Easy Alfredo Sauce
By
I love a good alfredo sauce. Want to know why this recipe is so good and rich? It’s full of butter and cream. Indeed, this recipe is neither fat free nor dairy free. I am very much not afraid of real and healthy fat…you can read more about that here. For those of you who need to eat a dairy free diet, I’ll try to come up with something a little less “cow” next time. ;)
Easy Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup butter
One pint of cream (2 cups)
1 garlic clove
2 Tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Bring the butter, cream, garlic and cream cheese to a boil. Turn down the heat, simmer and stir for about two minutes. Add the grated cheese and stir until melted. Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes until it becomes “thick and saucy”, stirring occasionally.
And now, a few alfredo pictures:
Into the pot go the butter, cream, cream cheese and garlic…
The parmesan cheese is shredded and ready to add once we’ve boiled the other ingredients for a couple of minutes.
Here’s our sauce, simmered and ready to serve…
OH. YUM.
Are you wondering about the pasta I served with our Easy Alfredo Sauce? It looks like WHITE pasta, doesn’t it? Ah, but it isn’t!! I’m very excited to tell you that this was Gluten Free Corn Pasta from OliveNation. My OliveNation friends told me that their GF pasta tasted awesome and wow they were right!!! It’s great stuff! AND, if you recall, just like with vanilla beans, OliveNation offers Heavenly Homemakers readers a 10% discount (use the code hhm2011).
Now, you can of course add chicken to this dish if you like. Just saute a little chicken in some olive oil and toss it into the sauce. For that matter, that steamed broccoli I served on the side tasted great stirrred right into the sauce and noodles on our plate!
Are you a red sauce or a white sauce kind of pasta lover? Or does it depend on the day?
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I’m a white sauce kind of gal!!
Do you use raw cream or store bought?
Also, I have been making butter from my raw cream. I leave it on the counter like NT suggest and it always works out great. But this last cream I forgot to make until the next day and it smells weird, do you think it is bad? If I understand right some leave the cream out for days to make cream cheese so I was thinking it would be fine and make the butter.
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Laura Reply:
November 11th, 2010 at 7:48 am
I use raw cream if I have it, but store bought works fine for this recipe.
Your cream is probably fine, tough for me to tell without smelling it myself! I’m generally not very afraid of dairy products that have been produced in such a healthy way. It takes a lot for them to go bad.
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White or red….depends on the day. Love them both!
I have recently discovered brown rice pasta, which is also GF. We love it!
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I just posted a vegan “cream” sauce recipe on my blog if anyone is interested. My son is allergic to milk proteins. Any kind of dairy=a little boy who can’t breathe. Most of the time I’m OK with being dairy free. You do what you have to do for your kids, right? But your sauce looks AMAZING. And makes me pine for rich, creamy dairy goodness. Sigh.
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Katie Reply:
December 6th, 2012 at 11:17 am
Leah, what is the web address for your blog? I need a good dairy free reciped and would love to see yours!
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Jen Reply:
December 16th, 2012 at 1:08 am
Katie, if you click on Leah’s name in her comment, it takes you to her blog.
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We eat Fettucine Alfredo a lot, to spice it up for special occasions, I sometimes grill shrimp on a skewer, just skewer raw shrimp, then brush on some olive oil and garlic and grill just until done (before the getting sidetracked chasing the dog rubber stage). We have chicken a lot with it also, I spray a pan with Pam, then put in raw, sliced up chicken and minced garlic and saute until done. We also use this on Chicken Alfredo pizza.
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I love it when you give us permission to eat rich stuff like this! I’ll be trying this recipe very soon.
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I’m Italian. Pasta any way around here. White, red, green sauce. We love it!
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Great low carb recipe! I’m not afraid of good healthy fat either. Thanks for sharing! :)
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I won’t turn down any kind of pasta … but white sauces just seem more indulgent, don’t they? YUM!
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A friend of mine took me to Applebee’s for my b-day the other month. I NEVER knew you could mix red and a white sauce together. Can we say YUM? I still want to recreate the dish I had. it was delish! thanks for the recipe! This one looks nice and easy!
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I’m so excited to try this! After going “nightshade free” (no tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, etc.) my husband feels SO much better(!), but I’m trying to find new toppings for pasta and pizza!
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Christy Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 9:34 am
For my nightshade free son, we do a lot of olive oil dishes. IE., olive oil, garlic, parsley, oregano, basil and a little salt. We will sprinkle in a little parm. cheese too. For pizza, we have been doing olive oil, sliced olives, pepperoni (for protein), mushrooms, and spices. He really seems to like it.
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oh, I love alfredo sauce. Or pesto. Or a really good red, but just a little.
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That sauce looks beautiful. Most fettuccine alfredo type recipes don’t make a separate sauce. I love alfredo sauce.
