Fettuccine Alfredo
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This incredibly delicious Fettuccine Alfredo is a well-known Italian classic that’s both refined and easy to make! With pasta that is perfectly cooked to al dente and then coated in a creamy parmesan cheese sauce with a bit of oregano for some extra herby flavor, this 20-minute meal is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or fancy party!
Best Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Simple and absolutely delicious is how I like to describe Alfredo! It doesn’t require a long list of ingredients to make or much time and it’s always delicious. So I like to use it often in a lot of my recipes. Yet, I may tweak it a little here and there to dress it up a bit. For example, I added a little ricotta cheese to my Creamy Chicken Alfredo. However, the base of the Alfredo sauce is always the same.
And what we’ve got here is a classic homemade fettuccine Alfredo recipe! At its core, it’s a creamy parmesan sauce and perfectly cooked pasta. It’s a very simple dish and doesn’t have a bunch of extras added because it is unbelievably delicious just the way it is! Full of butter, cheese, and cream!
Yet, while this recipe can stand alone, it’s also very versatile. You can serve it as a main dish with almost any side you like. But it’s also really yummy when paired with some Oven Baked Shrimp or Grilled Chicken Breast. So feel free to be as creative as you like.
Why You’ll Love This Fettuccine Alfredo
- Quick And Easy! This is a simple Italian classic that comes together in just 20 minutes and requires less than 9 ingredients! It’s a fantastic scratch-made weeknight meal option.
- Classic Italian Flavor! Homemade Alfredo is the ultimate refined Italian comfort food made with tender fettuccine tossed in a sauce composed of rich butter, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese.
- Versatile Dish! Everyone loves pasta night including kids! And this easy dish can be served as is with a simple green salad or topped with any protein you like.
- Fettuccine – The recipe calls for fettuccine, but you can use any type of pasta you like including gluten-free varieties.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter in cooking to control the level of added salt unless a recipe states otherwise. If you only have salted butter cut back on the salt in the recipe.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic cloves are the best choice for the most flavor. Jarred garlic sometimes has an odd taste due to preservatives.
- Salt – Used to season the pasta cooking water and the Alfredo sauce.
- Black Pepper – Use fresh ground black pepper if you have it on hand.
- Dried Oregano – Adds a lovely bit of herby flavor. You can also use parsley.
- Heavy Cream – Also called whipping cream, helps to both thicken and flavor the sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese – Responsible for the yummy salty cheesy taste. Better quality fresh grated parmesan will create a more delicious sauce.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Used to add a bit of spice. However, this ingredient is optional.
This pasta dish is layered with lots of refined flavor but oh so easy! Making cream sauce doesn’t have to be complicated. All you have to do is just follow these easy steps.
To begin, bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil and really salt the water well to infuse the pasta with flavor. Now, cook the fettuccine according to the package instructions until al dente. When done, reserve a cup of the cooking water and then drain the pasta. Now, set the water and pasta aside until the Alfredo sauce is ready.
While the fettuccine is cooking you can begin the sauce. To do this, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then add the minced garlic and cook it for just 30 seconds until it’s aromatic. Next, season the garlic with a bit of salt, black pepper, and the dried oregano.
Now, stir in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a boil while whisking constantly. Then turn the heat down to medium and cook it for 5 more minutes stirring from time to time. Finally, whisk the parmesan cheese into the cream mixture until it’s melted and smooth.
To complete the dish, add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss well until all the noodles are fully coated in sauce. At this point, if the sauce is too thick just add a little more of the pasta cooking water to thin it out. Then to serve, garnish the dish with some more grated parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if you like.
What Does It Mean To Cook Pasta Until Al Dente?
Pasta is best when cooked “al dente”, which means it’s tender but still firm to the bite. I always suggest checking the doneness of the pasta about 2 minutes before the package directions indicate.
Is Heavy Cream Or Milk Better For Alfredo?
It’s better to use cream because it’s higher in fat, which makes it more stable and thicken up easier. Milk has a much thinner consistency and won’t create the same creamy smooth texture.
Expert Tips
- Use quality ingredients. Italian cuisine is based on quality ingredients. So for the best results use a decent parmesan, fresh garlic, and high-quality butter.
