Restaurant Style Alfredo Sauce

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The best restaurant style Alfredo sauce made with only 3 ingredients. It's creamy and thick perfect to mix with fettuccini noodles. No roux and no butter.

Jump to:

• Ingredients 
• Mix In’s and Additions 
• How To Store and Reheat 
• Step By Step Instructions and Photos
• Restaurant Style Alfredo Sauce

Homemade alfredo sauce is perfect for a pasta night. This recipe has a great texture, rich and creamy that can coat the fettuccini noodles well. 

It’s very much an American restaurant style alfredo sauce. So good. 

Check out these other delicious restaurant style recipes ranch dressing, yum yum sauce, tartar sauce, and buffalo sauce recipes.

Ingredients 

Cream - Heavy or whipping cream, so rich and creamy. 

Cheese- Parmesan Cheese and/or Pecorino Romano and White American Deli Cheese.

Cream

Heavy cream or whipping cream is my go to for homemade alfredo sauce. 

Half and half or whole milk can be used but the sauce will be on the lighter and on thinner side. You will need an extra thickener, like cream cheese for a better texture.    

Cheese 

The secret ingredient is white American cheese. I used about 3 deli slices, you can use more or less based on your taste preference.  It really helps to thicken up the sauce. 

Parmesan Cheese and Pecorino Romano is a must in any alfredo sauce. Freshly grated is always best and melts into the sauce much easier than pre grated. 

Pecorino Romano is a sweeter cheese and Parmesan has a slightly tangy taste. Using a combination of both is great. 

Check out this delicious recipe for Mexican Restaurant White Queso using American cheese. Yum. 

Mix In’s and Additions 

I like to make alfredo sauce really simple then add extra spices depending on how I plan on serving it. Check out these delicious mix in’s. 

• Fresh garlic
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Basil
• Oregano
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• Italian Parsley
• Thyme
• Chives
• Lemon (Zest or Juice)
• Chili Flakes
• Season Salt
• Hot Sauce

How To Use Alfredo Sauce 

The most traditional way to use alfredo sauce it to toss it with pasta. Fettuccine, penne, linguini, and cavatappi are pretty popular choices. Top with shrimp, crispy chicken breast, grilled chicken, steak, meatballs or sautéed garlic mushrooms. Yum. 

Baked pasta dishes like lasagna, spaghetti, stuffed shells and ziti are so good with alfredo sauce as well. 

Other options include pizza, garlic bread, mac & cheese, baked potato, dips and sandwiches.

How To Store and Reheat 

Store leftover alfredo sauce in an airtight container (bottle or jar) for up to four days in the refrigerator or frozen up to 2 months. 

To reheat the sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave, I recommend a small amount of water or milk. 

On the stove top on low to medium heat and stir frequently to prevent hot spots. When alfredo sauce is over heated or heated too quickly it tends to separate. You’ll notice the oil separating from the cream.

In the microwave at 15 second intervals mixing in between until it’s heated through. 

Step By Step Instructions and Photos

1. Grab ingredients and prep them.

2. Pour heavy cream into a skillet. Bring to a simmer on low medium for 2 minutes.

3. Add parmesan and American cheese little by little and mix after each addition.

4. Whisk until smooth. Simmer for about a minute or two.

5. Optional : Can be reduced even more if you like a thick sauce. The sauce does thicken when cooling.

6. It's ready to serve or tossing into fettuccini noodles. Enjoy.