Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo Sauce is a fast and easy creamy sauce made with a simple combination of heavy whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, butter, flour and garlic. This recipe for Homemade Alfredo Sauce is my family’s absolute favorite. Alfredo Sauce is a classic creamy pasta sauce that only takes about 15 minutes to make and features lots of Parmesan cheese.

The best sauce for any of your favorite pasta, Chicken Alfredo, Shrimp Alfredo, poured over broccoli, to dip breadsticks, and many other dishes.

HOMEMADE ALFREDO SAUCE

This is my family’s absolute favorite sauce to have with pasta, chicken, shrimp, and vegetables. (I’ve even make some Alfredo for a quick lunch to dip some bread stick into.)  Like many other classic sauces, you can use Alfredo sauce with so many different dishes so the whole jar of sauce can last through several different dinners. 

After many disappointing tastings of jarred sauces, I had to come up with my own recipe that my family will actually enjoy. My Alfredo Sauce has taken me years to perfect. I’ve tried a few different variation and this one is the best by far. I like using fresh grated Parmesan cheese and dry Parmesan. The combination of the two makes perfect texture and flavor.

Among all the classic sauces, Alfredo is my favorite one because it’s so creamy, cheesy, and comforting. It’s perfect with chicken, seafood, vegetable or to dip some bread sticks in it. Yes, this sauce can even be served as an appetizer or a dip!

ALFREDO SAUCE INGREDIENTS

Heavy whipping cream – for the rich and creamy Alfredo, it’s best to use heavy whipping cream.

Butter – use unsalted butter and add salt to the sauce according to your preference. 

Sour cream – the small amount will add some flavor balance to the cream with it’s tartness. 

Flour – just a little bit to thicken the sauce. 

Garlic – there is just one clove but it will give a very pleasant flavor to the sauce without overpowering it.

Parmesan cheese – a combination of fresh grated and pre-grated is perfect for the flavors and the texture because fresh grated Parmesan cheese melts better but pre-grated Parmesan that you can buy does not. 

Use salt and pepper to taste.

HOW TO MAKE IT

This sauce is a very easy sauce to make and will only take about 15 minutes and you can make it while pasta and meats are cooking. It’s always best to prepare and measure your ingredients ahead of time, especially in a fast recipe like this one.

Use a medium sauce pot to prepare the Alfredo Sauce. Melt butter over medium heat and once butter is melted, add pressed garlic. Cook garlic until it’s fragrant and sprinkle flour over it. Stir and then slowly pour in heavy whipping cream. 

Gently stir the mixture together and let it heat through. (Don’t let it boil!) Once heavy cream is hot, whisk in sour cream, Parmesan cheeses, salt, and pepper. Lower heat to medium-low and gently stir until grated cheese starts to melt.

Keep cooking over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Once sauce is ready mix it with cooked pasta.

IS ALFREDO SAUCE GLUTEN FREE?

This Alfredo Sauce recipe is not gluten free BUT it is easily make gluten free by using gluten free all purpose flour. There is not much flour that goes into the sauce because the sauce gets most of its thick texture from Parmesan cheese and sour cream. The combination of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some dry Parmesan cheese thickens the sauce nicely where only a small amount of flour is needed. 

STORING INSTRUCTIONS

Store Alfredo sauce in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS

I don’t really recommend reheating Alfredo Sauce in a microwave because it separates easily if it is overheated. The key to reheating Alfredo sauce is low and slow.

If you wish to try and reheat it in a microwave, use lower power setting and heat it up for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. 

The better way to reheat it though is in a small sauce pot, over medium-low heat. Let it warm up slowly, while stirring often. 

One more way to reheat the sauce is to mix cold sauce with hot, freshly cooked pasta. As soon as you drain the boiling water off pasta, add it back to the empty pot and add cold sauce. Mix it together and let hot pasta heat up the sauce. 

CLASSIC ITALIAN SAUCE RECIPES TO TRY

Bolognese Sauce – meat based Italian sauce made with vegetables, wine, milk, and a combination beef and pork.

Spaghetti Sauce – Spaghetti sauce, also known as marinara sauce, is a perfect tomato sauce for many classic Italian dinners.

Vodka Sauce – Vodka sauce is a smooth, creamy tomato sauce that is cooked with a hefty addition of vodka to enhance the flavors and aroma.

Pomodoro Sauce – light and fresh tomato-based sauce made with only 5 main ingredients and a couple simple seasonings.

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Classic Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo Sauce is a classic creamy pasta sauce that only takes about 15 minutes to make and features lots of Parmesan cheese. It can be served with pasta, chicken, shrimp, broccoli, and many other dishes.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: alfredo sauce, cream sauce, sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 6 (Makes about 3 cups)

Calories: 400kcal

Author: lyuba

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 large clove of garlic pressed
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour (can substitute gluten free flour)
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup dry Parmesan cheese
• salt
• pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.
• Add pressed garlic and saute until fragrant (just a few seconds). 
• Sprinkle flour over it, start whisking, and slowly add heavy whipping cream WHILE whisking constantly. (I suggest using a silicone covered whisk so it doesn't scratch the pot). Heat through over medium heat as you slowly stir.
• Whisk in sour cream, Parmesan cheeses, salt, and pepper. Lower heat to medium-low.
• Keep cooking on medium-low heat for about 5-7 minutes, stirring often. (Do not let it boil.)

Video

Notes

Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 91mg | Vitamin A: 1480IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 253mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on February 3, 2014. Updated April 6, 2021.