By Becky Hardin
Updated Feb 21, 2025
Ditch the jarred sauce and elevate your pasta nights with this irresistibly easy homemade Alfredo sauce. Ever since I perfected this recipe, it’s been my go-to for a quick, comforting meal. Rich, creamy, and packed with flavor, this sauce has become a family favorite—perfect for coating fettuccine, spaghetti, penne, and all your favorite pasta dishes.
5-Star Reviews
“This was quick and easy to prepare. My 11y/o who loves cooking did an amazing job following the directions. 10/10 would recommend. Next time she makes it we’ll have to take pics of the sauce at least because it did not last long 🤣” – Divine
Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe
I make my Alfredo sauce with just a few simple ingredients—butter, cream, garlic, and plenty of Parmesan—and it comes together in minutes. The result? A rich, velvety sauce that perfectly coats every bite of pasta.
Making alfredo sauce from scratch is simple and endlessly customizable. I love mixing in grilled chicken, shrimp, or roasted vegetables to make it a heartier meal. Once I started making this from scratch, I never went back to the store-bought kind—and I don’t think you will either!
Tips for Success Every Time
- You can easily change up this homemade Alfredo sauce to meet your needs. For a vegan Alfredo sauce, swap the butter, heavy cream, and Parmesan for vegan alternatives. Follow the same advice to make a dairy-free Alfredo sauce.
- For a lighter Alfredo sauce, use whole milk or half-and-half instead of heavy cream.
- If cold heavy cream is added, it may separate. Room temperature cream incorporates much more easily with the other warm ingredients.
- When the sauce appears to be too thick, I thin it out by using some of the reserved pasta water and adding it to the skillet.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (¾ stick). If it has salt in it, the sauce may taste a bit too salty to you.
- ▢ 1 clove garlic minced
- ▢ 1½ cups heavy cream room temperature. If you don’t have heavy cream, you can make it using whole milk and full-fat butter.
- ▢ 6.4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ▢ Kosher salt to taste
- ▢ Ground black pepper to taste
- ▢ Minced fresh thyme optional
Video
Instructions
For the Alfredo Sauce
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned and fragrant. 1 clove garlic
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 3-5 minutes.
- Pour in the room temperature heavy cream. Whisk until combined. 1½ cups heavy cream
- Once the cream is fully combined, place the pan back on the stove over low heat. Do not let the sauce come to a boil – keep it over low heat.
- Add the grated cheese and continually whisk the sauce together until the cheese is completely melted and evenly combined. 6.4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Taste and season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Kosher salt, Ground black pepper, Minced fresh thyme
To Make Fettuccini Alfredo
- Bring water in a large pot to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Once the water is boiling, cook 16 ounces of fettuccine noodles to al dente according to package instructions.
- Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water .
- Mix the pasta with the sauce, adding cooking water as needed to reach the desired consistency. Serve immediately.
Becky’s Tips
- Fresh thyme is an optional ingredient that adds even more flavor to this sauce. However, you don’t need it. If you can’t find it, don’t worry about adding it because the sauce will still taste amazing.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor.
- Add red chili pepper flakes to the blend of seasonings if you’d like to add a slight bit of spice to your sauce.
- Nutritional information is for the sauce only, not prepared fettuccini Alfredo.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Alfredo Sauce – Step by Step
Sauté the Garlic: Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and cook until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 3-5 minutes.
Add the Cream and Cheese: Pour in 1½ cups of room temperature heavy cream. Whisk until combined. Once the cream is fully combined, place the pan back on the stove over low heat. Do not let the sauce come to a boil – keep it over low heat. Add 6.4 ounces of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and continually whisk the sauce together until the cheese is completely melted and evenly combined. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and thyme.
Make the Pasta: Make Fettuccini Alfredo by cooking 16 ounces of fettuccine noodles to al dente in salted water. Drain and reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Mix the pasta with the sauce, adding cooking water as needed to reach the desired consistency. Serve immediately.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover Alfredo sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop set over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until warmed through. I do not recommend freezing this sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Of course you’ll want to use this homemade alfredo sauce on fettuccine noodles and chicken alfredo , but you can use it in lots of other tasty Italian dishes too. You can use it in place of store-bought sauce in any of the recipes listed below!
If you’re looking for great pairings, I love to serve this homemade alfredo sauce recipe alongside my famous Garlic Bread or Olive Garden Breadsticks . And don’t forget to make a Caesar Salad as well!
Try making pasta from scratch for the freshest taste, then add diced chicken, steak, or sausage crumbles for a hearty meal.
More delicious alfredo recipes
Chicken Alfredo Recipe with Jar Sauce
Alfredo Sauce without Heavy Cream
Alfredo Pizza
Crockpot Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Alfredo Sandwich (Crockpot Recipe)
Sausage Alfredo Pasta with Fried Sage
Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake Recipe
Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (¾ stick). If it has salt in it, the sauce may taste a bit too salty to you.
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1½ cups heavy cream room temperature. If you don’t have heavy cream, you can make it using whole milk and full-fat butter.
- 6.4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Minced fresh thyme optional
Instructions
For the Alfredo Sauce
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned and fragrant. 1 clove garlic
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 3-5 minutes.
- Pour in the room temperature heavy cream. Whisk until combined. 1½ cups heavy cream
- Once the cream is fully combined, place the pan back on the stove over low heat. Do not let the sauce come to a boil - keep it over low heat.
- Add the grated cheese and continually whisk the sauce together until the cheese is completely melted and evenly combined. 6.4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Taste and season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Kosher salt, Ground black pepper, Minced fresh thyme
To Make Fettuccini Alfredo
- Bring water in a large pot to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Once the water is boiling, cook 16 ounces of fettuccine noodles to al dente according to package instructions.
- Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water .
- Mix the pasta with the sauce, adding cooking water as needed to reach the desired consistency. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Fresh thyme is an optional ingredient that adds even more flavor to this sauce. However, you don’t need it. If you can’t find it, don’t worry about adding it because the sauce will still taste amazing.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor.
- Add red chili pepper flakes to the blend of seasonings if you’d like to add a slight bit of spice to your sauce.
- Nutritional information is for the sauce only, not prepared fettuccini Alfredo.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