- Salt your pasta water. You want to salt your pasta water salty like the sea to infuse the fettuccine with flavor. So you’ll need to add at least a big tablespoon to the cooking water.
- Whisk in the heavy cream. You must whisk constantly when adding the heavy cream. This is to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and potentially burning.
Storage
Leftover fettuccine Alfredo will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat, first add a bit of water or milk to loosen it up a bit. Then put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power or reheat it on the stove over medium-low heat. Sadly I don’t advise freezing this dish.
Other Delicious Pasta Recipes To Try
- Bucatini all’Amatriciana
- Pasta Alla Gricia
- Aglio e Olio
- Cacio e Pepe
- Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta
- Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
- Pasta Pomodoro
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Fettuccine Alfredo
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Ingredients
- 12 ounces fettuccine (uncooked)
- 6 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups Parmesan cheese (grated)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boiling over high heat and salt generously. Add fettuccine and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic. Season with salt, pepper and dried oregano.
- Pour int he heavy cream. Stir consistently to avoid burning on the bottom of the pan until the mixture comes to a boil then turn the heat down to medium and cook for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and whisk until smooth.
- Add the fettuccine to the skillet and toss well. Add additional reserved pasta water if sauce is too thick.
- Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if preferred.
Notes
- Use quality ingredients. Italian cuisine is based on quality ingredients. So for the best results use a decent parmesan, fresh garlic, and high-quality butter.
- Salt your pasta water. You want to salt your pasta water salty like the sea to infuse the fettuccine with flavor. So you’ll need to add at least a big tablespoon to the cooking water.
- Whisk in the heavy cream. You must whisk constantly when adding the heavy cream. This is to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and potentially burning.
- Leftover fettuccine alfredo will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat, first add a bit of water or milk to loosen it up a bit. Then put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power or reheat it on the stove over medium-low heat.
- I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
This is always a delicious combination; however, by no means it’s it classic Italian Alfredo.
Classic Alfredo was invented in Rome, and only contained three ingredients… Pasta, butter, and cheese. That is the simple, yet classic recipe for a very creamy Alfredo pasta. Adding cream and other things like red pepper is a completely Americanized version of this dish. Not that there’s anything wrong with this variation, but I would never call it classic. It’s a popular American dish. Not Italian.
Hi Colby! I didn’t mean my recipe is classic or authentic, but the recipe itself is a well known classic. I never call anything authentic unless it’s one of my Romanian recipes, because I’m Romanian.
This was absolutely delicious!! Like fine restaurant quality. It was incredibly simple to make too. This recipe is an entry-level cook’s dream! I used Reggiano parm and it was scrumptious. It’s too bad this isn’t a healthy meal or this would be a part of our weekly rotation. I guess we will have to settle on this being a monthly treat. Thank you so much for posting such a simple yet fabulous recipe!
My pleasure, so glad you enjoyed it!
This is a really nice recipe. I added crumbled bacon and peas. Thanks!
HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), NOW SERVED BY HIS NEPHEW INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” – “ALFREDO DI ROMA” IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
With reference to your article I have the pleasure to tell you the history of my grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of “Fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”) in 1908 in the “trattoria” run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). This “trattoria” of Piazza Rosa has become the “birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
More specifically, as is well known to many people who love the “fettuccine all’Alfredo”, this famous dish in the world was invented by Alfredo Di Lelio concerned about the lack of appetite of his wife Ines, who was pregnant with my father Armando (born February 26, 1908).
Alfredo Di Lelio opened his restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in Rome and in 1943, during the war, he sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1948 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 “Il Vero Alfredo” (“Alfredo di Roma”), whose fame in the world has been strengthened by his nephew Alfredo and that now managed by me, with the famous “gold cutlery” (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See the website of “Il Vero Alfredo”.
I must clarify that other restaurants “Alfredo” in Rome do not belong and are out of my brand “Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma”.
The brand “Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma” is present in Mexico with a restaurant in Mexico City and a trattoria in Cozumel on the basis of franchising relationships with the Group Hotel Presidente Intercontinental Mexico.
The restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo” is in the Registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence – section on Historical Activities of Excellence” of the Municipality of Roma Capitale.
Best regards Ines Di Lelio