Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

The Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce recipe is creamy and delicious. It is the best Alfredo sauce you will ever try, and it has the exact flavor and taste of the original dish. 

Did you know this easy Alfredo sauce recipe 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! My copycat olive Garden Alfredo sauce is bound to be a family favorite.

A plate of pasta with homemade Olive Garden Alfredo sauce


What makes Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce so good? 

​There are many reasons why this sauce is so good. This pasta sauce is known for its richness. It is made with heavy cream, butter, and lots of cheese. The sauce has a luxuriously thick and creamy texture. While made with rich and flavorful ingredients, the ingredients are straightforward. 

Why you will love this copycat recipe 

This copycat version is tried and true. You can make this iconic sauce from the comfort of your own kitchen, with ingredients commonly found in your grocery store. What I love about this recipe, is that it tastes just like a restaurant version, but the best part is you can make this pasta recipe in less than 20 minutes. Add a copycat Olive Garden salad, and you can recreate the restaurant taste with this accessible homemade version. 

This recipe launched CopyKat.com 

This particular Alfredo Sauce recipe was my sole reason, or at least my first huge inspiration, for creating copycat recipes. It was the first recipe I made for CopyKat; you won’t want to miss out on this pasta dish.

I lived in a rural area of East Texas; the nearest Olive Garden was 90 minutes away. It was an extraordinary 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.

Looking back, it was 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 occasionally, and honestly, it tastes just as good to me as it did the first time I had this dish. Olive Garden makes many delicious creamy sauces, but 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 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

You don’t need an egg yolk or flour to thicken the sauce for this recipe. The creamy sauce will thicken nicely, and it thickens with heat, so this sauce is gluten-free.

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce ingredients on a wood cutting board.

How To Make Easy Alfredo Sauce (Olive Garden):

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown the garlic puree.
  2. Whisk the heavy whipping cream to the browned garlic.
  3. Once the butter and cream bubble, add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and salt & pepper.
  4. Stir on medium heat until the cream mixture starts to thicken. If it does not thicken after a couple of minutes, turn the heat up to high until it does, then turn off the heat and continue to stir. 
  5. In a separate pot, follow the instructions to make your fettuccine noodles, be sure to drain off the pasta water.
  6. Combine the pasta with the alfredo sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.
  7. Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce recipe video

Tips and Variations:

  • Use a block of fresh Parmesan cheese, and 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 until they bubble before adding the cheese. This helps the sauce thicken and sets the cheese at a temperature at which it 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 a fancy pasta bar, you can easily put this sauce in a slow cooker once it is finished. Placing the slow cooker on low allows you to keep this sauce for a long time.
  • If you like creamy alfredo sauce, add cream cheese to this recipe.
A bowl of pasta with homemade Olive Garden Alfredo sauce

Olive Garden Alfredo Dipping Sauce for Breadsticks

Did you know this is the same sauce 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? Many people who have tried this pasta sauce think so; check out the comments.
  • What type of pasta should I use for alfredo? Use your favorite pasta. Fettuccine 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 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 heat. When the sauce melts due to the heat, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream to thin it out. I typically make fresh pasta the second time I serve the sauce.

A plate of pasta with homemade Olive Darden Alfredo Sauce

Love Olive Garden? Try these Copycat Recipes

Check out more of my easy homemade sauces and Olive Garden recipes.

Did you make and love this recipe? Please review it below and share your creations by tagging me on Instagram! 

A bowl of pasta with homemade Olive Garden Alfredo sauce.

