Never buy Alfredo sauce again! This easy homemade alfredo sauce is amazingly delicious and simple to make. Only a handful of ingredients!
My absolute favorite kind of pasta sauces are creamy ones. Actually, I think all food that contains cream is my favorite kind of food. I may have a problem. Or not. Cream is never a problem, right?
This really is such an easy homemade alfredo sauce recipe and it’s the best ever for a few reasons. Reason one: It only has 3 ingredients and it’s still 100% homemade! Reason two: It only takes about 5 minutes to make. For realz. Quick recipes are always awesome! Reason three: It’s beyond delicious!
This sauce is pretty decadent, so you could sub out the cream for half-and-half to lighten things up a bit. But don’t skip the nutmeg! I know it can seem a little bit unusual for a savory dish, but it adds a special flavor that really compliments all the rich creaminess going on.
Now, I don’t care what kind of food you eat and buy but from personal experience, don’t make this with the parmesan from the green can! You know what kind I’m talking about?
I say this only because it really doesn’t melt well and usually turns into a clump in the pot and that will just ruin your whole day. Clumps of cheese in pots are total downers.
You don’t have to buy totally fancy stuff, but if you can buy some and grate it yourself it will melt into the sauce beautifully. Or, if you live in an awesome place like I do with a cheese factory in town, you can purchase freshly grated parm and that also melts well.
You may need to thin the alfredo sauce a bit with pasta water. Or regular water. But the pasta water is a bit starchy which is great for sauces.
Since my love of all things dairy, of course, encompasses every kind of cheese ever, living near a cheese factory has basically become a necessity for me. I can never move. Of if I do, I’ll need to bring the cheese factory with me.
Side note: Our valley is also home to a FatBoy Factory. You can go there and buy discounted “seconds” by the case. Have I mentioned I love where I live?!
If you want to make chicken alfredo, just pan fry some chicken breasts in the skillet before making the alfredo sauce. It is really easy, here is how I like to do it:
How to Pan Fry Chicken Breasts:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
- Slice 2 chicken breasts in half lengthwise {so they are thinner}.
- Salt and pepper both sides.
- Place in skillet and cook about 5 minutes a side until golden brown and the internal temperature registers 160ºF.
- Rest, covered with foil, while you make the alfredo sauce.
So super easy! Now you have a super easy chicken packed 15-minute meal!
Now, be warned. Even though this is the best alfredo sauce, it is not an authentic Italian recipe {we’ve discussed the authenticity of my Italian recipes before…} because Alfredo is just a name and I’m pretty sure this is a totally American version of an Italian dish.
But who cares?! Last time I checked, delicious was not defined by cultural authenticity. So make this! Because everyone needs some 3-ingredient 5-minute recipes in their life.
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Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce
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Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese see note
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- Fresh parsley optional, for serving
Instructions
- Heat cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering.
- Reduce heat to low and add parmesan cheese, stirring frequently.
- Continue to simmer and stir until the cheese is totally melted and the sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.
Add nutmeg and stir to combine.
Serve over your favorite pasta topped with fresh parsley.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Use the highest quality cheese you can, it will melt much better and stay combined with the sauce.
I usually use this amount of sauce for 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of pasta.
If the sauce becomes thick, add a splash of cream or half-and-half, or even milk to thin it out a little bit.
When reheating the sauce, do so over low heat in a saucepan.
If re-heating pasta with this sauce on it, microwave until the chill has just been taken off, add a splash of cream, stir, and microwave until warmed through.
Ali Hotmar says
is this something that can be made ahead of time and stored somewhere for later use? Fridge or pantry and how long do you think?
So many questions! haha
Alli says
Hi Ali! Yes! It totally can be. I store it in a jar in the fridge with no problems, as long as your cream and cheese are good for. I haven’t tried freezing it, but I imagine it would be fine. I hope you like it!
Sammi Windley says
This is such a great way to make and store it!