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!
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Olive Garden Salad
- Copycat Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Mushroom Chicken
More Restaurant Copycats
Love Copycat Recipes? Check out my entire collection!
Get My Free Meal Plan
I’ve got a Free Meal Plan with 7 of my super popular recipes (complete with grocery list)! Sign up for my email list and I’ll send it over now along with weekly dinner recipes!
And follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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.
Wow! This was delicious and the whole family loved it 👩🍳💛
Thanks so much for the great comments and review!🩷 I’m so happy it was such a hit with the family!
Can you use the sauce in a pasta bake with ziti or penne? I’m wanting to add chicken and bake it with Italian cheeses on top. Just worried the sauce may separate. Any idea?
Hi Rachelle! I have this Chicken Alfredo Bake that uses this alfredo sauce recipe, that would be your best bet! I use shells but you can definitely use ziti or penne instead! 🙂
Hello
It was great. Thank you
Hi Kalyn! I’m so happy to hear that, thanks so much!💖
Followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out wonderfully! This recipe’s a keeper!
I’m so happy to hear that Kristen! I make this all the time. Thanks so much for the great review!😃
Easy and excellent. Used for a dinner party and it was absorbed! Even by the six year old!
That’s the best news ever! Thank you so much Rex!!
Just made this all the way in Sydney Australia! It was TO DIE FOR!! Thank u so much 🙏🙏
You’re very welcome Emmi! Hello over there in Australia🩷, Thanks so much for the great review!
I’m making this for a friend who is I’ll. Can I make it, combine the noodles in a casserole dish and have them reheat when ready to eat?
Hi Sue! Yes, here is the make-ahead and reheating instructions from the blog post:
-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.
Love this creamy flavorful alfredo sauce.
I am so happy that you loved it Estella! I went out on a limb and ordered some alfredo pasta at a restaurant yesterday, and I was quickly reminded of how much better this homemade recipe is! 😉 Thank you so much for the review!! -Stephanie
This recipe was delicious! Tasted just like Olive Garden. Kids loved it. Thank you!❤️
Thanks so much Kari! I’m so happy it was a success, especially with the kiddos. Thanks so much for the great review!💖
Made this recipe for my family and my family thought it was better than Olive Gardens! It turned out great! Thank you. I did add a little bit of nutmeg to the sauce because I think it adds to the flavor.
I’m so happy your family liked it so much Debbie! A little nutmeg is a nice idea!💖