Alfredo Sauce Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - Wholesome Yum (2024)

FAQs

What's the main ingredients in Alfredo sauce? ›

Alfredo Sauce Ingredients

You'll need just five simple ingredients to make this basic Alfredo sauce recipe: butter, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and fresh parsley.

Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano, the name-protected Italian cheese, is a surefire way to add a umami and depth of flavor to a jarred Alfredo sauce. Freshly grate a few inches of the cheese, then whisk it right into the sauce as it's warming on the stove.

Bechamel is a white sauce, made of flour, butter and milk. It's typically the base for Alfredo sauce or white country gravy.

White sauce – also known as béchamel – is made with flour, milk, and butter. It's a basic sauce that can be used as a base for other sauces or as a topping for dishes like lasagna. Alfredo sauce, on the other hand, is made with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese, and has a much richer flavour than white sauce.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to mix about a spoonful of cornstarch to 2 spoonfuls of liquid – it could be water or chicken stock or even milk. You will add this mixture, also called a slurry to the sauce and as it starts to cook, the sauce will thicken.

Flavor Boosters

Nutmeg: A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg can elevate the flavors in your Alfredo sauce. However, use it sparingly; a little goes a long way. White Wine: A splash of a good-quality white wine can add depth and complexity. Make sure to cook off the alcohol by simmering the sauce for a few extra minutes.

Add Cheese

This first method is not only the easiest, but also arguably the most delicious. The key ingredient in Alfredo sauce is cheese—generally Parmigiano Reggiano—and lots of it. To thicken Alfredo sauce, simply add more cheese than the amount called for in a recipe until you achieve the consistency you want.

The reason behind this is simple; cream sauces tend to lack flavor and feel a bit heavy due to the fat content. Nutmeg is a simple way to warm up the sauce with a subtle, spice flavor that won't overpower it. Like with béchamel, you only need a pinch of nutmeg in your alfredo to improve its flavor.

You can also mix it with water to create a slurry, similar to how you would add cornstarch. Or you can cook it with butter to create a roux. If you are using fresh pasta, you can even coat the pasta with flour before cooking it. That will thicken the sauce when you combine it with the noodles.

The difference between alfredo and carbonara is that carbonara contains an egg while alfredo sauce does not. Carbonara is usually thinner in consistency than alfredo sauce, using the egg to coat the noodles instead of relying on the cream.

Is Mornay sauce the same as Alfredo sauce? ›

Mornay Sauce vs Alfredo Sauce

But the Mornay sauce starts with a French white sauce thickened with a roux, which is a mixture of flour and water. Cheese is then added to make it a cheese sauce. Alfredo sauce is richer because instead of a flour-based sauce, it's made with heavy cream, and then reduced until thick.

Also known as a white sauce or “pasta in blanco”, alfredo blends simple ingredients and turns them into a rich, indulgent delight.

The alfredo sauce, which now catered to American tastes rather than Italian, evolved to include ingredients like flour, cream, milk, and shrimp or chicken. To this day, di Lelio's original recipe only contains three ingredients: fettuccine, young Parmesan cheese, and butter.

Marinara sauce is lower in calories and fat, making it a preferable sauce choice for those that are counting calories or on a low-fat diet. It also has more fiber than Alfredo sauce as it contains mostly vegetables. Conversely, high-fat diets are on the rise, making Alfredo an ideal sauce for many consumers.

Fettuccine Alfredo Ingredients

Butter: This Alfredo sauce starts with two sticks of butter. Cream: The rich sauce calls for almost a cup of heavy cream. Seasonings: The fettuccine Alfredo is simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Cheese: You'll need Romano and Parmesan cheeses.

This Alfredo sauce with milk, Parmesan cheese, and garlic is a quick and easy recipe that your family will love! You may add more Parmesan, garlic, and salt to taste. You can easily add anything you like, such as grilled shrimp, chicken, etc.

Known today as fettuccine Alfredo, the dish gained more fame in the past century in the US than in its home country. But it also evolved in its new environs: American cooks added heavy cream or half-and-half to thicken and enrich the sauce.

Plus, pretty much every Alfredo sauce recipe contains milk and is probably tricky for lactose intolerant people to digest. Luckily, the recipe for Alfredo sauce is straightforward, so making a lactose free fettuccine Alfredo won't take much effort! Keep reading to learn what you need.