10-Minute Alfredo Sauce with Heavy Cream
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Say goodbye to jarred sauce forever! This homemade Alfredo sauce recipe is the real deal — a creamy, cheesy, buttery sauce made in minutes with just three ingredients: heavy cream, butter and Parmesan cheese. It’s one of the easiest pasta sauce recipes you can make from scratch. Treat your family to the ultimate comfort food, and serve it as a sauce for pasta or vegetables.
Why you’ll love homemade alfredo sauce:
Fun Fact: Although Alfredo sauce as we know it is more of an American favorite, legend has it that Alfred di Lelio, a Roman chef, invented it. It’s based on another simple pasta sauce, cacio e pepe, which combines Pecorino Romano cheese, butter and hot pasta water.
About the ingredients
Alfredo Sauce is a versatile white sauce to use in pasta recipes. And it’s made with just three ingredients. Unlike similar thick, white sauces like bechamel (or besciamella in Italian), authentic Alfredo sauce is made without flour.
- Heavy cream: The best Alfredo sauce is really all about the indulgent texture, and the best way to achieve it is to use heavy cream. When shopping for cream to make Alfredo sauce, choose containers labeled “heavy whipping cream” or simply “heavy cream” which has a fat content of up to 38%. Plain “whipping cream” is about 35% fat, but can also be used. Can you make Alfredo sauce with milk? Technically, no. Because this recipe doesn’t call for thickeners like flour or cream cheese, milk won’t produce a thick enough consistency.
- Butter: I usually use unsalted butter, but salted butter is just as good. Add a bit less salt to the sauce than called for, and adjust the amount to suit your taste.
- Cheese: Parmesan cheese is the queen of Alfredo sauce. If you want to make the BEST sauce, buy a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano or domestic Parmesan and grate it with a rasp grater. The light, fine shavings will more easily melt into the hot cream to make a smooth sauce. You can also buy pre-grated fresh Parmesan — be sure it has a powdery texture, not shredded. Pecorino Romano cheese is much sharper and saltier — I don’t recommend it for Alfredo sauce.
How to make Alfredo sauce, step by step
Put the butter in a 3-4 quart saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Swirl the butter around in the pan until it melts.
Pour in the cream and add salt. Continue cooking until the cream begins to rise to the top of the pan and comes to a boil. Keep your eye on it! Immediately adjust the heat to medium or medium-low (the cream will deflate). Gently simmer 10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the cream has reduced and thickened slightly.
Add the grated cheese over low heat, and whisk until blended. The sauce is ready to use when it’s smooth and blended. 
Toss the sauce with fettuccine or your favorite short pasta shape.
Tasty additions:
Here are some seasoning ideas to jazz up your Alfredo sauce:
- Fresh herbs: Toss in a tablespoon or so of fresh chopped parsley, sage, or basil or 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite dried herb.
- Lemon: Turn your sauce into pasta al limone! Add in freshly grated lemon zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the finished sauce.
- Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper, crushed red pepper or a dash of nutmeg pair beautifully with cream sauce.
- Garlic: If you enjoy garlic, try adding 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder or granulated garlic to the melted butter before adding the cream.
- Serve with pasta for a classic fettuccine alfredo.
- Toss in sliced cooked lean protein such as baked chicken breasts, shrimp or as a sauce for simple sauteed broccoli.
How to store: The sauce keeps up to a week in the refrigerator. Store it in a secure covered container, such as a Mason jar. Reheat on low heat in a saucepan until the sauce smooth, warm and creamy.
10-Minute Alfredo Sauce with Heavy Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
Yield: 2 cups sauce (enough for 1 pound of pasta)
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter (1 stick)
- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (77 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese, *see note below
Instructions
- Put the butter in a 3-4 quart saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan occasionally until the butter is melted.
- Pour in the cream and heat until it comes to a boil — the cream will foam and rise to the top of the pan. Immediately lower the heat to medium or medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Give it a whisk, and continue simmering 8-10 minutes, until the cream is slightly reduced. Keep your eye on the pan to prevent it from boiling over.
- Add the salt and cheese to the cream and whisk. Remove the pan from the heat, continue to whisk until the sauce has a thick, smooth consistency.
- Serve right away with cooked pasta, or pour into a glass storage container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Shake or stir the sauce before reheating (note below).
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Be sure to use finely grated Parmesan for the best texture. Shredded Parmesan doesn’t melt as smoothly.
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- Fresh herbs: Toss in a tablespoon or so of fresh chopped parsley, sage, or basil or 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite dried herb.
- Lemon: Turn your sauce into pasta al limone! Add in freshly grated lemon zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the finished sauce.
- Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper, crushed red pepper or a dash of nutmeg pair beautifully with cream sauce.
- Garlic: If you enjoy garlic, try adding 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder or granulated garlic to the melted butter before adding the cream.
- The sauce keeps up to a week in the refrigerator, stored in a secure covered container, such as a Mason jar.
- Reheat on low heat in a saucepan until the sauce is smooth, warm and creamy.
Nutrition
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.