Best Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo

Making alfredo sauce from scratch is super easy, quick and tastes impressive! The recipe is very forgiving so it’s a terrific dish for beginners.

Best Fettuccine Alfredo

When it comes to entertaining and dinner parties, nothing is more satisfying than pasta dishes. Whether it’s cheesy baked spaghetti, or a crowd pleasing Mexican pasta bake, you know it will be a hit.

Homemade pasta alfredo is at the top of my list of go-to recipes. It’s simply one of the most delicious meals you can make!

Serve it for overnight guests, or for an Italian themed dinner. Or, make it for a luncheon with the girls.

Why You’ll Love it

• Super simple to make with staple ingredients.
• It’s ideal for vegetarian guests.
• Quick and easy recipe. It’s ready in about 20 minutes.
• Use it as a main dish, or side dish with fish, chicken, pork or beef entrees. 
• It’s delicious comfort food!

Ingredients

The base for alfredo sauce is just 3 ingredients: butter, cream and grated parmesan. A little bit of seasoning adds flavor and depth.

• Butter. Use sweet cream butter, salted or unsalted will work fine.
• 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 (?)
• Grated Parmesan cheese. The sharp, nutty flavor of freshly grated Parmesan cheese is unmatched. Find it in the little tubs in the refrigerated cheese section of the grocery store. I like to use brands like Boars Head, that don’t have anti-caking additives, for this recipe. 
• Garlic. Use fresh cloves, finely chopped, or substitute with garlic powder; ⅛ teaspoon equals 1 clove of garlic and saves time.
• Nutmeg, salt & pepper.
• Pasta. Fettucine is classic 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.

This dish is best served immediately, although you can keep it covered with a fitted lid for about 10 minutes to keep it warm. Make sure to remove it from the heat first or the cheese will create a toasted crust on the bottom (which is actually delicious!). 

Expert Tips

• 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.
• 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.

Storage

• Keep sauce refrigerated for up to 5 days. Store it in a mason jar 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.

Variations & Additions

• 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 cooked vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, fresh spinach, sliced carrots or mushrooms.
• Serve over stuffed ravioli like spinach and mushroom, or lobster.

What to Serve with It

Include a dinner party salad on the side or as a starter.

• Add a spinach arugula salad with tomatoes and goat cheese.
• Mix up a roasted beet and goat cheese salad.
• Serve fresh sauteed mushrooms, roasted carrots, steamed broccoli, or roasted asparagus on the side.
• Serve it with chicken, pork, white fish or salmon.

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.

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.