scratch, you’ll be hooked!
Of all the pasta sauces in the world, Alfredo sauce is my family’s favorite! It’s the first sauce I taught my son how to make back when he was in middle school. This Olive Garden alfredo sauce copycat is perfect for dipping breadsticks too!
What You’ll Find In This Post
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Homemade alfredo sauce is the most delicious thing you’ll ever make! It is infinitely better than the store-bought version, and you only need a few ingredients to make it. The sauce can be made ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator or freezer, and reheated as necessary.
Alfredo Sauce Ingredients
- Butter: We used salted butter in this recipe. The butter, along with the parmesan, make it so that no additional salt was needed.
- Heavy Cream: Full-fat heavy whipping cream gives the sauce a rich, creamy texture and flavor. Although you can use lower-fat substitutes, you will compromise the flavor and texture of the sauce somewhat.
- Parmesan Cheese: Alfredo sauce is made with melted parmesan cheese, so you’ll need grated parmesan cheese for this recipe. The powdered parmesan in a green shaker can will NOT work. We grated a wedge of fresh parmesan cheese, but you can buy the freshly grated parmesan in the deli section of the grocery store if you prefer.
- Garlic Powder: A little garlic adds a lot of flavor to this Alfredo sauce! We chose to use garlic powder in this recipe to keep the sauce as smooth as possible. If you prefer, you can use one teaspoon of minced garlic instead of the garlic powder called for in this recipe.
- Black Pepper: The black pepper adds a little bit of heat and some flavor to this basic sauce. It can be left out if you prefer, but we love it so much that we even add black pepper to the alfredo sauce at Olive Garden.
Freshly Grated Parmesan
Start by grating the parmesan cheese. There are a couple of methods you can use to grate it. The easiest way is to use a food processor! Cut the parmesan into cubes and place them in the bowl of the food processor.
Add the cover and process until it turns into powdery, grated parmesan. One eight-ounce wedge makes two cups of grated parmesan.
If you do not have a food processor, you can use a hand-held fine grater, or you can skip this step if you buy freshly grated parmesan.
How To Make Alfredo Sauce From Scratch
To make alfredo sauce from scratch, start by heating the butter and heavy cream in a large pot.
Once the butter is melted and the cream is hot, slowly melt the grated parmesan into the cream by adding a little at a time. Stir the sauce until the cheese is melted before adding more.
Finally, whisk in the garlic and black pepper at the end.
What other seasonings can I add?
We only added garlic powder and black pepper, but there are many other seasonings you could add. Try stirring in a pinch of nutmeg, red pepper flakes, dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley, or Italian seasoning. You can also add salt if needed but taste the sauce first to make sure. Only add a little at a time, tasting after incorporating it before adding more.
Is there a way to make a lighter version?
You can swap ingredients to try to make a lighter version of this easy Alfredo sauce recipe, but the results (taste and texture) will not be the same.
Try using half-n-half or milk for the heavy cream. Add less butter and add more liquid instead. To help thicken the sauce, stir in some low-fat cream cheese.
Another option is to start with a roux made from melted butter and flour. Check out my chicken alfredo spaghetti sauce recipe for that version.
How To Use Alfredo Sauce
This recipe makes three cups of the best Alfredo sauce that is an Olive Garden copycat! The most common way to use it is to put the sauce on fettuccini. But there are endless possibilities beyond fettuccine. Try using it as pasta sauce on your favorite pasta, such as tortellini, ziti, ravioli, or stuffed shells. We also love to use it as a pizza sauce, in chicken alfredo soup, and as a cream sauce in this chicken alfredo pot pie.
Fettuccini Alfredo
Cook a 16-ounce package of fettuccine according to the instructions on the package. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water just in case you need it. Then, add the cooked fettuccine to the Alfredo sauce and stir until coated. Thin with the reserved pasta water, if necessary. Serve immediately.
Dipping Sauce
Whenever we get garlic breadsticks from Olive Garden, we always order a bowl of Alfredo sauce to dip them in! You can also use it as a dip for garlic knots, garlic bread, and even meatballs.
Leftovers and Storage
Alfredo sauce is best when you use it right after making it. That being said, you can refrigerate or freeze Alfredo sauce and reheat it. With a little effort, the leftovers will be delicious!
- Refrigerator: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight, sealed container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Freezer: Store in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Reheat in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. The sauce will break (or separate) but keep going! Then, whisk it vigorously over low heat until the sauce comes together again.
What Others Want To Know About This Recipe
If your Alfredo sauce is too thick, it needs more liquid to thin it out. Try stirring in more heavy cream, a little at a time, until it is the right consistency. Another option is to stir in a little pasta water if you are making the sauce for fettuccine alfredo.
When the sauce is too thin, keep in mind that it will thicken some as it cools. If it is very thin, you can stir in additional grated parmesan to thicken it. Or another option is to try adding some cubed, softened cream cheese, stirring until melted. You can add another kind of shredded cheese, such as mozzarella, but it may change the flavor and consistency.
A cream sauce like this tends to separate when reheated. The best way to reheat Alfredo sauce is in a pot over low heat. Start by stirring it constantly and then switch to whisking vigorously until it comes together again.
Want more sauce recipes? Try these next:
- Homemade Cheese Sauce is smooth and creamy. You can put it on pasta or use it as a dip for croutons and tortilla chips.
- Use our Stir Fry Sauce to flavor vegetables, chicken, beef, shrimp, and pork. It is simple to prepare and easily customizable.
- Chocolate Sauce is amazing on ice cream sundaes, cheesecakes, cakes, chocolate milk, and hot chocolate.
- This simple Teriyaki Sauce is easy to make, and we love it on chicken, fish, veggies, and rice.
Alfredo Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz wedge parmesan *see note one
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the parmesan wedge into cubes and process in a food processor until it turns into powdery, grated parmesan. Or use a hand-held fine grater.
- Cut the butter into cubes. Warm the cubed butter and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the butter is melted.
- Slowly add the freshly grated parmesan, about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring until combined before adding more.
- Whisk in the garlic powder and black pepper.
- Remove from heat and serve.
- Store leftover alfredo sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat slowly in a saucepan over low heat while stirring.
Amber says
This Alfredo is seriously amazing! We often use for dinners but love using it as a side dish (like a veggie dip) as well!
A says
This is the best alfredo sauce recipe i’ve ever made and it’s easy to follow! You will never want alfredo sauce from a jar again after making it!!