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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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.
Please tell me what the best butter is to use!?!? I was using European butter and it was perfect but I can’t seem to find it anymore. Also I’ve seen some people say to use salted and others say unsalted. Which one is best? I absolutely love this recipe and refuse to use jar sauce now.
Hi Ashley, I recommend salted butter, Land O’ Lakes is a good choice that should be easily accessible 🙂
I went to Olive Garden and purchased an Alfredo take home meal but they didn’t give us enough sauce. So I found this recipe and cut it in half to compensate. Now it’s all I ever make. I could never use jarred sauce again. Thank you!
I’m so happy you were able to rescue your Olive Garden dinner Montesse! My family loves this recipe. I’m with you, I don’t use jarred alfredo anymore. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️
Delicious and easy🤩 I made this version of Alfredo sauce for the first time tonight. I also made Baked Meatballs this week. Love your recipes!
I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes, Amy! Thanks so much for the great comments and for taking the time to leave a review!❤️
My kids LOVE Alfredo. They lost their minds over this recipe. They all agree that it’s actually better than Olive Garden. Thank you so much for this recipe!
You’re very welcome April! I’m so happy the kids loved this so much. My family loves this one too. I love adding chicken or steak, or sometimes even shrimp and scallops 😋. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
I have tried making quite a few Alfredo sauce recipies and i think this one is the best!
That’s so great to hear Ben! My family loves this Alfredo. We make it all the time. Thanks so much for the great review!😃
My family loves this recipe soooo much. Even though I usually make it with pre shredded cheese it still turns out amazing as long as I add it very slowly. It is always such a hit I have to double it so we have leftovers. And add shrimp of course.
I’m so happy the family is loving the alfredo sauce Molly! I love adding shrimp too! Sometimes we’ll add scallops as well 😋. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
We love this recipe. Everyone from the little brother to the picky dad gobbles it up. Thank you.
That’s so great to hear Julie! I love when the little ones gobble it up. Thanks so much for the great review!❤️
Love this recipe!!! I’ve made it several times and it’s always a favorite
Yayyy! That’s so great to hear Julie. I love hearing from people who love this one as much as I do. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!💗
Absolutely delicious!
Yayyy! Glad to hear you like it Kaye. Thanks so much for the great review!💖
It was easy and delicious! Combined this with my marinara sauce and it created a perfect Parma Rosa. Thank you!
That sounds so delicious!😋 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!