Is that kind of pasta good for diabetics? My best friend recently became diabetic(or borderline still maybe)and I’ve been trying to think of different things I can make for her that will be most healthy for her. I remember having a white-looking pasta at a pot-luck type dinner and the woman who brought it(diabetic?) said it was even better for diabetics than wheat pasta. I had some and it tasted just like regular pasta to me.
Found your blog just recently. Love it! I’m also not afraid of using “real” fat for things. I’ve always been a bit wary of packaged products that are “reduced”, and things that would normally have fat, but don’t. I don’t know what they do to it that makes it like that. If I want something low in fat, I’ll eat something that IS low in fat, like vegetables(which I love). I do prefer leaner meats, but I think that’s a different thing.
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The links to Olive nation don’t work. :-(
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Laura Reply:
November 11th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Fixed them, thank you!!
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we love alfredo sauce at our house. when simmer it for 15 to 20 min, should you stir constantly?
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Laura Reply:
November 11th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Nope, just occasionally.
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I make alfredo at least once a month. I don’t use that much butter and I use a bit of flour and just whole milk to get it thick. I also add basil, lemon pepper (seriously, it’s good) and cream cheese. Yum! My husband likes his with creole seasoning too.
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Wow, that sounds AMAZING!!! I am going to be making this for sure. I love healthy fat as well :)
Is the corn pasta non GMO?? We eat organic brown rice pasta and love it.
Oh and I’ll eat any sauce with pasta!
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I am definitely going to try it! My dh and I love alfredo … and red too. But, our kids like the red best. I am always searching for an alfredo that they will like better.
BTW, I found your post about the homemade vanilla too late to make for Christmas, but I am excited to try it!
Danielle
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This is a follow-up. I made your alfredo recipe tonight and served it on mini raviolis – with sauteed shrimp. Very, very delicious and my 6 year old son loved it too! My 3 year old is not quite ready for it yet. She is still a red sauce gal ;-)
Thanks!
Danielle
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I made this for dinner last night. Yum!! But kicked it up by adding homemade pesto to make pestofredo :) And I added chicken and bacon. Very good!!
http://voogtrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/11/alfredopestofredo-sauce.html
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OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! Made this last night! Served it over spelt angel hair and chunks of chicken… it was SO SO good!!
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If I don’t have the cream on hand will it still work to use milk?
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Laura Reply:
December 20th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
It really won’t work as well I don’t think…at least the sauce wouldn’t be very thick. I suppose it would TASTE fine though! :)
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blair Reply:
January 13th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
would half and half work? heavy cream is SO expensive!
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Laura Reply:
January 16th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
I think so…maybe? Again, it just wouldn’t be as thick I don’t think.
We love using this for a pizza sauce every so often when we want to mix things up.
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We love using this for pizza sauce every once in a while to mix things up.
It is also FANTASTIC with spinach noodles!
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I’ve made this a couple of times and my whole family loves it! Thanks for this awesome recipe!
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Hey, I’m now following your recipe on making the chicken broth and trying to learn how to stretch the chicken! It’s my first time making the broth! :) I would like to make alfredo sauce tonight, but do not have the cream. Would buttermilk work instead? Maybe half milk and half buttermilk?? Maybe the buttermilk would taste bad?? Your thoughts? By the way, thanks for all your posts. I’ve really enjoyed reading them! Thank you!
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Laura Reply:
January 27th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
It’s probably past dinnertime by now, huh? I don’t think the buttermilk would taste very good in this…at least not as an alfredo sauce. It could work as a different variety of sauce I suppose, but it would have a more sour taste instead of sweet like cream.
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Do you find that this sauce freezes well if you make a whole batch of it? My husband, who is a food scientist, came home with 2 quarts of cream that is going to go bad soon.
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Laura Reply:
February 11th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
I’ve not tried freezing it before. I feel like the butter and cream might separate and not stir back together well if frozen. Maybe you should make homemade ice cream!! And then invite me over. :)
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I’ve made this sauce twice now and I just wanted to tell you how WONDERFUL it is! I’ve added a bit of sharp white cheddar cheese (for spunk!) and a splash of hot sauce (I’m a southerner, what can I say?). It turns out wonderfully every time. Thank you so much for liberating me from store-bought sauce!
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I make Alfredo similar to this recipe, I do not use cream cheese and I add fresh or dried basil and Italian parseley depending on what I have on hand.
It thickens beautifully, tastes fantastic. I’m sure cream cheese makes it creamier but it also adds more calories and fat.
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This sauce is AWESOME! I made it for lunch today and my kids raved and raved. My pickiest eater ate 3 platefuls! I love all your recipes. Thanks for your great posting. I love your site! Please know it’s not in vain. :)
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Great. My 20 month old and 12 year old devoured it. I cut up chicken breast in cubes and seasoned with oregano and parsley from the garden, salt and pepper and cooked it. Then added it to the sauce. This was amazingly easy to make. I love that. Thank you do much!! Hubby isn’t home yet to try it. Sure he will love it though.
