This fettuccine Alfredo recipe is creamy pasta at its best! The homemade Alfredo sauce is rich, silky, and easy to make with simple ingredients.
This fettuccine Alfredo recipe is for those nights when only creamy pasta will do. Think Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or when you’re craving something that’s comforting and quick.
It calls for 8 basic ingredients and comes together in 20 minutes, but it still tastes like it could have come from a restaurant. Simple, flavorful, and indulgent—that’s this fettuccine Alfredo.
My Homemade Alfredo Sauce
For the last few years, I’ve always made this cauliflower Alfredo sauce when I’ve had a fettuccine Alfredo craving. But I recently found myself with some extra cream in the fridge (testing a tiramisu recipe will do that to you), and I decided to work on a traditional Alfredo sauce recipe.
When I say traditional, I mean Italian-American traditional. The original Alfredo sauce dates back to early twentieth century Rome, and it was made with just Parmesan cheese and butter.
But as American cooks adapted Alfredo sauce to their ingredients and tastes, it came to include cream. The cream adds richness, thickens the sauce, and makes it easier to incorporate the cheese. Jack and Ollie both totally love this version—it’s rich, velvety, creamy pasta perfection. I hope you do too!
Fettuccine Alfredo Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this fettuccine Alfredo recipe:
- Fettuccine, of course! Another long pasta shape, like linguine or tonnarelli, would also work well. For an extra-special treat, use fresh homemade pasta instead of dried.
- Butter and heavy cream – They create the sauce’s rich base.
- Garlic and Parmesan cheese – For nutty, savory depth of flavor.
- Fresh parsley – I love this fresh garnish on this rich, creamy pasta.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Fettuccine Alfredo
You can find the complete fettuccine Alfredo recipe with measurements below, but for now, here’s a quick overview of how it goes:
Start by cooking the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Before you drain it, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. You’ll use it later!
Next, simmer the sauce. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add the cream while whisking, then whisk in the garlic and salt. Simmer until thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add half the cheese and stir until melted.
Then, toss the pasta with the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the remaining cheese and toss until melted, adding pasta water as needed to thin the sauce to your desired consistency.
Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve!
Recipe Tips
- Grate the cheese yourself. Whenever you want cheese to melt into a smooth and creamy sauce, it’s best to grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is often drier and coated in anti-caking agents, which can result in a clumpy, uneven texture.
- Add the cheese in two parts. This will help it incorporate evenly. Whisk some into the sauce before adding the pasta, then add the rest after you toss the pasta with the sauce. If necessary, add a little pasta water to help the second addition of cheese melt.
- Thin the sauce with pasta water if needed. Make sure to reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta! The sauce can become fairly thick after the cheese is added. The starchy, salty pasta water is a flavorful way to thin it to a silky consistency.
- You can add veggies! We love this recipe as written, but it’s great with veggies mixed in too. Fold in fresh spinach, thawed frozen peas, sautéed asparagus, or even steamed broccoli.
What to Serve with Fettuccine Alfredo
This fettuccine Alfredo pairs perfectly with a fresh salad or side of green vegetables to balance the richness. Try serving it with any of these recipes:
If you like, round out the meal with homemade focaccia or garlic bread for sopping up any sauce left at the bottom of your bowl.
More Pasta Recipes to Try
If you love this fettuccine Alfredo recipe, try one of these pasta dishes next:
Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettuccine pasta
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into pats
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. While whisking, pour in the cream. Add the garlic and salt and cook, whisking occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until thickened. Add half the Parmesan and whisk until melted.
- Add the pasta and toss to coat, then add the remaining cheese and toss again until it melts into the sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick, add the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen it. I typically add around ½ cup.
- Season to taste and serve topped with freshly ground black pepper and parsley.
So easy and so good! This is such a great alternative to heavy fettucine sauce but tastes just as good. It also made for a good recipe to make with my toddler. I served the pasta and sauce with steamed broccoli and next time I will add chicken too. Thank you for this recipe!!
Oh.My.Gosh. Absolutely delicious! Definitely going to be making this more often. It tastes AMAZING!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I would bathe in this sauce
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Tastes great and easy to make 🙂
Super easy to make and instead of pasta I use hearts of
Palm linguini best find ever in a can at the grocery store – tastes just like pasta in Texture and absorbs whatever flavors are cooked with in this case Alfredo sauce Yummi
I just made this dish and thought it had fantastic flavor. Will definitely work into the rotation.
What DF parma cheese do you recommend as a substitute – one that tastes close to the real thing?
Hi Heidi, here’s my vegan variation of this recipe, it uses raw cashews instead of store-bought DF parmesan and I love this recipe exactly the same as the cheese version: https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-alfredo-sauce/
I haven’t come across a DF parmesan that I like – I think they all taste pretty terrible, if I’m being honest. I love our vegan parmesan, for sprinkling on top of all types of dishes. It’s delicious, but it won’t melt into the sauce like cheese does, so I still recommend the above link for the sauce in this particular recipe. https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-parmesan-cheese/
Hope that helps!
Can I substitute frozen cauliflower or is it much better with fresh?
I absolutely loved this recipe. I didn’t add the lemon and I swapped out the butter for organic vegan butter and instead of regular pasta, I used a really good GF pasta. It was so tasty. I added a bunch of veggies to the dish.
I made this without the Parm but rather used a Parm substitute as it is not vegetarian. It all came together beautifully! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Linda, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
So delicious, I made it for my fussy eaters and they smashed it. They didn’t notice it’s made from cauliflower ?
I just need to put less garlic next time.
Do you think this could work with subbing the butter with olive oil only?
yep! I think that’ll be fine.
WoW so delicious! beyond what any expectations. Thanks for another great recipe
This was so good and ridiculously easy! Would have no idea there was almost a pound of cauliflower in it. The flavors are amazing.
I actually made it a little easier for myself by scooping the cauliflower out of the boiling water and into the blender, and then just throwing the pasta into that boiling water rather than draining the r cauliflower.
Will definitely make it again! Thank you!
Hi Cathy, I’m so glad you loved it!
My 4 and 1 year old loved it. This will be in our regular rotation, for sure. I just want to eat that sauce by the spoonful! I
Made this tonight for dinner and WOW!
I don’t have any cauliflower, can I use broccoli instead?
Hi Olivia, it might! I haven’t tried – it won’t be as creamy but the sauce might still be a tasty green pasta sauce.
This was amazing!!! My son and hubby who are avid cauliflower haters ate the lot and asked for seconds!! As we were tidying up, they asked what was in it… they couldn’t believe it was cauliflower.
Definitely a new family favourite ?
Such a great substitute – I cannot eat cream and my family loves Alfredo … so usually I am stuck with tomato sauce while they indulge! But this was delicious and we could all eat it.
LOVED! So delish. I haven’t had Alfredo sauce in years ( eggs and diary). Used vegan parm and Miyoko’s vegan butter. Yummy.
Question: can I freeze extra sauce? How long will it stay fresh in fridge.
Hi Lis, I’m glad you loved it! The sauce should keep for a couple of days in the fridge. I haven’t tried freezing it, so I’m not sure.