This Homemade Alfredo Sauce recipe makes the best pasta sauce with milk or half and half, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and butter. Add it to fettuccine, penne, chicken dish, or casserole to make a delicious meal in minutes!
Use this pasta sauce to serve with fettuccine, like my Chicken Alfredo or my Cheesy Alfredo Pasta Bake.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
One of the most popular pasta sauces happens to be super easy to make completely from scratch right in my own kitchen. You can make it right before serving or ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Add this creamy Alfredo sauce to any pasta with vegetables, and meat and you have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes!
If there is one from-scratch recipe that you try this week, it has to be this one! It will make you fall in love with cooking at home and cooking from scratch. I make this sauce every week and serve it with fettuccine, chicken, bacon (and sometimes ham) for a decadent pasta dinner or mix it with penne, broccoli, and mozzarella and bake to perfection.
Why this recipe is the best?
If you want to make Alfredo sauce from scratch most likely you want to make it as good if not better than the store-bought kind and of course cheaper. This sauce fits the requirements!
First, I use half and half which is cheaper than heavy cream but still makes the sauce rich and creamy.
Second, if you grate Parmesan cheese yourself you not only save money but also get better flavor. Pre-grated cheese is coated with starch to prevent clumping and dries out in the package. This affects the flavor a lot.
Third, I use cornstarch which does not require cooking out the raw flavor like flour. You simply mix it with the base liquid and add it to the pan. It will thicken out perfectly in minutes. It also makes the sauce gluten-free.
Ingredients:
- butter - Use unsalted butter to control the taste.
- garlic - I highly recommend using fresh garlic to make this sauce.
- half and half - This is my favorite ingredient for making creamy sauces. It's a mix of equal parts of heavy cream and milk.
- Parmesan cheese - Use the best quality you can. I prefer to grate it myself instead of using pre-grated stuff from the store.
- cornstarch - It makes the sauce smooth, while flour can clump up during cooking.
- Italian seasoning and dried oregano - My favorite dried herbs mix for the sauce.
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How to make Alfredo sauce from scratch?
- Melt butter in a saucepan. Add garlic and cook until golden and fragrant.
- Whisk together half and half, cornstarch, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and oregano. Add to garlic. Cook, stirring often until thick. Add Parmesan cheese and stir it in to melt.
- Remove from heat and use immediately OR cool completely and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Helpful Tips!
- cornstarch: I've been experimenting with this sauce recipe for years and finally settled on the perfect amount of garlic and Parmesan cheese that makes this sauce. I stopped using flour in my sauces years ago when I learned that cornstarch never clumps and creates the smoothest textures. I highly recommend trying it.
- garlic: I always saute garlic in butter for this recipe but if you want to skip this step, you can add all of the ingredients into a blender, blend for 20 seconds until smooth, and add to chicken in a saucepan and cook until it thickens. If you don't have fresh garlic on hand, use 2 teaspoons of garlic powder. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below and I will be happy to answer them! 😀
- Parmesan: try to avoid pre-shredded Parmesan cheese as it is often coated with starch to prevent sticking. I highly recommend buying Parmesan cheese in wedges and grating it at home.
Common questions:
While you can find recipes for canned Alfredo sauce, it is not recommended to can dairy sauces. Besides, this recipe is quick and easy to make ahead of time, up to 6 days.
Yes, you can freeze Alfredo sauce. After cooking, cool the sauce completely. Place in freezer-safe bags or containers, date and name it and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. When ready to use, reheat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Oftentimes, frozen creamy sauces tend to curdle, so stirring it over lower heat is essential.
Yes! I used cornstarch to thicken the sauce which makes the sauce gluten-free. Just make sure to use GF pasta to serve it with.
I recommend storing Alfredo sauce in the fridge. It will be good for up to 6 days. Take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before adding it to pasta, so it can come to room temperature.
I've made this sauce so many times and always prefer to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If you can get Pecorino Romano, that's even better. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with starch to prevent clumping and it will affect the final result.
More easy sauce recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups half and half a mixture of milk and cream; available in dairy section
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.2 Tablespoons butter
- Add minced garlic and saute until golden.3 cloves garlic
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together half and half, cornstarch, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and oregano. Add mixture to sauteing garlic.2 cups half and half, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- Cook, stirring often until thick.
- Add Parmesan cheese and stir well.½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Remove from heat and use in pasta dish (see notes) OR cool to room temperature, pour into a jar and store in fridge for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- Use this sauce with cooked pasta, vegetables and meat for a quick dinner OR add to cooked pasta and veggies, pour into a casserole dish, top with more cheese and bake.
- If you don't have fresh garlic on hand, use 2 teaspoons of garlic powder.
- If you don't have time to saute the garlic, place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Cook in pan until thick.
Tiffany Maxson says
Can I use heavy cream or will it change the flavor?