It’s hard to resist this pasta with a rich and creamy parmesan sauce!
This Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is surprisingly quick and easy to make with just a few fresh ingredients. It’s on the table in about 20 minutes!
It’s great on its own or perfect paired with veggies like asparagus or grilled chicken or shrimp.
This recipe has been sponsored by Challenge Butter.
Creamy Homemade Alfredo
Alfredo sauce is one of the most famous cream sauce recipes because of its rich cheesy flavor and it’s so easy to master!
- Quick enough for a weekday meal but elegant enough for a celebration or to serve guests!
- Just a handful of ingredients, including butter, cream and lots of fresh parmesan cheese.
- This recipe comes together fast and is on the table in about 20 minutes.
- Make this sauce in a traditional fettuccine alfredo recipe, or use it as a sauce for cooked veggies.
Ingredients in Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce
Alfredo sauce requires only a few ingredients so ensure the quality is the best! If you’re looking for a lighter version, you can find our Skinny Alfredo recipe here.
Cream – Use full-fat heavy cream or whipping cream for the best results. Lighter versions won’t thicken the same way.
Butter: Use unsalted butter (we love Challenge Butter) and add your own salt to taste. The butter adds a rich flavor to the sauce that’s hard to beat.
Parmesan: Shred your own cheese with the finest side of a box grater or with a blender or food processor. Packaged shredded cheeses often have additives to keep them from sticking and may not melt well in this recipe.
How to Make Fettuccine Alfredo
It’s a simple recipe, elegant, and always pleasing, with just a few simple steps.
- Cook pasta al dente & set aside.
- Cook garlic in butter, stir in heavy cream & simmer per recipe below.
- Whisk in parmesan cheese & season. Toss with pasta.
- Garnish with fresh parmesan cheese & parsley & serve.
Tips for the Best Fettuccine Alfredo
- Save some pasta water in case the sauce needs to be thinned out a little in the last step.
- Be sure the butter and garlic do not brown.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese as most pre-shredded cheeses have caking agents in the packaging and might make the sauce grainy.
- Remove the sauce from the heat before adding cheese.
- Cook pasta al dente (firm) in salted water.
Leftovers
Keep leftover fettuccine Alfredo in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat on the stovetop and add a little milk or cream as needed.
Fettuccine Alfredo can be frozen, but the pasta will be less firm and the sauce may be grainy. Simply add a little freshly cooked pasta and some milk during the reheating process.
More Creamy Favorites
Did your family love this Fettuccine Alfredo? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fettuccine
- 5 tablespoons Challenge butter unsalted
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese grated
- pinch nutmeg *
- ½ teaspoon each salt & pepper or to taste
- fresh parsley and additional parmesan for garnish optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook al dente (slightly firm). Reserve ½ cup pasta water. Drain pasta (do not rinse) and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a 10-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Let simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the cream mixture from the heat and whisk in parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg until smooth. Season with salt & pepper.
- Add the cooked fettuccine to the skillet and toss with the sauce. If needed, add additional pasta water to adjust the consistency.
- Garnish with parsley and additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Video
Notes
Shred your own parmesan, pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well.
Ensure butter and garlic don’t brown, just cook it enough to become fragrant.
Remove the sauce from the heat before you stir in the cheese. If cheese is overheated/boiled it can separate.
Cook the pasta al dente (firm) and reserve pasta water to change the consistency of the sauce if needed.
Fettuccine alfredo will thicken slightly as it cools. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Reheat on the stovetop and add a little milk or cream as needed.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Made a crab alfredo using this recipe….looks scrumptious! I am using a penne pasta and was able to find a grated parmesan with bi additives (being lazy ) my house smells like HEAVEN!!
This recipe was so easy and so quick to prepare! But is disappeared almost as fast as I could make it. Definitely a hit in our house, especially with my toddler.
That’s too funny. But I am glad everyone enjoyed it. You will have to make a double batch next time!
Hi!
I just made this, very easy, I used angel thin whole wheat pasta, steamed broccoli and it was delicious…. thank you
Sounds so yummy! Thanks for sharing, Vee.
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!! So rich and creamy…and super easy and quick. There is a very good balance of ingredients in this recipe. It’s a keeper for me and my husband!
So glad you enjoyed it, Nancy!
Why does every recipe have cream it should not use cream and I so god damn delicious without it!!
The cream adds a richness to the alfredo sauce that is so delicious, Louis. Glad you enjoyed it without the cream though!