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.
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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?! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
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 low to bubble. It will continue to thicken as it simmers.
- Slowly stir in the cheese. Taste and season with salt/pepper if desired.
- Drain the pasta and carefully mix it into the sauce until well incorporated. The pasta will absorb the sauce and it will continue to thicken.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve!
Notes
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.
I don’t know if these are words that people even use anymore but this sauce is bomb diggity!
HAHAHAHA I still say it, lol. And it’s a perfect way to describe this sauce if you ask me! So happy you liked it Christie! 🙌🏻
This sauce is really good. The first time I made it on its own and did broccoli as a side. Tonight I added mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes cooked in sherry wine. I also did a mix of Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano. I feel like it’s missing a little something to make the flavor of the sauce more potent. I will play around with it. I don’t mind making this for dinner at all because it’s so simple and quick. One of my daughters favorites.
Hey Angela! I’m glad you like it, your variations sound delicious!! Yum! Thank you for sharing!
Super good, super easy! I added Tyson’s Grilled Chicken Strips to it before serving. Loved it, just like Olive Gardens!
So happy that you liked it Beth, I love adding chicken too! Nicely done! 🙌🏻Thanks so much for leaving a review!
hands down the first taste I had of this recipe I had goosebumps from head to toe it was perfect most definitely way better than Olive garden’s I also decided to use hemis fares. Italian flat pasta nest. It seems great. Thank you SO MUCH!! 💛
Hey Krystal! That’s so great to hear, I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review- thank you so much!!
I love this recipe so much!!
Hey Saelkym, woo! I’m so glad that you do! My family does too!! 🙌🏻❤️
This is the BEST and easiest recipe my family and I make it ALOT..!!!!!
It is so good better than any restaurant I was told from my family of 6 who love to eat out.
Thanx for a Fantastic recipe!!!!!!!!!
I am so happy to hear that, thank you so much!!! 🙂 We make it all the time too! Thank you *so much* for the review! -Stephanie
Making this tonight for the first time! I finally have all of the ingredients! I’m sure it will be as delicious as everyone says! ❤️
Exciting, good luck!
Very good , thank you
The tips also were helpful
Hi Marissa! That’s great to hear, I’m so glad that the tips helped! Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it! -Stephanie
Can I substitute cornstarch for the flour?
Hi Jana, I haven’t tried it before but this resource is helpful in trying to make this substitution. You’d need to use half the amount of cornstarch as you would flour, and make sure you combine it with cold water, otherwise it will be very clumpy if you add it directly. You’ll also want to bring the sauce to a boil, add the cornstarch/water mixture at the end, and then reduce to a simmer, whisking continuously. I hope that helps!
Amazing recipe! Everyone loved it.
I’m so happy to hear that Amanda, WOOO!!! Thank you so much for the review!! -Stephanie
I have tried so many alfredo recipes and this simply is the best! All around easy and delicious. The fresh grated cheese made the difference I was looking for, and my family LOVES it. Thank you for sharing:)
Hey Jennifer! That is SO great to hear. You’re right, you can’t beat the freshly grated cheese. I’m so glad you found your go-to Alfredo recipe! Thank you so much for the review!! -Stephanie