The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
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.
Try These Next!
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- Chicken Pot Pie
-
- Olive Garden Salad
-
- Copycat Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken
-
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
-
- Bacon Mac and Cheese
-
- Mushroom Chicken
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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’ve only ever attempted to make Alfredo sauce once and it was horrendous. I’m so glad I found your recipe and gave homemade sauce another try!:)
I’m so glad you found this recipe too Ashley! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!❤️
We were looking for an Alfredo recipe that was not as rich as the one we were using. This truly does taste just like Olive Garden alfredo and is perfect. Thank you!
You’re very welcome Jana, I’m so happy you enjoyed the Alfredo Sauce. I make this one all the time since my husband and daughter always ask for it. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!😀
It turned into a super thick roux.
Hi Rosa, if the sauce itself became too thick, it simmered for longer than indicated in the recipe. The evaporation that occurs as it continues to simmer causes it to become thicker and thicker.
Great, easy sauce. I use garlic powder so as not to have tiny pieces of garlic. I also use half and half successfully. Add because I use all the half and half (4 cups rather than 3), I add about 4 oz of cream cheese.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the sauce Kelly, I can’t even count how many times I’ve made this. Thanks so much for the great review!💖
This is a delicious recipe! Can I pour the sauce in if I’m going to fridge it overnight before serving? Or should I store the sauce and noodles separately?
Hi Sara, for best results, I would probably make the sauce and boil fresh noodles prior to serving. You can reheat the sauce in a makeshift double boiler to restore it back to it’s original consistency.
Would I add double the ingredients if I was to make 2 lbs of noodles?
Thank you
Hi Derik, yes you would!
A new family favorite!!!! Absolutely delicious!
I am so happy that you enjoyed it Laura!! 🙂
This is 10 out of 5 stars! So good! Thank you for the amazing recipe. My family loves it.
You’re very welcome Ryan, thanks so much for the great comments and review!💗
How much Mozzarella should I add? I want to include all three cheeses.
Would this recipe be ok to put in a crockpot on warm for a couple of hours ?
Thank you for your reply!
Hi Denise, I’m afraid that it could potentially separate. I would need to test it to be sure.
It’s perfect. I’ve been trying to find this recipe for a while because my wife loves OG Alfredo. You nailed it. I’ve made it twice this week.
I’m so happy you and you wife have been enjoying this Garth! Olive Garden is my guilty pleasure. Thanks so much for the great comments and review!💗