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
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- Olive Garden Salad
-
- Copycat Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken
-
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
-
- Bacon Mac and Cheese
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- Mushroom Chicken
More Restaurant Copycats
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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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Delicious!!!
Wahooo! Great to hear Rebekah, thanks so much for the review!❤️
Delicious! Will definitely make again. I added an extra half cup of cheese.
Excellent! Happy to hear you liked the Alfredo Sauce Rosemary, thanks so much for the great review!😀
They fought over who got to go around the pan with the remaining garlic bread! Best recipe I’ve found in a long time!! My whole family, including my picky daughter, loved this!
Wow that sounds like a huge success, Sarah, nice work!🙌 Thanks so much for the great review, happy to hear your picky daughter loved it!
I made this the same as the recipe but added more garlic. It was better than any restaurant Alfredo! Much cheaper, too!
I’m so happy to hear that Sandy! I’m always surprised at how yummy this one is. Thanks so much for the great comments and review!❤️
Seriously, hands down, this sauce was so simple to make, and yet it was delicious!!! Perfect consistency and the cheesy flavors – exceptional. I will definitely make this Alfredo sauce again! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I am so happy that you love this recipe as much as we do Judy, and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
Oh my very very delicious 😋 made this added salt and pepper to my liking and may I say It was like if I was eating at Olive Garden definitely making this again thanks!
That’s so great to hear! It really is like eating at Olive Garden. That place is such a guilty pleasure in my family! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!❤️
Stephanie many thanks for the recipe, I m pure Italian. I really enjoyed your recipe & cut your recipe in half … TAYLOR made for just me. I too am a good cook, sometimes exceptional. I appreciated you sharing the recipe and came back with something additional to compliment the sauce. To half the recipe as stated I added one raw egg yolks only, its added enrichment I usually do this with most cheese sauce recipes. Give it a try. Thank you.
It’s so great to hear a true Italian enjoy this one! Thanks so much for the great comments and for the egg tip!❤️
Great recipe.
Thanks so much Conner!❤️
Absolutely delicious. This is THE Alfredo recipe! Thanks for sharing!
It’s my pleasure Dan, I’m so happy you liked it so much! My family goes crazy for this sauce. Thanks so much for the great review!😃
PS: I used 1/4 Cup each: Romano. Parm., Asiago, and Mozzarella.)