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
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- 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.
Amazing, packed with flavor, & full on kid & teenager approved.
My kids luv’d luv’d luv’d it.
Quick & easy to make, aftee coming home late on a Sunday from doing laundry.
I’m so happy the kiddos loved it so much Angela, such a victory! Thanks for the great review!💗
I usually never comment but I had to for this— this is literally the closest recipe to Olive Garden that I’ve ever made. As a former OG employee, trust me, I had this a LOT. I used a *packed* 1/2 cup of each cheese and that brings out that super cheesy flavor. I also used Cup4Cup Gluten Free flour to make it gfree for my celiac family and you absolutely cannot taste the difference. Getting the right cheese is also imperative; regular pre-shredded cheese is coated in cornflour to reduce clumping. You need BLOCK Romano and BLOCK *real* Parmeggiano-Reggiano (must have both words in order for it to be the true stuff) to get the right flavor. Otherwise, you’ll have chunky cheese floaters and not the nice smooth sauce that this makes. So so so so good.
I’m so happy to hear such great comments Mandy, especially from a former OG employee! Thanks so much for sharing your insight, it’s much appreciated!💗
This is the best alfredo sauce I’ve ever made. I’ve been looking for years trying to find one that tastes like my grandma’s homemade sauce and this one finally tasted right! The flavor is impeccable and I will be making this over and over again.
I’m so happy this reminds you of your grandmothers recipe Lexi!💖 Thanks so much for the great review!
To note I was not trying to be rude. When writing it seems that way, but that isnt the case. I was just stating that it’s ok to use substitutes .
Hi Ms! I’m not really stating that people “have” to use high quality butter or grate their own cheese. Butter is a big player in this recipe and using higher quality, if you’re able, is merely a suggestion. (This recipe is typically a splurge anyway.) The same goes for bagged cheese, you don’t “have” to grate it yourself but packaged cheese contains cellulose, which prevents it from clumping together in the packaging, which also prevents it from melting as well in soups and sauces. These are just guiding points, people are free to do what they can, need to, or want to 🙂 My site aims to teach.
I’ve been making alfredo sauce for a long time and the bagged shredded cheese note isnt all true. That’s what I use and it always comes put just great. And the butter part any type of butter will do. Not everyone can afford high quality all of the time. So if you need to go cheaper yes you can use great value. Butter if needed and bagged cheeses.
Easy, quick, really good! Everyone loved it!👍🏼
I’m so happy this was a success Elva, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💗
This sauce is so good I could drink it. Best ever, and so easy to make. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
My pleasure Pamella, I’m so happy you liked it so much. I’ve come close to drinking the sauce too 🤣 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
I made your recipe for 40 on Saturday. I doubled and tripled the ingredients and it turned out wonderful. Tons of compliments!
Thanks.
Wow, I’m so happy this passed the ultimate test Nadine, Nice work feeding it to 40 people🙌! Thanks so much for the great comment and for taking the time to leave a review!💕
Excellent sauce that I’ll definitely be making again. Cooked it according to the directions and it turned out perfect.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the Alfredo Sauce Melissa! This one has bailed me out a lot during busy weekdays. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖
it was easy and delicious
Yayyy, that’s what I love to hear Gigi, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