Get my Cookbooks! Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce
Make Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce Recipe at home in just 20 minutes! Pair it with Fettuccine for an easy dinner idea the whole family will love!
Love Olive Garden Copycat Recipes?! Try these Chicken Gnocchi or Zuppa Toscana Soup recipes next!
I know it’s a restaurant chain, but honestly, Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce recipe is just perfect in my book. Hands-down. Chain or no chain, I love it.
(And you won’t believe how easy it is to make at home!)
PRO Tips For Making Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce:
- Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce recipe is made with Parmesan and Romano Cheeses, however you can also incorporate Mozzarella, Gruyere, Gouda, or Asiago. You can also just use Parmesan.
- You can use half and half instead of half heavy cream/half milk.
- If you only have evaporated milk, just use half the amount of milk and replace the other half with water. You won’t compromise flavor or consistency by doing this in creamy sauces like this one.
- You can even experiment with different pastas. I like fettuccine because the noodles soak up that thick sauce well, and Tortellini Alfredo with Broccoli is delicious as well!
How to Make Alfredo Sauce
Melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the flour. Add heavy cream and milk. Gradually whisk in the cheese.
Add cooked Fettuccine. Sauce will continue to thicken upon standing.
Tip: I like to use 3/4 lb. of fettuccine for saucier pasta, but this recipe will satisfy a full pound as well.
Tips for Extra-Creamy Sauce
- Use blocks of (high-quality) cheese and shred it yourself for extra creamy results. Bagged shredded cheese has cellulose added to it to prevent the cheese from sticking together in the bag. Cellulose repels moisture, which makes it melt poorly in comparison to shredding the cheese yourself.
- Let the cheese come down to room temperature before adding it to the sauce.
- Sprinkle in the cheese gradually, the sauce should be warm but not too hot. Otherwise the dairy will separate and the consistency will be grainy.
- High-quality butter is important. I like Land O’ Lakes brand.
⭐Pro Tip: Alfredo sauce continues to thicken upon standing, and thickens even more when it’s added to pasta. Refrain from adding additional cheese to thicken it up.
⭐This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 132!
Making Alfredo Sauce Ahead of Time
- Alfredo sauce is a convenient make-ahead and freezable sauce. Unlike some other cheese sauces, the flour in this recipe helps it to maintain it’s consistency when cooled and reheated.
- It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- It can also be frozen and is best if used within 1-2 months.
How to Reheat Alfredo Sauce
- Alfredo sauce will thicken up and harden as it cools, but can be easily microwaved or slowly reheated on the stove top. Reheating in a makeshift double boiler is the best reheating method to restore it back to it’s original form. (Either by itself or when combined with pasta.)
- Frozen Alfredo sauce should be thawed overnight in the fridge before heating.
- If the sauce is too thick when reheated, add a splash of milk or chicken broth to thin it out.
Try These Next!
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- Chicken Pot Pie
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- Olive Garden Salad
-
- Copycat Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken
-
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
-
- Bacon Mac and Cheese
-
- Mushroom Chicken
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Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
Make Olive Garden's Alfredo Sauce Recipe at home in just 20 minutes! Pair it with Fettuccine for an easy dinner idea the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter, high quality
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, 1% or 2% can be used if needed
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated and at room temperature
- ½ cup Romano cheese, grated and at room temperature
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 lb. Fettuccine
- Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Boil the fettuccine according to package instructions. As the water preheats, begin the sauce.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Add the heavy cream in splashes, stirring continuously. Add the milk in the same manner.
- Bring to a gentle bubble, then reduce heat to a simmer. It will continue to thicken as it simmers.
- Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in the cheese. Taste and season with salt/pepper if desired.
- Drain the pasta and combine it with the sauce until well incorporated. The pasta will absorb the sauce and it will continue to thicken.
- Garnish with parsley and serve!
Notes
Note: You may be tempted to add more cheese to thicken to sauce, but it continues to thicken upon standing and even when added to the pasta.
For Saucier Pasta: Use 3/4 lb. pasta instead of a full pound.
⭐This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 132!
The nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
For Saucier Pasta: Use 3/4 lb. pasta instead of a full pound.
Pro Tips for Reheating:
- Alfredo sauce will thicken up and harden as it cools, but can be easily microwaved or slowly reheated on the stove top. Reheating in a makeshift double boiler is the best reheating method to restore it back to it's original form.
- Frozen Alfredo sauce should be thawed overnight in the fridge before heating.
- If the sauce is too thick when reheated, add a splash of milk or chicken broth to thin it out.
- Be sure to serve this with my Olive Garden Salad!
⭐This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 132!
The nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 624kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 153mg, Sodium: 399mg, Potassium: 357mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 925IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 347mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
We make this weekly and my kids eat all of it (when you’re a mom this is such a win)!!! I am at a family gathering and I’ve been requested to make it for 15 people. Is there any tips you can give me making this recipe for this many people? I’ve never made this or any dinner before, for more than 6 people so I’m a bit intimidated.
I’m so happy that it’s been such a hit!! Thank you!! My advice would be to make sure that you have a cooking vessel that has enough surface area for that much liquid to reduce properly. Maybe just use something with 50% more surface area. And you can potentially lessen up on the garlic just a hint!
Make alllllllll the time!
Awesome!!! I’m sooo happy to hear that Brittany! 💕💕💕
Question. I didn’t see where we add the parmesan and romano cheeses. Are those added to the sauce or used to garnish the pasta? Thanks in advance!
Hi Cali! It’s in step 6: “ Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in the cheese. Taste and season with salt/pepper if desired.”
Identical to olive gardens!
Excellent!! I’m sooo happy that you loved it, thank you so much for the review!! You’re the best! 🙂
I made this recipe and it came out thick. Do you think I should reduce the flour or the cheese for it to be a bit creamier? Other than the thickness it was a great recipe.
Hi Leslie! I’m curious, did it simmer for a while or was it bubbling rapidly or for a longer period of time? It really shouldn’t be too thick but it will reduce down if it simmers too long.
I made this following all the directions, with exception of gluten-free. I subbed in Bob’s Red Mill one-to-one, and I used Barilla gluten-free spaghetti. it turned out beautifully, and I’m eating the leftovers right now..
I’m soooo glad you loved it!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I appreciate it so much!