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

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.
4.92 from 123 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Alfredo Sauce, Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce, Olive Garden Recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 1385kcal

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 1385kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 123g | Saturated Fat: 77g | Cholesterol: 403mg | Sodium: 1458mg | Potassium: 344mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4410IU | Vitamin C: 1.6mg | Calcium: 773mg | Iron: 1.1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sierra

    Olive Garden actually has their sauce recipe on their website I haven’t tried either of your guys’ yet but I’m gonna try both. But the person who said Olive garden puts egg yolk in it is wrong it’s
    3 oz wt butter
    1 TBSP Garlic
    2 TBSP All Purpose Flour
    1 1/2 cup milk
    1 1/2 cup heavy cream
    1/2 cup imported Parmesan cheese, grated
    1/2 cup imported Romano cheese, grated
    Salt and black pepper to taste

    http://www.olivegarden.com/recipe/alfredo-sauce/man-imp-reci-prd-69

    • Stephanie

      They have changed the recipe, it used to read,
      1 1⁄2 cups milk
      1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
      1⁄2 cup imported parmesan cheese, grated
      1⁄2 cup imported romano cheese, grated
      6 egg yolks, from fresh jumbo eggs
      salt and black pepper

      HEAT milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins to simmer.
      Turn off heat.
      Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat.
      PLACE egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture.
      Slowly add egg yolk mixture back into remaining cream mixture.
      Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering.
      Take sauce off heat so it thickens. (This will increase temperature of egg yolks, known as tempering).
      SEASON to taste with salt and black pepper.
      Serve over your favorite pasta.

      This is why I don’t always think restaurants really share their recipes. I still stand behind the copycat recipe I wrote a long time ago.

      • dianne

        Omg u r hot.and yes i just found ur site and i love it..but ♡ im going to side with Sierra on this one…don t get me wrong..i love Olive Garden. .was just there a few weeks ago..gone many a times..its 10 mins away…and my favourite dish is ♡ Honestly. I find it to be mmm like a fast food kinda pasta joint..hey they make a killer Ceaser but i really can t see them EVER having gone thru that whole process of tempering the yoke thing…unless u actually new someone personally who worked in the kitchen there.. im still a fan and will continue to dine there..if there r ever any problems im always taken care of..and i love that ..Dianne ♡

      • Alphonse

        Olive Garden did in fact remove egg yolks from this recipe; there are several, if not many people who have stated so in different sites, some of them posting their own version while saying that it was based on OG’s “before they stopped using egg yolks”. I haven’t looked into it, but it could very well be due to the belief that egg yolks contain too much cholesterol and having SIX from Jumbo eggs, well… and OG tends to cater to health-minded people, do they not?

        Btw, it would not be tAmpering the yoLK “thing” being that it is their recipe (by “their” I mean their version of Alfredo sauce, since they were not the creators.)

        And, no, one does not need to personally know anyone who actually works/ed in the kitchen at OG… one only needs to have been old enough to cook, own a computer, and have the mind to peruse the net for recipes a while back when OG first published their recipes, which is where many have found the recipe which includes egg yolks.

        Also, why would anyone think that Stephanie would publish a recipe claiming it is an original from OG’s web site if it weren’t?

      • Leuviant

        If the orginal used it was almost 15-20 years ago, I spent along time at OG. Still know people that work there, not sure of your sources. Also the site owner is right. They really don’t post their own real recipes, it’s actually a rule in the handbook though most don’t read it hahaha. This is coming from someone that’s made it.

  2. Cyn Germany

    Fast, cheap, easy, and tastes EXACTLY like Olive Garden. I feel like Olive Garden owes me an apology…and a refund.

  3. Javier

    I taste no different between the one I made then the oNe
    I’ve had at the olive garden I could easily say I bought it at the olive garden
    YUMMY THANKS

  4. Amy

    I have been making this since back in the days when you first CopyKat’d it.. BUT………………. I use a half STICK of Cream Cheese in mine. and you need to keep whisking it so it does NOT burn to the bottom.. And I like mine extra cheesy, so I add more parm Cheese… 🙂 Once it is all smooth and Creamy,, U can relish in all the compliments!

  5. Mama Mia

    Interesting. The OG website gives the recipe itself and it contains egg yolks. I imagine THAT is the secret to OG’s wonderful Alfredo Sauce.

