Win over dinner guests with this creamy, moreish Alfredo sauce that comes together in a trice. While it is simple and requires only a few pantry staples, it is packed to the gills with flavor and hits the spot. Plus, the dish is not too fussy and can be made in different ways, depending on what is available—swap the milk with cream and whip up a sauce that is just as good, if not better.
Alfredo sauce with heavy cream
Alfredo sauce can be prepared in various ways, but the most popular version that makes use of heavy cream requires a handful of ingredients. These include unsalted butter, heavy cream, minced garlic cloves—feel free to use as many or as few—white pepper, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and a bit of good quality olive oil.
- Start by adding some butter and olive oil in a heated pan. The olive oil prevents the butter from burning and enhances the sauce’s flavor with fresh, almost fruity notes.
- Once the butter melts, add some heavy cream, minced garlic, and white pepper and stir.
- Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a simmer.
- Add a generous amount of Parmesan cheese and keep stirring until the sauce becomes thick and creamy.
- Add the mozzarella cheese, and again stir until the sauce becomes thicker and smoother.
- Add salty pasta water to get the desired consistency, and serve it with pasta, chicken, or salad.
Alfredo sauce with milk instead of cream
Many people choose not to make creamy Alfredo sauce with heavy cream; instead, they often replace cream with milk and add all-purpose flour to create a creamy yet lighter version. It also does away with olive oil. Even though this method replaces an ingredient or two, it is just as easy to make it from scratch. This recipe requires salted butter, milk, all-purpose flour, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic cloves, salt, ground black pepper, and mixed herbs.
- Melt some butter in a pan.
- Once the butter is melted, add minced garlic and cook it until it turns golden brown.
- Add the all-purpose flour to the pan slowly and keep stirring simultaneously on medium heat. Stir until the consistency becomes smooth.
- Next, add Parmesan cheese to the pan and stir until the cheese melts.
- Now, add some milk. Add it slowly and whisk the mixture until it gets a smooth consistency.
- Finally, add the seasonings as per taste and mix. The sauce is ready.
Traditional Alfredo sauce with pasta water
Authentic Italian Alfredo sauce is actually made without milk or cream! That’s right—the traditional version does not use either of those ingredients. In fact, the sauce comes together with three ingredients: Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, unsalted butter, and salted pasta water for the butter and cheese to emulsify.
It is also important to note that authentic Alfredo sauce is typically used for pasta, so this recipe is ideal for making fettuccine Alfredo pasta.
- Start by boiling the pasta in a pot, and make sure to add a generous amount of salt to the water.
- In a pan, melt the butter and turn off the heat.
- Once the pasta is cooked, transfer it to the pan with the melted butter, making sure to save some of the pasta water. The starch from the pasta dissolves in the water and will help create a creamy sauce.
- Add some of the pasta water to the pan and begin stirring.
- Add some grated Parmesan cheese to the pan and continue stirring while the heat is still turned off to thicken the saw and get a creamy consistency.
- Keep adding the pasta water until the desired consistency is reached.
- The Alfredo pasta is ready to serve.
Here’s a tip: the fettuccine Alfredo is best served in a warm bowl, as that will keep the butter melted and maintain the creamy consistency of the sauce.
Vegan Alfredo sauce recipe
Individuals who do not or cannot eat dairy products can still enjoy the delicious Alfredo sauce. To make the vegan version of the Alfredo sauce from scratch, one needs good-quality olive oil, minced garlic, full-fat coconut milk, cashew cream, nutritional yeast, and all-purpose flour. Alternatively, one can use soy milk, cashew milk, or almond milk instead of coconut milk. One can also add in some vegetable broth for added smoothness and creaminess, but it is not necessary.
- Start by heating some olive oil in a pan before adding garlic and cooking until fragrant.
- Next, add the flour gradually and whisk the mixture until the flour absorbs the oil.
- If one uses vegetable broth, now would be the perfect time to add it to the pan. Continue whisking the broth until the flour blends well and you achieve a thick consistency.
- Add the non-dairy milk to the pan slowly and continue whisking the mixture. Make sure to whisk properly so that no lumps are formed.
- Add seasonings and nutritional yeast to the mixture once it reaches a thick and creamy consistency. The nutritional yeast gives the sauce a lovely cheesy, umami flavor.
- Simmer the mixture until the sauce becomes thick. Meanwhile, stir or whisk now and then to prevent the sticky milk skin from forming on the surface.
- Once the desired consistency is achieved, turn off the heat, and the vegan Alfredo sauce is ready to serve.
- For some extra flavor and zest, add some freshly squeezed lemon juice to the sauce, along with the seasonings.