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 their Stuffed Chicken Marsala or Zuppa Toscana Soup next!

I know it’s a restaurant chain, bu 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. Bow tie pasta does great with Alfredo sauce too, as I’ve proven in this Skillet Chicken Alfredo Recipe.

How to Make Alfredo Sauce:

Melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add half and half. 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 Alfredo Sauce

• Use blocks of (high-quality) cheese and shred it yourself for extra creamy, non-grainy results.
• 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.
• High-quality butter is important. You can also make your own butter.

Note: 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.

⭐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, the consistency is generally on the thinner side.

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 Fettuccine Alfredo

• For best results, reheat cold fettuccine already in a double boiler with the lid on. The consistency, texture, and flavor is much better than microwaving. (Here’s how to make your own double boiler.)
• Frozen Alfredo sauce should be thawed overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• If the sauce is too thick when reheated, add a splash of milk or chicken broth to thin it out.

Try These Next!

• One Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
• Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
• The Pioneer Woman Meatloaf
• Crock Pot Chicken and Stuffing
• Ina Garten’s Roast Chicken
• The Pioneer Woman’s Twice Baked Potato Casserole

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Did You Make This Recipe?

I would love for you to leave a rating and a comment below! How’d you do?! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Print

5 from 31 votes

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Servings:

6

Prep Time:

5 mins

Cook Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

20 mins

 

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 butter high quality
• 1 Tablespoon garlic minced
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups heavy cream
• 1.5 cups milk any kind
• 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

1. Boil the fettuccine according to package instructions. As the water preheats, begin the sauce.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

3. Whisk in the flour. Gradually add the heavy cream, then the milk, whisking constantly.

4. Reduce the heat to low once the sauce begins to bubble. It will continue to thicken as it simmers.

5. Slowly sprinkle in the cheeses, continuing to whisk.

6. Drain the pasta and carefully mix it into the sauce until well incorporated. The pasta will absorb the sauce an it will get thicker still.
7. Garnish with chopped parsley, and serve!

Recipe Video

Recipe 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.

Alfredo sauce is generally thinner than you may think and thickening it further may make it too rich.

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For Saucier Pasta: Use 3/4 lb. pasta instead of a full pound.

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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. You'll see it begin to take on more of it's original form as it reheats. 
• 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.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 624, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 153mg, Sodium: 399mg, Potassium: 357mg, Carbohydrates: 62g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Protein: 20g, Vitamin A: 925%, Vitamin C: 2%, Calcium: 347%, Iron: 2%

Author: Stephanie

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Alfredo Sauce, Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Source: Olive Garden