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Delicious! I love the flavor and am so happy that I’ll never be tempted to purchase pre-made sauce. I did have to simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes to reach the desired consistency. Thanks for sharing, Laura!
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This looks wonderful! We will be trying this week with some grilled chicken. We are normally red sauce fans, but my kids like pasta with just about anything on it.
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Do you like to make your own pasta noodles once in a while?
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Laura Reply:
June 25th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
Yes, here’s my recipe: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-whole-wheat-pasta
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Laura,
This is a great, simple alfredo recipe. I made chicken fettucine alfredo with this sauce and your soaked noodles recipe. Delightful! (And it was the 5th meal from a really huge pastured chicken, having eaten our fill the first 4 times.) :)
Thanks again!
Beth
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is this alfredo sauce freezable? i do a lot of freezer cooking and looking for new recipes. i LOVE LOVE LOVE alfredo sauce!!!
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Laura Reply:
October 11th, 2011 at 8:10 pm
I’ve not been able to reheat leftovers of this sauce well, so unfortunately, I don’t think it would work to freeze. :(
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Rochelle Reply:
January 25th, 2013 at 2:54 pm
I made this sauce (it’s wonderful by the way) used half and saved half for another meal. I just reheated in a saucepan with a little milk. It is pretty solid at first but smooths out nicely and is just as good the second time:0) thanks for another yummy recipe.
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so good that I could drink it straight! not really.. but close!
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Carol Thomas Reply:
February 13th, 2012 at 9:36 am
Can’t use heavy cream..I saw a swap recipe for heavy cream..1 cup= 1T flour,3/4 2%milk,1/3 butter..but with the already 1/2c butter in this recipe how could I not use so much butter..could you use coconut oil instead..just wondering..would it be possible to use coconut oil for all the butter in this recipe..would that be a healthier version…Thanks
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
March 20th, 2012 at 11:20 am
You could do that. It would work best to use expeller pressed though
so it doesn’t taste like coconut.
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sorry 3/4c 2% milk…and 1/3c of butter
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Does this feed your whole crew or do you double it? About how many servings would this make? We have a family of 6.
Thanks so much for all the super recipes! Its such a blessing!
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Laura Reply:
May 19th, 2012 at 5:26 pm
I usually double this recipe for my family of 6, but we are pretty big eaters, so I’m not sure ever fam of 6 needs that much!
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This looks yummy. How much sauce does it make? I’m feeding 75 people, so I’m thinking I’ll have to multiply the amounts by ten?
Thanks for the idea.
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Laura Reply:
September 3rd, 2012 at 5:53 pm
Yes, I would multiply by ten or eleven. This recipe feeds my family of 6 with no leftovers, although 5 out of six are males and big eaters!
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Just made this tonight and it was yummy!
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Just made this recipe tonight. It is wonderful!! Thank you for the great recipe.
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If you need to thin the sauce, use a little water from the pasta pot. It won’t make the sauce tasted thinned because of the starch in the pasta water.
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I love homemade Alfredo sauce, and your recipe is very similar to the one I use. I load mine up with mushrooms and broccoli, and I use potato starch to help thicken it. I prefer a really, really thick sauce.
I just love corn pasta (wheat allergy), and it saves better than rice versions which cannot be reheated for the next day without texture issues.
But the first time I ever made it, I made a big boo-boo and used grated cheese that had already been grated. I was thinking of time, and not the additives they add to prevent caking. I ended up with Alfredo soup, and a big glob of inedible congealed cheese lol. Now I always tell everyone that you have to grate it yourself, or else the blob will ruin your dish.
Thanks for sharing your recipe, and the $1 a plate series with real food.
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My family also loves our Chicken Alfredo. It will costs well over a dollar a plate but is so worth it.
Our Recipe has
Alfredo Sauce very similar but with no cream cheese
We add grilled Chicken – Thighs work great for this a little better than the breast (we grill ours in bacon fat for added flavor), bacon, pepperoni, grilled yellow squash and zuchinni (in butter and garlic), roasted tomatoes, black olives and mushrooms (for those who want them)
All of our meat and add-in’s are served on the top so really not many have to put on to give a great flavor. I also made this into little stuffed rolls (using Laura’s homemade pretzel dough recipe) minus the pasta for a work party and kept having request for the recipe.
I love this website.
Blessings, Deena
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Do you know if Olive Nation’s Corn pasta contains GMO corn? I’ve looked all over their site and can’t find anything that says if it is organic or non-GMO. The ingredients simply list corn flour. It looks delicious, but I want to be certain it’s non GMO before I feed it to my family. :) Thank you!
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Laura Reply:
March 13th, 2013 at 5:02 pm
I can’t tell either. And I looked at the LaVeveziane website and it’s all in Italian so I can’t read it! :) (Although, I’m guessing that if it’s made it Italy, it’s probably free of GMOs because other countries have cleaner food than we do!)
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Do you think a double batch of the sauce would be enough to make a vegetable lasagna?
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