5 ingredients is all that is needed for this crowd pleaser. Homemade Alfredo sauce is the simplest, most delicious pasta sauce recipe you’ll ever make.
Ingredients
Full recipe and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Butter
- Freshly garlic.
- Cream. Heavy/whipping.
- Italian herbs/seasoning.
- Parmesan cheese.
- Salt and pepper.
How to make Alfredo sauce
I’m not lying when I say that Alfredo sauce is the easiest pasta sauce recipe you can make. This recipe takes no more than 10 minutes to make and requires only a handful of ingredients.
- Melt the butter in a large pan set over medium-high heat until the butter is foamy. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant then pour in the cream and herbs/seasoning.
- Bring the cream to a simmer. I prefer to bring the cream to a gentle simmer before adding the Parmesan. Simmer the cream and seasonings for 2-3 minutes then add the Parmesan. Use a microplain or the finest side of a box grated to grate the Parmesan. Alternatively, blitz the cheese in a food processor until fine. Stir the cheese into the sauce and allow to cook and melt for another 2-3 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary before serving.
Can I make Alfredo sauce without cream?
You absolutely can but the end result won’t be as luxuriously silky. Add 2 teaspoons of flour to the garlic and butter and replace the cream with milk. Allow the sauce to cook until thickened before adding the Parmesan cheese.
Freezing and reheating instructions
- Freezing: Allow cooked sauce to cool down completely then transfer to airtight, freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Cream-based sauces have a tendency to curdle once thawed but the taste will still be delicious. To prevent this, thaw in the fridge and reheat over gentle heat in a saucepan. To save a curdled sauce, whisk in a teaspoon of flour mixed with water and cook gently for a few minutes. Alternatively, blend the sauce in a food processor until smooth and pass through a strainer.
- Reheating: Store cooked Alfredo sauce in airtight jars in the fridge for up to 4 days. Transfer to a saucepan and reheat gently until warmed through.
Serving suggestions
- Fettucini Alfredo: toss with cooked fettucini (add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to thin out if necessary) then top with finely chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese.
- Pan sear chicken breasts, thinly slice and add to the Fettucini Alfredo. For a low carb / gluten free dinner recipe, serve the Alfredo sauce over seared chicken with greens of your choice.
- Use as a sauce over broccoli/cauliflower, chicken, fish, etc.
Easy sauce recipes
- Creamy lemon pepper sauce
- Bolognese sauce
- Homemade marinara sauce
- Creamy Gorgonzola sauce
- Basil cream sauce
- Easy creamy mushroom sauce
- Easy creamy pepper sauce

Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced/crushed
- 2 cups heavy / whipping cream
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs / seasoning
- 1½ cups Parmesan cheese finely grated/shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pan until foamy. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds - 1 minute).
- Pour in the cream and herbs/seasoning then allow to come to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the cream has reduced slightly.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese and allow to melt/cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper then serve.
Delicious! Perfect amount of sauce for 1/2 box of fettuccine. I added grilled chicken and served with a nice salad and bread. The whole family loved it!
So happy to hear that!