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.
This recipe was so nice and light compared to typical Alfredo sauce. I increased the garlic and ate it with roasted broccoli. So good!
I love this recipe! Super easy and delicious. I like to chop up some arugula and swirl it in, or cooked mushrooms and broccoli.
Made this last night and it was delicious! I love the garlic flavor. I do not have a blender so the sauce was a bit grainy, but I would totally make it again anyway!
Super easy and delicious! Added spinach to sneak in some extra veggies. The sauce thickened a bit after cooling so will toss in a bit of milk with the leftovers.
Delicious and less guilty version of a classic! <y sauce turned out a little grainy, but I added a little milk to thin it out a bit more.
I love the fettuccine Alfredo for February’s cooking club!
Delicious flavor and I love how quickly it all came together. My sauce separated a little bit, but it didn’t affect the taste. Probably I didn’t blend it long enough. I hope this can be reheated because it makes a lot! Good recipe for company.
This was ridiculously good and I loved adding cauliflower to the sauce. It tasted lighter and healthier than any other fettuccine Alfredo dish I’ve had. I felt so much better after eating this version, it’s going to be my new go to for fettuccine Alfredo. I did add caramelized onions to the Alfredo sauce which added nice flavor. I also made it once with feta instead of Parmesan because it’s what I had on hand and it came out great.
Admittedly I was a little skeptical going into this recipe, but I am now a believer! This dish, forever. Such a nice light sauce, tastes just like a cream sauce. My husband couldn’t figure out the magic ingredient and he doesn’t like cauliflower.
Ha, I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!
Love this lightened-up version of a traditional dish! A fool-proof recipe!
This was SUPER simple and SUPER tasty without feeling heavy!!! The lemon gave it a nice zing. I paired it with a caesar salad and a good crusty bread. My whole family loved it.
This turned out great. The sauce came together very easily with an immersion blender and everything was ready to go within thirty minutes.
The Dijon added lovely flavor to the dish. It was much lighter than a traditional fettuccine alfredo. Most traditional fettuccine alfredo dishes are heavy and extremely rich, making it hard to finish the plate comfortably – no such problem here!
Will absolutely make again.
Delicious recipe! Normally do not eat cheese but cheated on this one. Instead of cauliflower, I used romanesco. I served it with the garlic knots from this site and my kids kept saying this was one of the best meals they’ve eaten.
Loved this recipe! You can’t taste the cauliflower at all but it makes the sauce so nice and light. Leftovers reheated well too! It is quick enough for a weeknight dinner but fun enough to have for a special occasion.
This was delicious, especially paired with homemade fettuccine. The sauce was super simple to make and tasted great. Will definitely make again!
Make this immediately! I don’t love traditional Alfredo because it’s too rich/ heavy. This sauce was excellent! The lemon brought a nice brightness and the cauliflower lightened the sauce up but you’d never know it was in there. My toddlers and my husband (who generally dislikes pasta) loved it!
Made this for dinner tonight and we loved it! It was delicious. Will definitely make again!
Made it! So good. My kids loved it too!!!
I skipped the butter and added some white beans. My 9 year old said “delicious” It was so easy to make!
Aww, I’m so glad she loved it!
This was delicious! My husband and I both cleaned our plates. I used a 16 oz bag of frozen cauliflower, bottled lemon juice, and vegan butter. The extra cauliflower made the sauce a bit runny, but we added extra parm on top to compensate. I think I’d reduce the garlic to one clove, also. I’m excited to try the vegan recipe!