A copycat version of Olive Garden’s alfredo dipping sauce, mixed with noodles to make delicious fettuccine alfredo. Add meat for a full meal.
A simple fettuccine alfredo is solely dependent on the quality and flavor of the alfredo sauce you use. Of course, there are store-bought jars of sauce, but I find they never have as much flavor as homemade. Then again, I could say that about almost anything.
Many years ago, back in college, Justin and I were looking for a good homemade alfredo sauce recipe. I came across a copycat version of the Olive Garden alfredo. I had tried their fettuccine alfredo before, so I figured we would like it.
After I made it and saw how thick and creamy the sauce was, I realized that this was the Alfredo dipping sauce that you can order to go with the breadsticks. The original recipe was not what they usually put on their noodles. I’ve never cared for thin sauce, though, so it was perfect.
When we go to Olive Garden now, I usually get soup (Chicken and gnocchi, of course), salad, and breadstick meal. With those breadsticks, I always ask for the alfredo dipping sauce. So, I’m not surprised at how much I like it on my fettuccine.
We have made this chicken fettuccine alfredo by adding in pieces of cooked chicken. I’ve also put shrimp in to make a seafood meal. And slightly roasted broccoli will add some flavor while getting some veggies in, too. You can make it with almost anything added to it.
I also usually make some fresh bread or cheesy garlic bread to go with the alfredo because it’s so good for dipping. There are also some delicious breadsticks that we can often find in the bread aisle at the grocery store. They come in a bag and you bake them for a few minutes. They aren’t quite Olive Garden breadsticks, but very close to something that can be made at home!
Serving Suggestions
- Garnish with fresh basil, fresh parsley, or a pinch of black pepper
- Serve with a side of fresh bread, garlic bread, or homemade breadsticks
- Add cooked chicken breast to make this chicken alfredo or cooked shrimp for shrimp alfredo
- If you don’t have fettuccine pasta noodles, you can make this with penne pasta noodles instead
- Spice up your recipe with some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
- Give the noodles some zest by adding lemon juice to your creamy fettuccine alfredo recipe
Fettuccine Alfredo Step by Step
Ingredients
- 12 oz fettuccine noodles
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
Preparation
Cook pasta in salted water as directed until they are cooked al dente. You can use any type of noodles, but fettuccine works best.Â
While the pasta cooks, prepare the cream sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it’s hot. Stir often to prevent scalding.Â
Whisk the cream cheese into the hot cream until it’s combined, stirring constantly.
Add the parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.
Put in a pinch of garlic powder and Italian seasoning, to taste. I like a lot of flavor in mine, so I add about a teaspoon or so of each.
Remove the creamy sauce from the heat and fold the hot pasta noodles into the sauce.Â
Serve immediately, topped with more parmesan cheese if desired.Â
Fettuccine Alfredo Leftovers
Storage: Let the pasta cool to room temperature and then place it in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheating: The best way to reheat the Alfredo pasta is in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, until warmed through. If the pasta is dry, add a little bit of whole milk, heavy cream, unsalted butter, olive oil, or a little water to bring back the creamy texture.Â
Recipe
Originally Published On: November 29, 2016
Last Updated On: September 9, 2024
Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 12 oz fettuccine noodles
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Cook noodles as directed
- Heat the heavy whipping cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it's warm
- Whisk the cream cheese into the hot cream until combined
- Add the parmesan cheese and stir until it melts
- Add a pinch of garlic powder and Italian seasoning to taste
- Remove from the heat and gently fold in the noodles
- Serve immediately garnished with extra parmesan cheese, basil, and/or parsley
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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- Strawberry Acai Refresher Drink
- Alice Springs Chicken Copycat Recipe
- Chicken Francese over Angel Hair Pasta
- 5 Layer Bean Dip: TexMex Restaurant Copycat Recipe
- Pasta Fagioli Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie: McDonald’s Copycat
- Copycat Cajun Chicken Pasta from Chili’s
- Cheesy Baked Crab Casserole: Chinese Buffet Copycat
- Cheddar Biscuits
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Garlic and Herb Cheese Fondue
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- Fettuccine Alfredo
Awesome recipe post do you think it could be made vegan? I really need to ditch the meat and oh the cheese…
I haven’t tried to make this recipe vegan before. I have done a few of my recipes with vegan butter and almond milk when my friend with a dairy allergy comes over, but I haven’t tried any of the vegan cheese yet. There’s just so much dairy in this one, I haven’t tried to make it dairy-free.
This recipe looks so creamy and delicious. Give me pasta every day and I am a happy girl. Thanks for sharing the other tips.
I know a few people who are the same and could eat pasta any day. There are so many things you can add to make it a new meal every time.
Is it normal that my mouth is watering and heart beating just a little faster since reading this recipe? 🙂 Pair it with a little crusty bread and some nice wine… mmm mmm. Not exactly “health food” but good for the soul!
There’s nothing wrong with indulging at times!
Mmm that looks absolutely amazing, you’re making my mouth water. All you need is some garlic bread and you’re set!
Yes! We usually serve it with either breadsticks or homemade cheesy garlic bread.
