Get my Cookbooks! Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce
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
More Restaurant Copycats
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Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
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!
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.
- Reduce heat to low and 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
Note: You may be tempted to add more cheese to thicken to sauce, but it continues to thicken upon standing and even when added to the pasta.
For Saucier Pasta: Use 3/4 lb. pasta instead of a full pound.
⭐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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 624kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 153mg, Sodium: 399mg, Potassium: 357mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 925IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 347mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
I just made this and it tastes amazing! Almost exactly how I remember the sauce from olive garden. Admittedly I doubled up the parmesean and used garlic powder instead of minced garlic because I couldn’t find romano or minced garlic abroad. I do have one question though: how long do you think this will keep in the fridge? The serving size ended up being a bit larger than I anticipated lol.
Hi Ky! This is best if used within 3-4 days! 🙂
Can you make this same recipe in the crockpot? Or would you not recommend it. It is delicious!
Hi Lisa! I recommend sticking to the stovetop so that it thickens up and so that it doesn’t curdle. ❤️❤️❤️
OH MY YUMMINESS!!!! I forgot the Romano cheese and had just the permanent… so good and even better the next day. Ive tried a few online recipes and none of them were good. This one…. ssooo worth doing and following to a T.
Thanks so much for the great comments Colleen! I’m so happy you enjoyed this one. I make it a lot since it’s so easy and my daughter loves it. Thanks again!❤️
Will this taste the same if I use almond or soy milk, or does it require the whole milk?
Hi Kelly! I would use whole if possible, I haven’t tried it with soy or almond milk and I’ve searched the comments and don’t see that readers have tried it that way either. It would likely be okay if you had to, but if whole milk is an option, I would suggest going with that. ❤️
This sauce is delicious and pretty much identical to olive garden. So easy. Thanks for writing it down!
My pleasure Mina, I’m so happy you liked it! Definitely makes for an easy dinner!💖
Can you make the Alfredo sauce the day before serving ?
Hi Peggy! It’s best if made fresh but you can make it ahead and reheat it if needed, I would recommend reheating it over a makeshift double boiler, it reheats pretty much right back to it’s original consistency as the heat distribution is even and gradual! 🙂
Hi Stephanie. I want to use your Alfredo recipe in a recipe that calls for jar Alfredo sauce. Can you estimate how much sauce your recipe yields? Thank you!
Hi Ranee! It makes enough to satisfy a pound of pasta, I don’t have an exact cup measurement though. ❤️ I love that you’re making it homemade over a jar, it’ll taste soooo much better!! 🙂
My sauce was gritty 🫤. What did I do wrong?
Hi Nancy! That happens if the cheese is added to the liquid over heat that was too high, causing the dairy to separate which creates a grainy/gritty consistency.
This is the best sauce! I’d like to make it in bulk and have to ask if it’s able to be canned? I’m new to canning lol
Hi Jessica! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it!! I went recommend canning it because of the dairy. 🩷🩷🩷
Has anyone ever made it with half and half instead of heavy cream? Just wondering if it would be as good? 🙂
You can absolutely use half and half instead of heavy cream and milk! That’s what I do most of the time. 🩷