Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
An easy, no-fuss dish you can make right at home with ingredients that you already have on hand. It’s also cheaper, healthier and quicker than ordering out!
I woke up one morning with a huge craving for alfredo sauce. I don’t know what it was but I just had to have it right then and there. But delivery was going to take over an hour and Olive Garden was about 45 minutes away. And I just couldn’t wait that long.
At that point, I was almost even tempted to buy those jarred alfredo sauces. Yes, I just wanted it that badly. I know. Shameful.
But after perusing through my pantry, I realized that I had all the ingredients to make the Olive Garden alfredo sauce right at home. And surprisingly enough, it came together in just 15 minutes from start to finish. It couldn’t be easier!
And as always, the homemade version really knocked it out of the park. I was thoroughly satisfied, as I devoured about 3 servings of these. Then I ran 4 miles. It’s all about that balance, right?
Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccine
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup whole milk, or more, to taste
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 large egg yolk, beaten
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Combine butter, garlic, heavy cream and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and egg yolk, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk as needed.
- Stir in pasta and gently toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan and parsley, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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In the early years of my marriage, I made a lot of processed, easy to make ‘foods’. Fast forward 20 years, My 10 year old daughter started watching all of the cooking shows on tv. She was always wanting to make things that she saw on tv. I have learned that it is easier and tastes so much better than the boxed, processed stuff. She asked for pasta alfredo for lunch today. I don’t have a “go to” recipe for it, so google is a good friend of mine. the first recipe to show was the pioneer woman so that is what i made. eh, not so good. was missing something. you were next on the list, garlic. that is what was missing. I have landed here many times when searching for a recipe. You never disappoint!! Thanks for the inspiration!!
Best Alfredo recipe, ever!
Made this. It was very runny. Is it not supposed to be thick?
Yes, it is supposed to be thick. It thickens up as it cools.
Made this tonight and it was great!! I doubled it, and almost ran out! Next time I will have to triple the recipe!! loved it, thanks for posting it!
Just a tip.for all you new cooks from a self taught “old” cook. Trust your recipe, its creator , in this case, Chungah, and yourself. Don’t be afraid & try again. Re-read your questions after you’ve succeeded and gain confidence in that you can cook. Anything. Soon you’ll have favs your family asks for. My son’s? Creamed petite onions. Food is the best family time together and always make time for making it with your family. Cook on!
How many does your recipe serve? I want to make enough to serve my Homeless Ministry.
This recipe yields about 4 servings.
Hi! I’m trying to eat healthier but I LOVE Alfredo so I was looking over your recipe and trying to find substitutes to make it just a bit healthier. Would it be okay if I use 1/2 and 1/2 and 2% or just half and half. i’m new to this cooking thing so Ill take all the help I can get. Also, I have the garlic like powder would that be okay to use instead of the whole cloves? Not that it’s necessarily healthier than the cloves but it is what I have currently. Thanks! 🙂
Half and half would be a more acceptable substitute for the heavy cream. Garlic powder should also work just fine but please note that the ratio for dry to fresh herbs is typically 1:3.
okay awesome. thank you! and i can use 2% milk instead of whole?
Yes, that should be fine. But please note that with these substitutions, it may not be as creamy and thick as the original recipe.
I didn’t know Alfredo sauce was this simple. I’ll never buy it again. I’m going to make the sauce to use for supper tonight!
This sounds amazing and I plan to make it for supper tomorrow night. Have you ever tried freezing the sauce? I was thinking of making a double batch and freezing some for next time.
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Love this recipe! I added grated Romano Cheese, no shrimp grilled chicken instead & it was AWESOME. My boyfriend loved it too!
I’m going to try this tonight! One question can garlic powder be used instead?
Yes, of course! But remember that the ratio of dry to fresh is typically 1:3.
I doubled this and made it just as the recipe states. It was perfect and we sliced grilled chicken over it. Thanks for another great recipe!!
I am using your recipe tonight. I can’t wait! I’m going to steam some broccoli and sauté some mushrooms to add to it with pan fried chicken tenders. Nom, nom!!
Hi,
I tried making this last night and it was a major fail. I followed your recipe, but used minced garlic (because that was all I had on hand), and the garlic taste was way too strong, so it didn’t taste like alfredo at all. Does the garlic press really make a difference in the taste?
Yes! If you have huge chunks of garlic in your sauce, it certainly won’t be very appetizing. It is best to either press the garlic or finely chop them. You can also reduce the amount of garlic to fit your taste preferences.
Thank you! One last question, did the sauce thicken as you cooked it? Looking back I don’t think I gave the sauce enough time to thicken because I was distracted by the garlic smell. I am determined to make this again! 🙂
Yes, the sauce thickens up just fine as it cools. I hope you get a chance to give it another go!
how much shrimp?
Aliza, that really depends on how much shrimp you want, although I generally estimate about 1 pound for 4-6 people.
can you can alfredo sauce
Unfortunately, I have never tried canning alfredo sauce so I cannot answer this with certainty. Please use your best judgment for canning.
I need to make for 20 people. Could you help me with that recipe? In one recipe I seen you can add broth. What flavor broth would you add and how much? Is the broth a good idea?
Joanne, this recipe yields 5 servings so please make the adjustments accordingly. Also, this recipe does not include broth so I do not recommend adding it in as you may be altering the overall taste/texture of the dish.
I worked at The Olive Garden and I helped make the Alfredo sauce as well as the other sauces and soups. The soups and sauces are made in the restaurant every day, using fresh ingredients. Not a single sauce or soup is canned. Those sauces & soups are made in large batches, using fresh ingredients, several times a day.
I made this recipe the other day and it was ok, it was a little lose and the cheese settle to the bottom but everyone enjoyed it. But I will say the second day was even better! I mean the sauce was perfect. The first night I didn’t mix the pasta and the sauce together, because I wasn’t sure how thick it would turn out. The next day the sauce was solid so I chopped up so chicken breast and blacken them in a wok, added some steamed broccoli, then I threw the pasta in. Once everything was mix together I scoped the sauce in and it just melted like butter. My husband said it taste like we were at the Olive Garden. This is truly one of the best recipe I have ever tried.
I already have pre chopped garlic I did at home, how much would I need? Also do I pour i the milk after the butter and garlic cook or at the same time? Do I pour the milk in while the pan is hot or all at once before turning on the stove?
The recipe calls for 3 cloves garlic, but please use your best judgment on how much pre-chopped garlic you would like to use, to taste. You can pour all the ingredients (butter, garlic, heavy cream and milk) at the same time over medium heat. You can do it before or after the heat has been turned on – it really doesn’t make much of a difference.