Best Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo

Making creamy fettuccine alfredo from scratch is super easy, quick and is a crowd favorite. The recipe is very forgiving so it’s a terrific dish for beginners. And when it comes to entertaining, nothing is more satisfying than pasta dishes.

Serve it for overnight guests, an Italian themed dinner, or a luncheon with the girls. It’s ideal for vegetarian guests and is ready in about 20 minutes. You can use it as a main dish, or side dish with fish, chicken, pork or beef entrees. 

Related: If you love pasta and alfredo sauce, then try these yummy lasagna roll ups!

Ingredient Notes

• Butter. I always cook with unsalted but salted can work fine here.
• Cream. Heavy cream makes this dish velvety smooth. Plus, the fat content helps to keep the sauce from clumping or curdling. Substitute with half cream and half whole milk if you like, or half-and-half.
• Fresh Grated Parmesan cheese. Find it in the little tubs in the refrigerated cheese section of the grocery store, or grate it yourself. I like to use a brand like Boars Head for this recipe. I do NOT recommend using grated parmesan from those shaky containers – it has anti-caking additives that clump instead of making a creamy texture.
• Garlic. Use fresh cloves, finely chopped, or substitute with garlic powder; ⅛ teaspoon equals 1 clove of garlic and saves time.
• Pasta. Fettucine is traditional, but you can also use tagliatelle, pappardelle, or egg noodles.

You’ll need a pot of boiling water for the pasta, and a large skillet for the sauce.

How to Make Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Use a large 12-inch skillet with high sides to make the sauce.

1. Melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the cream and bring to a steady simmer to thicken the sauce.

3. Whisk in the cheese until it melts smooth.
4. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat using tongs.

Helpful Tips

The key to the sauce is to cook it at a steady simmer until it’s thickened. Look for it to be a little bubbly, but not boiling, and watch for it to coat the back of a spoon.

This dish is best served immediately but you can keep it warm in a slow cooker, a chafing dish, or on a warm setting and covered on the stove. Make sure the heat doesn’t continue to cook it. 

Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. You don’t want to over cook it since you’ll be adding it back into the hot sauce where it will continue to heat through.

Save some of the cooked pasta water to use in case your sauce needs to be thinned out.

Storage

Keep sauce refrigerated for up to 5 days. Store it in a mason jar or other container with a secure lid. Freeze the sauce in a Ziplock back or mason jar for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat slowly on the stovetop over low heat.

Serving Suggestions

• Use the sauce for chicken alfredo with fettuccine, spaghetti or linguine.
• Add seafood to make shrimp or scallops linguini. 
• Make it with penne or elbow macaroni and stir in shredded mozzarella for a baked pasta dish you heat in the oven.
• Toss in some vegetables like steamed broccoli, asparagus, fresh spinach, peas, or mushrooms.
• Serve over stuffed ravioli like cheese-stuffed, spinach and mushroom, or lobster.

PARTY TIP: Serve creamy alfredo dishes with a dry but fruity white wine like Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Orvieto. Or try a light acidic red wine such as Pinot Noir, Barbera or Beaujolais.

What to Serve with It

For a dinner party you can include a spinach arugula salad with tomatoes and goat cheese or a roasted beet and goat cheese salad.

Serve fresh sauteed mushrooms, roasted carrots, steamed broccoli, or roasted asparagus on the side. Add chicken, pork, white fish, or salmon for a protein.

This homemade fettuccine alfredo is so good you may just want to pour it into a bowl and eat it like soup! Give it a try for your next dinner party of family gathering.