Home » 30 Minute Meals » Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce
by Stephanie on September 10, 2019 (Updated October 7, 2020)1,071*This post may contain affiliate links. Read more »
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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 orZuppa 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 alsojustuse 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 to3 days.
- It can also be frozen and is best if used within 1-2months.
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!
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Olive Garden Salad
- Copycat Longhorn Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Mushroom Chicken
More Restaurant Copycats
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Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
4.97 from 420 ratings
Servings: 6 people
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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.
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.
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
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Stephanie
30 Minute Meals Copycat Recipes Dinner Italian Meatless Olive Garden Recipes Our Favorite Recipes Pasta Popular
posted by Stephanie on September 10, 2019 — 1,071 Comments »
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1,071 comments on “Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce”
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adina hecht — August 3, 2024 @ 11:18 am Reply
Just like at the restaurant!
Sometimes we change it up: I use 3/4 cup of each cheese if you like extra cheesy thick sauce.
Add 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg!-
Stephanie — August 3, 2024 @ 11:26 am Reply
So glad that you love it Adina!
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Toni Baldini — July 21, 2024 @ 9:41 am Reply
Absolutely LOVE all your recipes! I am having fun trying new things to cook for my family and all that I have tried have been a hit and put on the repeat list! They are easy to understand (and cook) and come out perfect every time! Thanks so much!
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Stephanie — July 21, 2024 @ 11:20 am Reply
I am sooooooo happy to hear that Toni!!! You made my day, I’ll be sure to keep the recipes coming! Thank you so much!!! -Stephanie 🙂
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Barbara Huseman — July 19, 2024 @ 9:26 am Reply
I made this so far many times. It’s delicious, also I had extra heavy cream(I hate to waste) so I made a few batches, put them in ziplock freezer bags, I had them in the freezer about 3 months, I took 1 out put it in a sink of quite warm water it unthawed beautifully. Later I used the other ones, they were just a good.
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Stephanie — July 19, 2024 @ 4:17 pm Reply
I’m so happy that you loved the recipe Barbara! What a wonderful idea to freeze them and that’s also a great thawing method! I love it, good for you and thank you for sharing!!
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Theresa — July 9, 2024 @ 1:02 pm Reply
Incredibly easy to make and delicious. Love garlic so I added more!
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Stephanie — July 9, 2024 @ 2:31 pm Reply
You can’t go wrong with more garlic, I’m so glad that you loved it Theresa!
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ksstatewildcatsfan — June 30, 2024 @ 12:37 am Reply
Alfredo in a jar or can always tasted so processed that we’ve been making this for the past oh eight years or so! My daughter is a HUGE OG Alfredo fan, so she helps me make it and it’s right on the money. We always cook some boneless skinless chicken breast and then add at the end for a little extra oomph. Winner winner chicken Alfredo dinner! A family favorite! Thanks! 💙💙
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Stephanie — June 30, 2024 @ 9:03 am Reply
I totally agree! I’m so happy this was such a winner. Thanks so much for the great comments!🩷
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Phil — June 18, 2024 @ 8:11 pm Reply
Perfection personified! I’ve always been a fan of certain brands of canned alfredo sauce, but this is something else entirely in terms of quality and taste.
The instructions and explanatory introduction make this completely straightforward to make. Thank you so much for sharing!
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Stephanie — June 19, 2024 @ 7:18 am Reply
Thanks so much Phil! I’m so happy you’re enjoying it and finding the instructions easy to follow!💕
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Penelope — June 8, 2024 @ 5:01 pm Reply
Very delicious! I subbed Ramano Cheese for Asiago and it was tasty. I also added chicken which really topped the dish off. So good! Use off the block cheeses, not bagged.
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Stephanie — June 8, 2024 @ 5:32 pm Reply
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it Penelope! I love that you added chicken, I have a Chicken Alfredo Pasta recipe as well using this sauce! 🙂 Thank you so much for the review!
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Tracy — May 24, 2024 @ 11:31 pm Reply
I made this the other day and IT WAS EXCELLENT!!!!!! My dad had thirds!
To quote my dad “I made a pig of myself”!
I will definitely make this again.-
Stephanie — May 25, 2024 @ 9:06 am Reply
hahah, I think I’d get a long with your dad 😂! I’m so happy it was such a success Tracy, thanks for the review!
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Vanessa — June 25, 2024 @ 9:21 pm Reply
Great recipe!! I’ve tried sOoO many Alfredo recipes.I always have to have onion in my alfredo so I minced it ip small and upped it to 4 garlic smashed garlic cloves. I didn’t have milk, so I just added a little water to some leftover whipping cream and the half and half. It came out super thick. I added 2 tablespoons of the Filippo Berio Classic pesto to it. I’d make this again and use this sauce in a white lasagna recipe. You should definitely add this recipe to your favorites
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Stephanie — June 26, 2024 @ 9:25 am
Nice work Vanessa! I’m so happy you liked it. Adding some pesto is a great idea. Thanks for the review!🩷
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