Get my Cookbooks! Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce
Make Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce Recipe at home in just 20 minutes! Pair it with Fettuccine for an easy dinner idea the whole family will love!
Love Olive Garden Copycat Recipes?! Try these Chicken Gnocchi or Zuppa Toscana Soup recipes next!
I know it’s a restaurant chain, but honestly, Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce recipe is just perfect in my book. Hands-down. Chain or no chain, I love it.
(And you won’t believe how easy it is to make at home!)
PRO Tips For Making Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce:
- Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce recipe is made with Parmesan and Romano Cheeses, however you can also incorporate Mozzarella, Gruyere, Gouda, or Asiago. You can also just use Parmesan.
- You can use half and half instead of half heavy cream/half milk.
- If you only have evaporated milk, just use half the amount of milk and replace the other half with water. You won’t compromise flavor or consistency by doing this in creamy sauces like this one.
- You can even experiment with different pastas. I like fettuccine because the noodles soak up that thick sauce well, and Tortellini Alfredo with Broccoli is delicious as well!
How to Make Alfredo Sauce
Melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the flour. Add heavy cream and milk. Gradually whisk in the cheese.
Add cooked Fettuccine. Sauce will continue to thicken upon standing.
Tip: I like to use 3/4 lb. of fettuccine for saucier pasta, but this recipe will satisfy a full pound as well.
Tips for Extra-Creamy Sauce
- Use blocks of (high-quality) cheese and shred it yourself for extra creamy results. Bagged shredded cheese has cellulose added to it to prevent the cheese from sticking together in the bag. Cellulose repels moisture, which makes it melt poorly in comparison to shredding the cheese yourself.
- Let the cheese come down to room temperature before adding it to the sauce.
- Sprinkle in the cheese gradually, the sauce should be warm but not too hot. Otherwise the dairy will separate and the consistency will be grainy.
- High-quality butter is important. I like Land O’ Lakes brand.
⭐Pro Tip: Alfredo sauce continues to thicken upon standing, and thickens even more when it’s added to pasta. Refrain from adding additional cheese to thicken it up.
⭐This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 132!
Making Alfredo Sauce Ahead of Time
- Alfredo sauce is a convenient make-ahead and freezable sauce. Unlike some other cheese sauces, the flour in this recipe helps it to maintain it’s consistency when cooled and reheated.
- It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- It can also be frozen and is best if used within 1-2 months.
How to Reheat Alfredo Sauce
- Alfredo sauce will thicken up and harden as it cools, but can be easily microwaved or slowly reheated on the stove top. Reheating in a makeshift double boiler is the best reheating method to restore it back to it’s original form. (Either by itself or when combined with pasta.)
- Frozen Alfredo sauce should be thawed overnight in the fridge before heating.
- If the sauce is too thick when reheated, add a splash of milk or chicken broth to thin it out.
Try These Next!
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- Chicken Pot Pie
-
- Olive Garden Salad
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- Copycat Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken
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- Creamy Garlic Chicken
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- Bacon Mac and Cheese
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- Mushroom Chicken
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Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
Make Olive Garden's Alfredo Sauce Recipe at home in just 20 minutes! Pair it with Fettuccine for an easy dinner idea the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter, high quality
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, 1% or 2% can be used if needed
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated and at room temperature
- ½ cup Romano cheese, grated and at room temperature
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 lb. Fettuccine
- Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Boil the fettuccine according to package instructions. As the water preheats, begin the sauce.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Add the heavy cream in splashes, stirring continuously. Add the milk in the same manner.
- Bring to a gentle bubble, then reduce heat to a simmer. It will continue to thicken as it simmers.
- Reduce heat to low and slowly stir in the cheese. Taste and season with salt/pepper if desired.
- Drain the pasta and combine it with the sauce until well incorporated. The pasta will absorb the sauce and it will continue to thicken.
- Garnish with parsley and serve!
Notes
Note: You may be tempted to add more cheese to thicken to sauce, but it continues to thicken upon standing and even when added to the pasta.
For Saucier Pasta: Use 3/4 lb. pasta instead of a full pound.
⭐This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 132!
The nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
For Saucier Pasta: Use 3/4 lb. pasta instead of a full pound.
Pro Tips for Reheating:
- Alfredo sauce will thicken up and harden as it cools, but can be easily microwaved or slowly reheated on the stove top. Reheating in a makeshift double boiler is the best reheating method to restore it back to it's original form.
- Frozen Alfredo sauce should be thawed overnight in the fridge before heating.
- If the sauce is too thick when reheated, add a splash of milk or chicken broth to thin it out.
- Be sure to serve this with my Olive Garden Salad!
⭐This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 132!
The nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 624kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 153mg, Sodium: 399mg, Potassium: 357mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 925IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 347mg, Iron: 2mg
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It was really delicious and it tastes almost exactly alike Olive Garden!!!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it Caden! We absolutely love this recipe! 🙂
I made it the first time exactly as instructed and I didn’t add any salt. It definitely needs salt. I would say 1 tsp to my liking.
Hi Irlanda! Salt is definitely one of those personal choices, there is a bit of salt in the cheese and butter but at least it’s an easy thing to add to taste! 🙂
This recipe is amazingly simple and really delicious. I always use it now for anything Alfredo. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear that Vicki! It’s the only one I’ll ever use as well! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts about it! 🙂 -Stephanie
Fantastic! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it Julie, thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review, I really appreciate it!! -Stephanie
Added Shrimp and Broccoli. It was so good, I couldn’t believe I made it myself!
I’m so happy to hear that Nataly, great job! I love making this with shrimp and broccoli. I’ve also made it with steak and chicken! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!😃
This turned out awesome my family loved and begg me to make it thank you
I’m so happy the family is loving this Steve! I try and keep this on hands at all times! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!😃
Is 1.5 the same as 1and 1/2 cups. And can you add asiago cheese to the sauce and if so will it still taste like Alfredo sauce? Also when you drain the pasta do you rinse the pasta after draining it?
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn! Yes, 1.5 is the same as 1 + 1/2 cups. I happen to love incorporating some Asiago into my Alfredo sauce, it’s nice and creamy and has great flavor. I don’t recommend rinsing the pasta after you boil it, as that rids it of starch, and the starch is what helps the pasta cling on to the sauce.
Thank you Stephanie for answering my questions.
Carolyn
Ooooo, yum to the Asiago! I love that cheese! I found a 4 ingredient alfredo which is delish, but I’m going to give this a try next time I get to the store to get the ingredients. To say I LOVE Olive Garden’s alfredo sauce is a HUGE understatement! Can’t wait to try this one…with the asiago!
I can’t wait for you to try it Susan! I’m with you, Olive Garden’s Alfredo is amazing! Thanks so much for taking the time to review!❤️
Delicious! Family absolutely LOVED it. Thank you!
Wonderful Belinda! I’m so happy to hear that!! 🙂 -Stephanie
Can you make the sauce ahead
If I make it tonight can it be left in the fridge until Sunday or if I make it tomorrow can it stay in the fridge until Sunday
Hey Leslie, Alfredo sauce is one that is definitely best when served fresh. The dairy tends to separate a bit when reheated so it’s not an ideal make-ahead sauce. If you do make it ahead of time, I find that it reheats best over a double boiler, (which is easy to set up yourself at home).
Tip. Allow cheese to come to room temperature before you begin. It will keep the moisture in the cheese which will allow it to melt better. Use parmesano regiano if possible. It’s a higher quality cheese. I like to add a little gruyere cheese too.
So glad that you enjoyed the recipe Melanie! And yes! Your tip is outlined in my PRO TIPS section! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie