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 a simmer. 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 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
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.
Woohoo!! This is the closest to OG’s Alfredo I have ever made. (And believe me, I have tried a lot of recipes.). Sooooo happy!
Yayyy! I’m so happy to hear that Sue! I feel like this is pretty dead on too. Thanks so much for the great review!❤️
I love this sauce!! Probably the best recipe for CopyCat Olive Garden sauce!! Love this!!
I’m so happy to hear that Larissa, thank you so much! It’s the only Alfredo sauce I’ll everrr make, you can’t beat it! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
Absolutely delicious!
The best
wahoooo! That’s so great to hear Kathy, thank you!😃
What is it called 2 chicken breast with spaghetti and red sauce on it
Chicken Parmesan.
Can I make this with half and half?
Yes 🙂
It is so good! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. I have started maki it once a week. I am not sure how long to simmer it in step 5 so I just simmer for a minute or two and then remove from heat and add the cheeses. I usually add some sautéed shrimp as well. Delicious!
Adding shrimp is amazing with this one, I do that too sometimes! I’m so happy you’re enjoying this one Emily, thanks so much for the great review!😍
Love this sauce and could not tell the difference from the one served in the restaurant. This is one of those last meal type of things. I could bathe in this stuff, it’s that good!!
Thanks so much for the recipe.
lol I could bathe in this too Sandy!🤣 I make this one all the time since it’s so versatile. Easy to add pasta, seafood, steak, anything! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thanks so much for the great review!
Delicious and easy to make. My family loved it
I’m so happy to hear that Beatrice. Sound like you did a great job with this one, nice work! Thanks so much for the great review!❤️
I have made this recipe many times now and everyone always loves it!! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
You’re very welcome Taylor!♥️ I’m so happy everyone’s enjoying the Alfredo Sauce! My family loves this one too, thank so much for the great comments and review!
Delicious 🤤 you can add if you desire. I made this for dinner and it was a hit!!
I’m so happy this was a hit Malinda! Thanks so much for the great review!😃