Italian · Sauce · All year
Alfredo Sauce
4.6 community
5m
Prep
10m
Cook
Easy
Level
320
kcal
Real Alfredo is an emulsion of butter, parmesan, and starchy pasta water — the cream is the American amendment, included here because it's delicious and forgiving.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
100 g
🧈 Butter ›
150 ml
🥛 Heavy Cream ›
100 g
🧀 Parmesan ›
finely grated
1 clove
🧄 Garlic ›
grated
1 pinch
🌰 Nutmeg ›
120 ml
🍲 Chicken Stock ›
or reserved pasta water
Add all to shopping list
Mise en place
Before you start
5m
Prep
10m
Cook
15m
Total
—
Serves
Yield: Enough for 400 g of pasta
Equipment
Small saucepan
Whisk
Prep checklist
Parmesan — finely grated
Garlic — grated
Chicken Stock — or reserved pasta water
3 steps
Method
1
Melt butter with garlic over medium-low 1 minute — fragrant, never browned. Add cream and warm to a bare simmer.
2
OFF the heat, whisk in the parmesan a handful at a time until glossy. Loosen with pasta water or stock to a silky, pourable ribbon.
💡
Boiling + cheese = grainy sauce, every time. Off-heat melting is the entire secret.
Learn the technique ›
3
Season with nutmeg and pepper (the cheese carries the salt), and toss immediately with hot pasta.
Learn the technique ›
From the chef
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Airtight jar in the fridge, 3–5 days. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of starch-thickened sauces to stop a skin forming.
Freezing
Most sauces freeze 2–3 months; freeze in ice-cube trays for single portions. Emulsified butter/egg sauces don't freeze — they break on thawing.
Reheating
Reheat gently over low heat, whisking; butter- and egg-based sauces split when boiled. Loosen with a spoonful of warm water or stock.
Make ahead
Most sauces keep 3–5 days refrigerated and freeze in ice-cube trays for instant single portions. Emulsified butter sauces are best made within the hour.
Wine pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
Beer pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
·
Fettuccine
·
Tossed with roast chicken and broccoli
·
Gnocchi
Garnish
A final swirl of butter or oil
Fresh herbs
Taste map
Flavor profile
Sweet
Salty
Sour
Bitter
Umami
Heat
Per serving
Nutrition
320
kcal
9g
protein
4g
carbs
30g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
When it goes sideways
Troubleshooting
Grainy or ropey. The cheese overheated. Off the heat, whisk in a splash of warm pasta water — the starch re-emulsifies it more often than you'd expect.
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My notes
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