You’ll find it so easy to make the sauce for this fettuccine alfredo recipe that you'll never grab the jarred stuff again. Our traditional fettuccine Alfredo recipe requires just four ingredients (with salt and pepper to taste) to make the signature pasta dish you know and love. Learn how to make fettuccine Alfredo, plus get our Test Kitchen's favorite tips for how to make the pasta dish your own.
Fettuccine Alfredo Ingredients
Here are the basic ingredients you'll need to make fettuccine Alfredo.
- Noodles: Of course, fettuccine noodles are what give this dish its name. If you don't have them or your store is out, you can sub in any shape noodle you want. You can also buy your favorite gluten-free pasta or make homemade noodles for fettuccine Alfredo.
- Butter: We use real butter in our recipe. It provides richness in both texture and flavor.
- Garlic: Minced garlic is cooked down in butter first to minimize its sharper notes and highlight its mild, sweet flavor.
- Whipping Cream: Also known as heavy whipping cream, this is the key ingredient to getting the Alfredo to creamy perfection.
- Parmesan Cheese: For true restaurant-quality pasta, skip the canned or bagged Parm and shred your own from a nice block of real Italian Parmigiano Reggiano. The pre-shredded kind has anti-caking additives that will make it harder to smooth melt into the sauce.
What to Serve with Fettuccine Alfredo
You can serve fettuccine Alfredo as a side dish to chicken (we love them with these lemon butter chicken breasts) or your favorite protein. This recipe is also great for customizing with additional ingredients to turn it into a main dish. Stir in whatever cooked meat and veggies you like after you've combined the sauce and pasta. Here are some of our favorites to serve as inspiration.
- Meat mix-ins: Chicken, shrimp, bacon, or ham.
- Vegetable mix-ins: Broccoli, asparagus, peas, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, or spinach.
- Toppers: Extra Parmesan cheese (please!), freshly torn basil leaves, lemon zest, or crushed red chili flakes.
Ingredients
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8 ounces dried fettuccine
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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2 tablespoons butter
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1 cup whipping cream
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½ teaspoon salt
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⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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Grated or finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions
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Cook fettuccine according to package directions.
Test Kitchen Tip: Fettuccine noodles are flat egg noodles that are about ¼ inch wide.
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Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook garlic in hot butter over medium-high heat 1 minute.
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Add cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
Test Kitchen Tip: You'll know the sauce is thick enough when it coats the back of your spoon.
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Remove from heat and stir in grated Parmesan cheese. Drain pasta. Add pasta to hot sauce. Toss to combine. Transfer to a warm serving dish. Serve immediately. If desired, sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and top with fresh Italian parsley. Makes 4 servings.
Test Kitchen Tip: Be sure the pan is off the heat when you stir in the Parmesan, as high heat can cause the cheese to clump or become stringy rather than melt smoothly.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 515 | Calories |
| 32g | Fat |
| 45g | Carbs |
| 12g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 4 | |
| Calories 515 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 32g | 41% |
| Saturated Fat 19g | 95% |
| Cholesterol 107mg | 36% |
| Sodium 512mg | 22% |
| Total Carbohydrate 45g | 16% |
| Total Sugars 1g | |
| Protein 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin C 0.6mg | 1% |
| Calcium 161.5mg | 12% |
| Iron 1.8mg | 10% |
| Potassium 88mg | 2% |
| Folate, total 116.9mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0.4mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0.1mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