It has been ages since I have gotten anything alfredo. I am not very good at cream sauces but it’s something I am working on.
I find, with most cream sauces, you need to constantly stir. They’ll scald very quickly, so have all of your ingredients measured and ready so you can stay at the stovetop with it.
This fettuccine alfredo looks so deliciously thick and creamy! i don’t see many alfredo’s turn out so thickly delicious like this, im really looking forward to trying it.
I prefer it to be a thick sauce. This is a copycat of the alfredo dipping sauce, not the one that Olive Garden uses on noodles, but I like it for the noodles, too.
Yum! This is going to be a great meal!
It’s one that we all enjoy here!
I’ve really been craving fettuccine alfredo lately. I’m going away on vacation this weekend and didn’t plan to cook anything, but I might just have to make an exception for this!
Trust me, it’s worth it 🙂
This is my dad’s absolute favourite. He keeps asking me to learn how to make it lol!! Now I can 🙂 Looks delicious! (PS: Happy New Year!!)
It’s pretty easy to put together, just make sure you have all your ingredients ready because it will scald quickly if you don’t stir enough.
I want that right now! I love Alfredo anything and that looks so easy to make!
The recipe is easy, you should give it a try!
MMMM. This looks so good. You always have the best recipes on your blog. I will be making this for sure next week for dinner.
Thank you! It’s a winner at our house and I can get everyone to eat the meal.
Omg can we say yum?!? I just love Alfredo! Must give this recipe a try!
If you love alfredo then this is a great recipe to try!
I love making Alfredo sauce! I’ll def use this recipe to compare to the one I have been using!!!
It’s different from most alfredo sauces because of how thick it is, but I prefer it that way.
We’ve been eating a more plant based diet for months now, but with this recipe I seriously will add into a cheat day – it looks so so good!
It’s totally worth the cheat day!
There is just something about sauces that NEED bread for dipping right? I’m all about the chunky bread, with some delicious sauce, and even better HOMEMADE!
Oh my goodness, yes! Must have bread to sop up all the delicious sauce leftover on the plate. We don’t want to be wasteful! 🙂
Just ate dinner but now I’m hungry again. What’s better or more comforting than cheesy pasta?
I completely understand, I do the same a lot, too. Maybe this can be tomorrow’s dinner then!
This such a good recipe I cant wait to make this alfredo sauce. This is a must try
I hope you enjoy it, this is my favorite alfredo sauce recipe.
#needtomakethis – my husband LOVES Fettuccini Alfredo. You know what?! I AM GOING TO MAKE IT TONIGHT. DONE AND DONE! Great idea!!! WILL report back! 😉
Oh definitely let me know how it goes!
Fetuccine alfredo is one of my favorite pasta recipes! The alfredo sauce it’s so easy to make and delicious. Great recipe!
It’s one that I have always enjoyed as well. And I’m picky about the texture of alfredo sauce. This one is thick and creamy which is how I prefer the sauce.
I’ve tried many store bought Alfredo sauces and I don’t like them a lot. This recipe seems easy to make and delicious but I’m a little horrified with the calories. It may be just a matter of not eating too much!
It’s definitely about eating in small amounts. I know it’s a lot of calories, but it’s worth it for a cheat day now and then.
This looks delicious. I love copycat recipes I can cook in my kitchen. I love Olive Garden and all of the pasta. I will be certain to add this to my menu during the week. I love how creamy the sauce looks over the noodles. Yum!
It’s a lot of fun to try to recreate a restaurant favorite at home. Then we can have it when we want without the expense of going out to eat.
wow yes I will make it tomorrow, we have everything but I have never thought of this idea.
Please share more easy kids friendly meal ideas. Thank you
We do a lot of kid-friendly since the recipes I post are usually our dinner for the family. My kids can be picky eaters, but they’ve expanded their tastes a bit more lately.
I have been looking for a good Alfredo sauce recipe! Yours is so good and easy to make, thanks for the amazing recipe!
I’ve been spoiled by making my own at home. This is my favorite and now I don’t want any other alfredo sauce!
This sounds so good right now. I feel like we are in a huge food rut so this may be a good one to try out!
I hate when that happens. I’ve been there, even with having this food blog. Sometimes it takes just one or two good meals to pull you out again.
I love how you offered different ideas for varying the meal depending on the add-ins. I agree, jarred alfredo sauce is gross!
There are so many ways to add things to fettuccine alfredo making it an entirely different meal.
This made me so hungry yummmmm!!! The recipe looks so delicious, would love to try it.
It’s an easy one to throw together for a quick dinner. I hope you enjoy it!
I have never made Alfredo sauce! I always just buy it from a jar. This looks like such a tastier option!
Trust me, once you make it yourself, you won’t want to go back to a jar!
Ooooo how delish!!!! I just love fettuccine. One of my favorite pasta dishes. Must give your recipe a try when u get home from vacation!
It doesn’t take a lot to make it, so would be a good one for a quick homemade meal when you first get home.
It looks delicious but seems it would have a really high sodium content. Any idea how much?
Hi Linda, there’s a nutrition information card in the recipe that shows the sodium along with any other nutrition information you need.