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With a handful of ingredients, creamy Fettuccine Alfredo takes just minutes to make. It’s an easy, cheesy family favorite!
Fettuccine Alfredo is a classic dinner that is quick and perfect for picky eaters! Add chicken to make this even heartier or for a crowd, or try our Alfredo Casserole.
We all love Fettuccine alfredo!
Fettuccine Alfredo happens to be one of the recipes that everyone has a version of. It also happens to be one of my kids’ favorite dinner recipes.
We love it for so many reasons:
- It’s simple! From start to finish, this recipe can be made in about 30 minutes.
- Easy to add to. Add your favorite veggies or a meat like sausage or Chicken to make a delicious Chicken Alfredo.
- Hearty + delicious. Who doesn’t love a good pasta dinner? With the Alfredo sauce and cheese, this dish is so delicious and filling.
- Great for even picky kids! Even our most picky kids love this dish, which means it’s a winner in our books!
What’s the difference between Alfredo and Fettuccine?
- Alfredo is the Italian-American white sauce we all know and love.
- Fettuccine is the long, skinny pasta most of us like to enjoy with our Alfredo sauce.
Alfredo ingredients
- Fettuccine Pasta – it’s classic, but we also like Linguine or Penne Pasta.
- Unsalted Butter
- Minced Garlic
- Heavy Whipping Cream – We highly recommend whipping cream, but a whole fat milk or half and half does work too.
- Parmesan cheese – We put this in and on top of the fettuccine.
- Seasonings – Salt (we love the garlic salt with parsley flakes), Garlic pepper or black pepper as well as any fresh herbs to top off include: basil, thyme, rosemary
How to make Fettuccine alfredo
- PASTA. In a large pot, boil and drain fettuccine noodles according to the package instructions (until al dente).
- BUTTER + GARLIC. While the noodles are cooking, add 2 TB butter to a large skillet and medium heat and let melt. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- SAUCE. Add whipping cream and bring it to a simmer. Lastly, add 1 cup Parmesan Cheese and mix well. (Sauce will thicken up.)
- COMBINE + SERVE. Add pasta to the cream mixture and stir until covered. Top with garlic pepper (salt if needed) and more Parmesan Cheese.
What’s the difference between Alfredo Sauce and White Sauce (Bechamel)?
Both sauces are dairy-based, but White Sauce is thickened with a roux made with butter and flour while Alfredo Sauce uses heavy creamy and is thickened by reduction on the stovetop and not with a roux.
Recipe Tips
- Thicken the sauce. We typically add a little bit more Parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce, but you can also add flour. To make it more thick and cheesy, add ½-1 cup shredded Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese before serving.
- Thin the sauce. Add a little pasta water or more heavy cream to thin out the sauce.
- Make it without cream. For a lighter version of Alfredo Pasta, substitute the heavy cream. Some good substitutions for heavy cream are milk, half ‘n half, greek yogurt, or cream cheese.
- Variations. Mix in cooked veggies (broccoli is our fav) or top with grilled chicken breast, sliced sausage, or shrimp. Garnish or sprinkle with fresh herbs (fresh parsley or thyme) to make the dish look even more delicious.
What to Serve with?
When it comes to sides for this dish, most Italian-style appetizers, sides, and salads work. Here are some of the favorites we like to serve with Fettuccine:
How to Store
STORE. Place Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe in an airtight container or covered bowl and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
FREEZE. I have successfully stored this dish in the freezer many times. I often make a double batch so I have enough to freeze for another day.
- Place the pasta into a Freezer Ziploc, remove as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop
REHEAT. It’s a little tricky, but it’s best to reheat it slowly over low heat. Low and slow on the stove. This will help prevent the sauce from separating.
Make sure to stir it continuously to keep the sauce together. Add a little bit of milk to smooth it up a bit, if needed.
For more pasta recipes:
Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for a topping
- ½ teaspoon garlic pepper, or garlic salt
Instructions
- Cook noodles as directed on the package.
- While the noodles are cooking, add 2 tablespoons butter to a pan and let melt. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Add 1 pint heavy whipping cream and bring to a simmer. Add 1 cup Parmesan Cheese and mix well. (Sauce will thicken up)
- Add pasta and mix until covered. Top ½ teaspoon garlic pepper and more Parmesan Cheese.
Video
Notes
- Place the pasta into a Freezer Ziploc, remove as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe modified from Love, Pomegranate House.
Very bland. Unsalted. Do not recommend at all.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try.
Making this for friends tomorrow ths for post sounds delicious
Just tried this recipe, what do you recommend for saving? I’m trying to meal prep so I was thinking making the pasta to serving and saving the sauce by itself to make it easier to heat back up?
That’s a great idea! You could save them both separately and then heat up, mix and serve when you’re ready to eat it.
This recipe put the one that I did on my own to shame. I knew something was missing and just could not get it right. This recipe deserves 10 stars in my opinion. I put a little too much salt in mine but for left overs tomorrow I will add water and cream to warm it up on the stove which should fix it. You must use this recipe!
Oh I’m so glad to hear you loved the alfredo! Thanks for sharing!
Alfredo does NOT have cream of any kind.
This is kind of nonsense: cream or no cream!
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich knows a few things about Italian cooking and check her recipe for Alfredo (she uses cream).
She explains the background very nicely and how the original started and why some add cream.
You can always vary the amount of sauce to your liking.
So easy, and tastes amazing!
This is Amazing!! I’ve made it quite a bit with homemade rolls! It’s usually always gone afterwards. No leftovers. I have company coming tonight so I wanna double the recipe. Is it best to make it twice to equal doubling the recipe? I know that sometimes, doubling all at once can mess things up.
Sorry for all the “doubling”. Lol!
Yep, that should work just fine to double the ingredients all together. So glad you enjoy the alfredo!
Followed directions exactly only because i had all the ingredients. Absolutely delicioso !! Molto Grazie
I’m glad you had the ingredients! So happy you enjoyed the recipe!
This recipe was fairly easy and smells delicious… we’ll see… I’ll report back 😁
Recipe sounds great! Can I substitute condensed milk for the cream?
Eww! No!