  6. Matt Hew VandeGevel

    The Olive Garden has changed their recipe since I worked there. Originally it was equal parts butter, parmesan, and heavy cream, seasoned with a bit of white pepper and granulated garlic powder.

  7. Dsmith1606

    Tried this and im very impressed. Tastes like my Olive Garden leftovers. It may be cheaper to buy the Alfredo from Olive Garden, but in the long run it’s so much more satisfying and cost effective to make a big batch of chicken Alfredo at home rather than buying it.

    • stephaniemanley

      I am very happy that you were impressed. This is the recipe that started it all for me. Making a CopyKat recipe generally makes more sense when you are looking for multiple people.

  8. Daniel

    I am currently employed at Olive Garden and I make the soups and sauces every day. No, we do not use eggs, yes we use heavy cream AND milk, salt pepper, butter, and chopped garlic. Melt butter and garlic together, then add remaining ingredients and bring to 185°. The item you do not see here is called Alfredo base. It is a mix of flour and seasoning, not plain flour.

    • stephaniemanley

      Thank you for confirming that you do not use eggs. I know the website has a recipe for eggs, and I just didn’t think that sounded correct. I appreciate your comment, and letting me know the recipe was close in ingredients.

    • Cristina

      Can I ask what seasoning is mixed with the flour? I really want to make this and have it taste like the real deal. I’m currently living in Australia and they do not use Alfredo sauce in any restaurant..it’s not popular here! I’d appreciate your help or if not the recipe in more depth 🙂

  9. Danila

    I made this with the store bought grated cheese but I sifted the cheese first to get the “plastic” bits out (lol) and I used real garlic… It came out great!

  10. Sayden

    You are missing Egg Yolk. That is the secret ingredient that we use in our Alfredo sauce. Also, we do not use Parmesan cheese on anything, even in the cheese graters. We use pecorino romano, its made from sheeps milk.

      • Stephanie Manley

        One or two eggs yes. I have done an alfredo with them, but six I think it is pushing it. If you read comments on here, no past cooks from the Olive Garden suggests that they ever put the egg yolk in there.

      • Mama Mia

        I did read one post from one employee here who said they dud use eggs. At any rate I have made sauce like yours and it was really good. I have also made sauce with cream chees (prob much more than yours) e and it got too firm while we were eating it and it was embaraasing! I wamt to try it with a yolk or 2. That just sounds awesone!

  11. Edie

    I’ve worked for two mom & pop Italian restaurants where the owners emigrated from Italy and both of them made their Alfredo sauce with just a bit of butter, heavy cream and parmesan cheese.

  12. Rich

    I tried this recipe for the first time tonight, and my family all decided we will never buy the alfredo sauce in a jar again. I followed the instructions exactly, using parmesan cheese without the additives, and didn’t need cream cheese at all. We honestly think it tastes better than Olive Garden and it was so easy and inexpensive to have restaurant quality food at home!

  13. msaltmyer

    I’m a newbie in cooking, but I tried the recipe on the video several times already. It is really close to Olive Garden’s Alfredo sauce. Never had problems with store bought grated parmesan, I just add cream cheese and it’s perfect enough for me. My question is, what is it that Olive Garden sprinkle on top of the pasta? Is it parsley? Thank you for sharing this recipe. I bought the kindle versions your 2 copycat books and will try your other recipes!

    • stephaniemanley

      It is great when you try out a recipe and it works well. I am happy this worked for you. Olive Garden often sprinkles a little parsley on top for decoration. I don’t think it matters a great deal for taste.

  14. Jaimi Clifford

    This is in a sauce pan on my stove right now, so yummy, so good. I don’t care if its not exact, my taste buds are screaming “You just made olive garden at home!!!!!” never using a can again. I can’t wait till my boyfriend gets home!!! I added seafood=)=) yummmm

  15. kathryn

    I made this tonight. Used a lot more fresh parmesan cheese along with white pepper and fresh minced garlic. It turned out great. I served it over three cheese tortelini and the family loved it!

4.92 from 123 votes (88 ratings without comment)

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