We all need a great Alfredo Sauce recipe in our recipe box. And since we only need one, this copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce recipe is the one you want. It’s creamy, delicious and made with cream. And did you know, this recipe is what inspired me to start CopyKat.com?
Why this Recipe Works
Honestly, this particular Alfredo Sauce recipe was my sole reason, or at least my first really big inspiration, for creating copycat recipes. I lived in a very rural area of east Texas; the nearest Olive Garden was 90 minutes away. It was a very special treat to have this Alfredo sauce. It was for me, looking back, a magical moment that would change my life and cause me to create many more copycat recipes. I still order the Olive Garden Alfredo sauce from time to time, and honestly, it still tastes just as good to me as it did the first time I had this dish.
This Alfredo sauce has made its way onto the Olive Garden menu in several different ways. You used to be able to get this as a side dish. I don’t think this is the case any longer, but you can order a dish of the Alfredo sauce and dip your breadsticks into this for a special treat. I personally enjoy this simply over freshly cooked pasta.
What You’ll Need to Make this Recipe:
- Garlic puree
- Butter
- Heavy Cream
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt & Pepper
- Pasta
How to Make this Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce:
In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown the garlic puree. Add the cream and milk to the browned garlic. Once the butter and cream start to bubble, add the Parmesan Cheese, Fontina Cheese and salt & pepper. Stir on medium-high heat until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and continue to stir.
In a separate pot, follow instructions to make your favorite pasta. Combine the pasta with the alfredo sauce and garnish with parsley.
Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Tips and Variations:
- Use a block of Parmesan cheese you will be able to grate. Pre-grated cheese has an anti-caking agent that may prevent the cheese from melting well.
- Heat the butter and cream to where it bubbles before you add the cheese, it will melt better this way.
- If you plan on having some extra sauce, do not store the sauce with the pasta, the pasta can soak up the sauce.
- This is perfect for a large family or a party. If you want to serve up a fancy pasta bar you can easily place this sauce once it is finished in a slow cooker. By placing the slow cooker on low you can hold this sauce for a long time.
- If you like your alfredo sauce really creamy, you can also add cream cheese to this recipe.
Frequently asked questions about Alfredo Sauce
- Can you make alfredo sauce with half and half? – Yes, you can, it may not thicken as well, but when combined with the pasta, the starch in the pasta will help thicken the sauce.
- Is this sauce better than Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce? – A lot of people who have tried this pasta sauce think so, just check out the comments.
- What type of pasta should I use for alfredo? – Use your favorite sauce. Some people love to use this to make fettuccini alfredo, but any pasta shape will work.
Did you make and love this recipe? Give your review below and make sure you share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 8 ounces butter
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic puree or garlic powder
- 1 pound pasta cooked according to package directions
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the package directions.
- In a saucepan, cook garlic puree, in butter over medium heat. Add the cream once the garlic becomes fragrant.
- When the butter and cream become bubbly, add Parmesan cheese, and stir. Turn up the heat slightly and continue to stir. The sauce will thicken.
- In a large bowl combine cooked pasta and Alfredo sauce. Stir well, and serve. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Video
Recipe Tips for the Cook
- You may want to add 2 tablespoons of cream cheese if you do not like the thickness of the sauce.
- You may omit the garlic if desired.
- Ground white pepper adds a nice touch to Alfredo sauce.
- While the Olive Garden does not use nutmeg in their sauce, many people like a touch of nutmeg in the sauce.
Nutrition
Love the Olive Garden? Try some of these Olive Garden Copycat Recipes
Olive Garden Chicken Margarita
Olive Garden Salad Dressing – Copycat
Olive Garden Soup Recipes {Copycat}
Carol C says
Awesome 4 ingredient sauce! Thickened easily without flour or cream cheese. And so easy to make. (I used the video version of 1/2 C butter, 2 C cream, 3/4 C parm, 1 t garlic powder), not whatever is linked in above. Actually made a half batch which would easily make 4 small servings for us or half & half w/marinara for bigger eaters. My only addition would be a bit of salt since I don’t salt my pasta. (I used a zester style grater with the American made “Parmesan” hard cheese wedge from Trader Joes – my personal favorite for flavor & price, but by weight it’s probably even less cheese since Costco’s has a thicker grate, )
Ericka A says
I have attempted no less than five times to make Olive Garden Alfredo and came close but something always fell short. This recipe is amazing! Like “everyone was licking their plates” amazing! Only tweak I made was adding more garlic paste than it called for since we are a garlic-loving family! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Bridget says
Next pastas night I will be making this dish.
