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’m always skeptical of copycat recipes, but this one blew me away! This is Olive Gardens Alfredo to a T, and with some grilled steaks it is delicious!! Thank you
Thanks so much Justin! I’m happy you think this one is as exact as I think it is💖
My whole family loved this recipe! Even my most picky kids. I had another recipe that I’ve used for years for Alfredo sauce but this one is our new favorite. 🙂
I’m so happy the family loved it Julie!💖 My family loves this one too. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Felt like I was at olive garden. Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome Joan, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! I love having this available so I can just boil some pasta and have a delicious meal ready to go in no time! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!💖
Perfect😁
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review Dan!😍 I love being able to make this sauce at home!
THIS IS THE BEST!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed it, thank you so much! -Stephanie
Always my go to when I want to make shrimp scampi to top it, I also add spinach 😋🤤
I love adding shrimp and sometimes scallops to this!😋 I’m so happy you enjoyed it yolanda. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Looking forward to trying this recipe.
I’d love to add chicken, any recommendations on the best way to incorporate chicken breasts?
I would take 1 large chicken breast and slice it into 2-3 thinner slices, each about 1/2 inch thick. Season with salt/pepper and Italian seasoning. Sear in olive oil over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice into strips and serve on top of the Alfredo Pasta 🙂
My husband thought this was amazing, the only add that I made was a little cream cheese, thank you for the recipe!
You’re very welcome Rey! Glad to hear the husband liked it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
So easy and so much better than store bought! Thank you for making it simple!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it Mara!! 🙂
This recipe is a life saver! The kids really approved it! I am glad I found this recipe because it is cheaper to make than to order! 🥰 Big thanks!!!
I’m so happy the kids approved Felesse!❤️ I love being able to make this from home! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Good but it didn’t make much sauce..
Hi Stacey! There are 3 cups of liquid in this recipe and one cup of cheese in addition to the roux. Did you inadvertently adjust the number of servings and make less by chance? (Sometimes people do that when they try to print, they change the number of servings by accident, thinking that it means it’s going to print “1” page.)
This is the best Alfredo sauce I have ever made. My wife loves it and asks me to make it all the time.
Thanks for the recipe.
I am so happy to hear that Steven, thank you so much for the review! 🙂 I appreciate it!!! -Stephanie