The Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce recipe is creamy and delicious, and this is the best alfredo sauce you will ever try. This recipe has the exact flavor and taste of the original dish.
And did you know, this easy alfredo sauce recipe is what inspired me to start CopyKat.com? Best of all it is perfect for the whole family. Make this and everyone will declare that you have the best recipe!
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. It quite literally was the first recipe I created for CopyKat, you won’t want to miss out on this pasta dish.
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. I knew the only way I could have fettuccine alfredo was to learn how to make homemade 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 Olive Garden’s 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. The Olive Garden makes many delicious creamy sauces, but by far, this is their best sauce.
Olive garden’s alfredo sauce recipe is an easy dinner idea for your next pasta night. This delicious sauce is an easy meal for any night of the week. This is perfect for a main or a side dish.
Homemade Alfredo Ingredients
What You’ll Need to Make this Recipe:
- Garlic puree or garlic powder – you can make your own puree out of fresh garlic
- Butter – I have used both salted and unsalted butter
- Heavy whipping cream – please use only heavy cream, milk, half and half, and fat-free half and half aren’t thick enough to develop the rich texture of the Olive Garden’s sauce
- Grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- Salt & Pepper
- Fettuccine pasta – I recommend Barilla pasta, or De Cecco pasta
- Parsley for garnishing, if desired
What you don’t need for this is an , or any to thicken the . The creamy will thicken nicely, and the thickens with the heat, so this is gluten-free.
How To Make Easy Alfredo Sauce (Olive Garden):
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown the garlic puree.
- Whisk the heavy whipping cream to the browned garlic.
- Once the butter and cream start to bubble, add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and salt & pepper.
- Stir on medium heat until the cream mixture starts to thicken. If the sauce does not thicken after a couple of minutes turn the heat up to high, until the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat and continue to stir.
- In a separate pot, follow the instructions to make your fettuccine noodles, be sure to drain off the pasta water
- Combine the pasta with the alfredo sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.
Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Recipe
Tips and Variations:
- Use a block of fresh 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, this helps the sauce thicken, and it is at a high enough temperature the cheese will melt.
- 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.
Olive Garden Alfredo Dipping Sauce for Breadsticks
Did you know this is the same sauce that is used as an appetizer? I am sure you have seen on the menu where you can order the Alfredo dipping sauce, this is the same sauce used in the Alfredo Dipping Sauce. So you don’t need to place the dipping sauce order anymore! You now know how to make the special sauce!
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 pasta. Fettuccine is what is most often used, but you can use anything you have on hand.
How to Store and Reheat Alfredo Sauce
If you happen to have some leftovers, I recommend storing the sauce in its own airtight container. Do not combine the pasta and the sauce in the same container.
I recommend reheating the sauce in a small saucepan over low temperature, when the sauce melts due to the heat, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream to thin out the sauce. I typically make fresh pasta the second time I serve the sauce.
Love Olive Garden? Try these Copycat Recipes
- 3 Meat Spaghetti Sauce
- Asiago Tortelloni
- Olive Garden Spicy Alfredo Chicken
- Chicken Alfredo Tortellini
- Pasta Rustica Recipe
- Seafood Dip
- Chicken Margherita
- Asparagus Recipe
- Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- Olive Garden Soups
Popular Sauce Recipes
Be sure to check out more of my easy homemade sauces and Olive Garden recipes.
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
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
Notes
- 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.
Jaime
Pretty good. I add a little ground mixed peppercorn, some salt, and a bit of an Italian blend of cheese as well. Also about 2tbsp cream cheese. I also up the minced garlic to almost a tbsp. That’s what makes it like olive garden; those little bits of roasted garlic. Freezes and reheats well too 🙂 I also add chicken and occasionally broccoli.
Faye F Lengenfelder
The recipe says cream, you say milk. Which is it?
Thank you
FayeL
Stephanie Manley
Please use cream for the recipe
Magdalena
Both me and my husband agreed , this is the best recipe yet ! We loved it and the kiddos did too!
Ines
About how long do I simmer the sauce after I add the parmesan cheese?
Stephanie Manley
Simmer it long enough that it is very warm so the Parmesan cheese melts quickly.
joni
the best
joni
it is the best .