Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

A skillet pan of the Alfredo sauce with pasta in it

Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce is an easy dinner idea served with fettuccine pasta - you can make this restaurant favorite at home in your own kitchen. It's a creamy Alfredo sauce made with simple, fresh ingredients like two types of milk and fresh parmesan cheese.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword copycat olive garden alfredo sauce, easy homemade alfredo sauce recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 380kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Equipment

Ingredients

4 tablespoons salted butter
2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup whole milk
1¼ cups freshly grated parmesan cheese (from a wedge)
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 box (16 oz) fettuccine pasta ^{(optional for serving, cooked according to}^package^directions)

Instructions

In a medium saucepan or large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter.
4 tablespoons salted butter
Once the butter has melted, add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so the garlic does not brown.
2 cloves garlic
Sprinkle the flour over top and whisk together for 1 minute.
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Slowly pour the heavy whipping cream and milk, while whisking constantly, until everything is well combined.
1½ cups heavy whipping cream, ½ cup whole milk
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer (lightly boiling around the edges) and let it cook for 5 minutes. Whisk the mixture frequently during the cook time as it starts to reduce and thicken slightly.
^{*After the 5 minutes, the Alfredo sauce should be thickened and reduced slightly, if needed cook it for longer until it reaches this state.}
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the freshly grated parmesan cheese along with the onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper until it is completely melted and the sauce is perfectly smooth.
1¼ cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary (usually just more kosher salt if needed), then immediately pour it over freshly cooked fettuccine pasta. Or use the Alfredo sauce in any recipe or serve with any pasta. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley (optional) and enjoy!
1 box (16 oz) fettuccine pasta

Notes

The nutrition information provided is for one serving of the Alfredo sauce and it does not include the fettuccine pasta as that is an optional way to serve the Alfredo sauce. The recipe makes about 3 cups of Alfredo sauce so each serving is 1/2 cup.
Olive Garden's authentic flavor relies on the specific fat balance using heavy whipping cream and whole milk. Because of this, I do not recommend substituting either milk ingredient with a lower-fat option. Only use heavy whipping cream and whole milk - no substitutes!
Use fresh parmesan cheese! Buy a wedge of parmesan cheese, in the deli area near the other specialty cheeses, and use a box cheese grater to shred it yourself. For a more complex, authentic flavor profile use a wedge of parmigiano-reggiano cheese or Romano cheese. Do not use pre-shredded parmesan cheese or the shelf-stable grated parmesan cheese.
If fresh garlic is not available, substitute with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder added along with the onion powder at the end. Fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed will yield the best results - the next best option would be garlic powder.
Always remove the pan from the heat source before stirring in the parmesan cheese. High, direct heat can cause the cheese to seize up, resulting in a broken Alfredo sauce. The indirect heat from the pan will be enough to melt the cheese.
Save your pasta water! Before draining the fettuccine, scoop out about ½ cup of the hot pasta water. If your Alfredo sauce thickens up too much, a splash of the pasta water will loosen it perfectly while helping the sauce cling to the noodles.
Whisk the dairy (heavy whipping cream + whole milk) into the roux (melted butter + flour mixture) very slowly. Pouring cold milk and cream into a warm roux all at once can shock the flour mixture and cause small, stubborn flour lumps. Adding it in a slow drizzle while whisking continuously guarantees a smooth velvety sauce base.

Nutrition