Easy Alfredo Sauce
Easy Alfredo Sauce has 3 ingredients. Itโs easier and simpler than you think to make a restaurant quality Alfredo sauce that is lick the plate delicious.
I cannot express how easy this alfredo sauce truly is! With just 5 ingredients, three of which are spices or seasonings, thereโs no excuse to not make this easy alfredo sauce. And itโs so delicious! I couldnโt get enough of it! I seriously wanted to lick the pan.
What is authentic Alfredo sauce?
Alfredo di Lelio invented this simple pasta sauce with just 3 ingredients. The story goes that his wife lost her appetite after giving birth. So, he created a dish with simple and nutritious ingredients for her to eat.
What are those three ingredients? Pasta, butter, and Parmesan cheese. Yes. I know that doesnโt sound very sauce like. But the hot, fresh pasta is combined in such a way with the butter and cheese to make a deliciously creamy and delicious pasta dish.
Alfredoโs wife loved the recipe so much that he started to serve it in the family restaurant called Alfredo alla Scrofa. Fast forward a few decades of serving this simple recipe to his parents. Two of those patrons happened to be American actors. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks were on their honeymoon there. They tasted the Alfredo and asked for the recipe. Alfredo, of course, gave it to them.
The famous couple raved about the restaurant and the pasta dish so much that other famous actors made a point to stop in and try it for themselves. The restaurant has enjoyed success and popularity from celebrities for over a hundred years. It must be the best fettucine Alfredo ever!!
Whatโs interesting is that according to some, fettucine Alfredo isnโt popular in Rome. And only 2 restaurants serve it. Both of which were at some time owned by Alfredo. But the popularity of this simple dish is evident in the States. Because thereโs a slew of variations of this delicious dish.
When is cream added to Alfredo recipes?
Iโm sure you can imagine that back in the 20โs and 30โs, ingredients like rich butter, egg pasta, and Parmesan cheese were readily available. The eggs in Rome are richer and so is the butter. And the cheese? Probably not the same caliber as Alfredoโs. So, to recreate that creaminess that people experienced in his restaurant, they added heavy cream.
Iโm glad they did. But it also means I must try the original recipe at some point. And that involves finding the best butter, cream, and fresh pasta I can in order to try to recreate the recipe. But for now, the cream does the job of creating a delicious and creamy Alfredo sauce.
Even with the cream, most donโt realize how easy and simple Alfredo sauce is to whip up. I kid you not. I cooked this up while I was making the actual dinner, we were having that night. Yes. I didnโt wind up making this for dinner like, I hope. But I made it anyway so I could share it with yโall. And thatโs what I had for lunch the next day. And it was the best lunch ever. Lick the bowl delicious.
What is in this easy Alfredo sauce recipe?
Technically, thereโs 6 ingredients in this meal as pictured. Thereโs pasta, cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. But you donโt have to add the garlic salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Though I might argue that the nutmeg really does round out the cream sauce. Almost any time I make a bechamel I add nutmeg. It brings out the richness of the sauce.
I used penne because I didnโt have fettucine on hand. However, fettucine is the traditional pasta for this dish. The size and shape of the noodles are best for holding all that creamy and delicious goodness. My penne pasta had ridges, so it did a pretty good job of holding the sauce, too.
Iโm sure youโre asking how I managed to reheat that delicate cream sauce. For me, thatโs low and slow. That means I put it in the work microwave for 2 minutes on power level 4. I also added a little cream to the bowl before reheating. I stirred everything together and then heated it for another minute on 3. There was some separation but not as much as putting it straight on 4 minutes at regular power.
What does this easy Alfredo sauce taste like?
I told you. I wanted to lick the pan. And the bowl for lunch the next day. I ate every bite of that pasta because the sauce is so delicious. Itโs simple. So you should use quality ingredients. Donโt get the can of powdered Parmesan cheese. And I would shy away from the pre-shredded Parmesan cheese. Not that itโs bad, but sometimes they might add cornstarch to keep it from sticking together in the package. That could alter you how recipe turns out.
Get a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it yourself. You only need one to one and half cups for 4 servings. I donโt think thatโs too much to ask from. Itโs not like youโre going to shred the whole wedge. But you could if you wanted to. Save some for later. Like a Caesar salad or some Parmesan crisps. Great uses for leftover Parmesan cheese.
I didnโt have any parsley to garnish this with. So, I sprinkled it with a little more nutmeg. You could garnish it with a little more cheese on top. Maybe some black pepper. Itโs up to you. Or get some parsley and have a colorful garnish on top. Itโs up to you!

Easy Alfredo Sauce
Easy Alfredo Sauce has 3 ingredients. Itโs easier and simpler than you think to make a restaurant quality Alfredo sauce that is lick the plate delicious.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cooked pasta
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Place the heavy cream in a nonstick skillet and bring to a boil.
- Simmer while the pasta cooks.
- Ad 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to the heavy cream.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese and remaining ingredients.
- Simmer until slightly thickened.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and simmer 5 minutes.
- Let the pasta cool 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 499Total Fat 40gSaturated Fat 25gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 122mgSodium 674mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 1gSugar 3gProtein 13g
Friday #DairyMonth Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Strawberry Cream Cheese Fruit Dip by Blogghetti
- Tropical Milkshake by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Cheesy Potato Casserole by Hostess At Heart
- Cheddar Cheese Crisps by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Cheesy Chive, Onion and Bacon Rolls Ups by A Little Fish in the Kitchen
- Easy Cheesy Corn Dip by The Spiffy Cookie
- Fresh Cherry Clafouti by The Freshman Cook
- Fried Cauliflower Feta Balls by Magical Ingredients
- Fried Ice Cream Bars by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Easy Alfredo Sauce by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Marinated Boccancini Salad by Palatable Pastime
- Smoked Fish Dip by Art of Natural Living
- Texas Roadhouse Cinnamon Honey Butter by Jen Around the World
- Three Cheese Garlic Grilled Cheese by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Vegetable and Cheddar Tarts by Karen’s Kitchen Stories