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.
Delicious and light. My family had no idea there was cauliflower in it. Comforting pasta dish without the extra calories and added in nutrition. Will make again and again!
You are right, this recipe is perfect for a date night in–My husband and I had it for our Valentine’s meal! I added some shrimp to it, had an easy salad on the side, and some warm French bread. He loved it, and asked me to add it into our regular meal rotation.
This Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is the best! I have made it numerous times and we all absolutely love it. Even my husband who cannot stand cauliflower…. although to be honest I have not shared with him what the ingredients are. It’s just better that way. He has even requested it a couple of times. It’s very simple and easy to make as well. Perfect for after work but tasty enough to enjoy on the weekend. The sauce freezes really well too. It’s also delicious as pizza sauce. Or as a dip for veggies. There are so many uses for it.
This was super easy to make! Tasty too! I Definitely in the rotation. Thanks!
This was amazing! I used what I had on hand, like some macaroni instead of fettuccine, and sauteed some shrimp. It was delicious 🙂
Light and delicious!
Made this for dinner last week and it was excellent! Loved how light it was! No one even knew it was full of cauliflower?
I had to improvise a little with the sauce since my food processor broke a few days ago, but it still tasted amazing! I absolutely love this recipe ^^
Made this amazing Alfredo Sauce for Valentine’s Day dinner! It was so creamy and tasty. Served over fettuccine for my love and zoodles for me. Perfect date night dinner ❤️❤️
Used 1tb less butter and 1 clove more garlic. Didn’t have parlsey and it was still delicious without!
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. He told me it was good before I told him that it had cauliflower in it! Normally he doesn’t like cauliflower.
We’ve made this so many times! it’s delicious!!
I enjoyed this recipe! I didn’t have Dijon Mustard so I used dry mustard instead.
I love how this is still as creamy as your typical Alfredo sauce but without the extra dairy. It didn’t hurt my stomach like typical heavy dairy recipes usually do.
This was an amazing recipe. My husband didn’t even notice the cauliflower in it but instead enjoyed the rich flavors. Like a healthier option of the ne of my favorite pastas.
I’m so glad you both loved it!
Okay I made this the other night and I can’t stop thinking about it! My boyfriend and I LOVED that it didn’t have cream but was still so creamy! And it was so perfect still being able to use regular parm and butter. I haven’t had alfredo in such a long time because of the heaviness, and this was such a fantastic, lightened up recipe. Will be making again!
I’m so glad you both loved it!
This was a very quick and easy recipe to pull together after a full day of work. Nice and creamy without the fat content of heavy cream. I did only use one garlic clove as opposed to the two cloves suggested and the sauce was still very flavorful. I will definitely keep this recipe in my rotation of meals.
Super easy to make and incredibly creamy! I’m lactose intolerant and can’t eat heavy creams, this was such a welcomed option. Thank you this will become a regular.
My rating didn’t post!!
This recipe was really delicious. It was not difficult to make. I used gluten free fettuccine noodles. My family enjoyed the recipe! Cherri Blair-Drayton
Really enjoyable flavors and the sauce stuck perfectly to the noodles. I used nearly twice as much cheese and I don’t regret it
Just made it for dinner and it was delicious! It was still surprisingly heavy considering there was no cream. I added some frozen peas and it was a perfect compliment.