MahdysDesigns says
I suffer from Crohn’s disease & Ulcerative Colitis. With my disease, this is one meal I can always tolerate and truly always enjoy but rarely eat it because I can’t afford it; so, I am trying to learn the best recipe closest to Olive Garden flavor.
Hello, From Dearborn, MI here. Few questions:
If someone was on a budget, are there specific brand items to get? For the cheese, butter, etc? Or is any brand; off brand or not fine? (I read the best “authentic” Parmesan cheese brand is Parmigiana-Reggiano)
People have said to get the Olive Garden taste, to add:
-All purpose flour
– 1/2 cup imported of BOTH Parmesan & Romano cheese. Does it work fine with just Parm cheese?
In regards to the cheese, why shouldn’t you buy it pre grated? I don’t know how to grate cheese, and I don’t have the tools (after searching how to grate cheese) to do it. Would it still taste the same?
Stephanie says
Let me try to do the my best to answer the questions.
Butter – I think the store brand/off-brand is fine. You want to be REAL butter.
Parmesan cheese – pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking agent sprayed on it to keep it from clumping up in the bag. The cellulose (the anti-caking agent), makes it harder to melt. It will melt. I think personally think when you by shredded cheese, it is more expensive and doesn’t perform the way you want it to. I don’t recommend it.
Parmigana-Reggiano – is known for being the best Parmesan cheese. It’s expensive at my Costo, I think it is 13 dollars a pound, but I have seen it up to 22 dollars a pound. You can use a less expensive kind, my guess, the Olive Garden does not use the super expensive kind.
All-purpose flour – If you want to make the recipe starting with a roux, some people do it, you can, but don’t use my recipe, it wasn’t designed that way. Use a recipe where they start with the roux.
Both Parmesan & Romano cheese – it will work fine with Parmesan cheese. Romano is less expensive than Parmesan, and gives a slighty different flavor. It’s up to you on what you desire.
I hope I answered your questions.
Tashygirl says
How many does this recipe feed?
Stephanie says
It serves 4.
Jenny Tam says
Wonderful recipe! I will definitely share this recipe with my friends however will try it myself first so that I know how it tastes and comes out.
Jeannette says
For the Alfredo sauce from Olive garden do u need fontina cheese ? You have it on the ingredients & not in the video?
Nikki P says
What was the recipe previously? I used to make this all the time and I recently wanted to make it again and now it’s changed completely 🙁
If I remember correctly it read:
2TBSP butter
2TBSP flour
8oz Parmesan cheese (block)
1tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
I’d love your feedback because I really preferred this method, fast, easy, cheap, and delicious.
Nikki P says
Oh and a pint of heavy cream!
Stephanie says
Nikki, this was not my recipe that you wrote. My recipe has always been the same as listed here, but I think I said add 2 tablespoons of cream cheese.
Gloria Pitzer’s recipe omitted the heavy cream, and I think it was milk and cream cheese with some Parmesan cheese thrown in. The other well known recipe that I can think of was years ago Olive Garden was suggesting to add 6 egg yolks to the sauce.
I personally never added flour to this recipe.
Karl K. says
Stephanie, Nikki P. Is correct that the recipe in text is not your original. I experienced the same thing when I went back to my bookmark to check my memory. The recipe it states is chef4fun’s version. It make 1 gallon of sauce! Your recipe video shows the recipe that I fell in love with.
