Why buy Alfredo sauce when you can make your own, and cheaper too!
Quick Alfredo Sauce Is Easy–Why Buy?
I’ve never found a store-bought sauce that I’ve really liked. If you are like me, this sauce may be just the ticket.
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It’s quick and easy. It’s also creamy and cheesy–exactly what an Alfredo sauce should be.
Get A Smooth Sauce
The secret to getting a smooth sauce is to add your grated cheese gradually.
Now, that may sound at odds with being “quick,” but the process doesn’t take that long and you’ll get top-notch results.
Plain Or Fancy
Made per my recipe, you’ll get a basic and slightly garlicky Alfredo sauce.
If you don’t care for the hint of garlic, by all means leave it out. On the other hand, if you want a distinctly garlicky flavor, up the ante on the garlic.
This sauce also lends itself to an herb flavoring. Some nice herb additions would be oregano, of course, but basil, rosemary and thyme are great additions as well. In fact, a couple of sprigs of lemon thyme would be a perfect flavor if this sauce is served over plain pasta.
The basic recipe calls for Parmesan cheese, and it will be delicious with just the single cheese. However, sometimes I add a bit of Romano cheese or Asiago if I want a bolder flavor. My rule of thumb when I add additional cheeses is to use 3/4 cup of Parmesan and 1/4 cup of Romano. If you plan to use only Parmesan, you will probably have to use the greater amount called for in the recipe.
The Recipe
- 2 cups heavy cream/heavy whipping cream
- 1 large clove garlic, crushed
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1-1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- melt butter with crushed garlic clove over low heat. Let this cook for about 3 minutes so the garlic infuses into the butter, then remove and discard garlic.
- Slowly add the cream to the butter, while whisking gently.
- Add the cheese, about 2-3 tablespoons at a time and whisk until the cheese is melted—it’s VERY important to add the cheese in small amounts while whisking, otherwise the sauce will be very grainy. It’ll still taste fine and if you don’t mind it a bit grainy, then you can add more cheese at a time.
- Whisk in the white pepper and salt (if salt is needed—taste first)
I did a sauce like this last night – I added the cheese all at once but it still turned out smooth. I also added a beaten egg very slowly after the sauce had been taken off the heat – was a lovely sauce. Cheers
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I have a really rich one that uses 6 egg yolks and that’s perfect every time–but involved. Glad putting in all the cheese worked out well for you Carole. I did it once and it was kind of gloppy BUT it was pre-grated cheese I bought. Perhaps if it was grated just before I used it, it may have turned out better.
Gotta put a little cream cheese in it too.
By all means!! This one is just basic.
Judith, I’m in complete agreement with you. Heavy whipping cream is NOT expensive if you purchase it at a Costco or Sam’s. The natural taste is so much better. Your recipe is how I make my sauce for my au gratin dishes. Excellent recipe for many dishes.
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I don’t have a Costco by me–I hear such great things so I’d like one to come here. Heavy cream is an item that’s a must-have for me even though it’s pricy. Sometimes there’s sales though.
I tend to use different cheeses in my alfredo. Im a cheese lover. Fontinella, kerasi and asiago are some of the other cheeses that I’ve used. Omg if you love the flavor of Italian cheeses then try it with another one of these cheeses. You won’t want to do the basic parm- ramano any more!
I adore Asiago and use it in my more involved (and much richer) Alfredo sauce. I’ve eaten Fontinella but never cooked with it. I never heard of kerasi but now i must try it!!! I’m a total cheesehead too! BTW I recently tried cotija and find that I like it much more than Romano, which is what it reminds me of.