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2-3/4 cup Parmesan
1 tsp garlic powder
Leuviant says
Ditto this and the other comment, it has been changed the original did not use puréed garlic or fontina. I’d know as I hate fontina cheese and worked at OG. The orginal OG recipe is actually different and closer to your original recipe that was listed, which I liked better. Technically not allowed to give up the real recipe, but I will say when I worked there, no flour was used or eggs. Also it’s done in large batches. The recipe is basic to be honest, and is designed to appeal to average tastes. That’s the downside to their sauce but also smart from a business side. Only thing I wish is that I could find is a decent cooking wine for their Marsala sauce, last one I used had to be modified to be edible, thank god my grandmother taught me how to cook and fix a ruined sauce on the fly.
Nikki P. says
Thank you to those who remember the recipe I was talking about!! I knew I wasn’t crazy!’
Karl Keiser says
Your not crazy Nikki. Lol. Your welcome.
Nicole says
I have the original recipe! I wrote it in my cookbook. I came here to easily copy and paste, but you are right….It is not the same.
Here is the original.
1 pt heavy whipping cream
1 stick butter
2 T cream cheese
3/4 c parmesan cheese (I use 1 1/2 c)
1 t garlic powder
Ash says
Exactly!!!!!
Cristina says
That’s exactly what I do and noticed the recipe is different when I opened the bookmark. Turns out perfect this way! Yum!
Margaret Burgess says
I am a little concerned, did you use salted butter or unsalted? There is a difference.
Thanks
Magge
Cinda says
id say non salted butter. Or if you’re using salted butter, don’t add the addtl teaspoon of salt. I used salted butter and it didn’t need any salt added at the end
Renée Rutherford says
Just made this tonight, cannot wait. Added a few adjustments. Used roughly 3/4 stick of butter. 1 cup freshly shredded parmesan, garlic salt w/parsley, pepper, parsley, and this seasoning we love called “Slap Ya Mama” (it’s essentially salt, red pepper, black pepper & garlic). I didn’t measure but only sprinkled in a bit of each to taste. Then, to really shake things up, we had 3 strips of thick cut cherrywood bacon leftover from dinner lady night, so coarsely chopped that and in iut went to the Alfredo. Delicious. Thanks for a great recipe! Hope it’s ok to tweak it a bit.
Nikki says
Oh my GOSH! I absolutely love this recipe! It’s my go to recipe when I want a good fettuccine Alfredo AT HOME! Thanks so much, I love how simple this recipe is!
Mary Jo W says
Can’t wait to try it.
Jason says
Thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to try it out.
Mariah says
Awesome recipe, love it, but can i freeze it to use some another day? How long would it be good if I can?
Stephanie says
It may work, I have to be honest, I don’t freeze a lot of stuff. I would cut the recipe in half, and just make a smaller portion. I wished I could speak to using a freezer, but I can’t.
Jahchild says
Just made this for the family my gosh big hit once again I did it with Black Angus Cheesy Garlic Bread from here and wow thank you again and again and so does my family I ask them what they want and I come on here and we got are meal
Josie says
I absolutely love this sauce but is there any way I can get it to be less oily? When I make it, it sets up great but oil settles out of it onto the sides of the pan and bubbles up from the bottom. Am I the only one who has this issue?
Kay says
Hi, yes unfortunately it is very oily. Olive Gardens Alfredo sauce is actually the same way. I would say use less butter, this is the only thing I could think I that would make it very oily.
Leuviant says
This sounds like a heat source problem and a stirring issue. This sauce much like olive gardens has to be watched at all times because if it starts sticking at bottom of pan then you will have separation of fats and solids. Every stove top if different so start at a lower temp and work it up to a light simmer temp. Once its at right temp use a metal wisk and wisk regularly. This sauce should not be allowed to stick to bottom at all but will want to if you let it and thats when it starts to separate. If it does happen start wisking where it is scraped off bottom of pan to prevent complete separation. When reheating this sauce it has to be brought back up to temp slowly at an even lower temp thats just how homemade alfredo is.
Also if its your local OG sauce is separated let them know as if its an old pan of sauce they will dump it and open up another bag from the batch unless the guy that made the bulk batch ruined it to begin with….. even the pros make this mistake sometimes but best of luck you’ll get it.
sherri auxier says
i made it for my daughter and i promise we will never buy store brand again..we both loved it..ty for sharing !