Authentic 4-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo (NO CREAM!) - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the original Alfredo sauce made of? ›

Real alfredo sauce is made with 3 simple ingredients: butter, Parmesan cheese and fresh fettuccine pasta. There is absolutely no cream in this dish (cream is common in most American-style alfredo sauce recipes). Make this dish with my fresh homemade pasta, fresh sourdough pasta or store-bought fresh pasta.

One of the easiest ways to substitute heavy cream in Alfredo sauce is to use a thickener + milk. We chose corn starch + milk because it gives that same creamy texture without the fattiness that heavy cream brings. The corn starch also allows you to thicken your Alfredo sauce recipe with milk and no flour.

By using a roux as the base for this simple sauce, milk can be added in with Parmesan cheese and still create an incredibly creamy sauce, even without heavy cream. Making my homemade alfredo sauce with regular milk is the best way for me to do it because I always have these simple ingredients on hand.

You could just add garlic powder, sure, but quickly sautéeing fresh garlic while your pasta cooks is a great way to layer flavor. Resnick likes to add spinach as a way to cut the richness of the sauce. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a few cloves of minced garlic in a sautée pan over medium heat.

What we call alfredo sauce here in the US doesn't exist in Italy. Its closest cousin is similar to di Lelio's invention: a sauce known in Italy as “al burro” (with butter) — pasta served with melted butter that's sometimes infused with fresh sage, as well as grated Parmigiano.

To each their own, but no authentic fettuccine Alfredo recipe should include cream (because it dulls the flavor of the cheese).

Whole milk is an excellent substitute for heavy cream. It adds richness to your pasta sauce without the excess fat. Simply simmer your favourite pasta sauce with whole milk until it thickens to your desired consistency. The result is a velvety and indulgent sauce that pairs beautifully with pasta.

Add Cheese

This first method is not only the easiest, but also arguably the most delicious. The key ingredient in Alfredo sauce is cheese—generally Parmigiano Reggiano—and lots of it. To thicken Alfredo sauce, simply add more cheese than the amount called for in a recipe until you achieve the consistency you want.

The reason behind this is simple; cream sauces tend to lack flavor and feel a bit heavy due to the fat content. Nutmeg is a simple way to warm up the sauce with a subtle, spice flavor that won't overpower it. Like with béchamel, you only need a pinch of nutmeg in your alfredo to improve its flavor.

Fettuccine Alfredo is an Italian pasta dish consisting of fresh or dried fettuccine tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese until it emulsifies, creating a rich, creamy sauce. In Italy, it is called fettuccine al burro, fettuccine al burro e parmigiano or pasta al burro e parmigiano.

What mother sauce is Alfredo made from? ›

Bechamel is a white sauce, made of flour, butter and milk. It's typically the base for Alfredo sauce or white country gravy.

National Fettuccine Alfredo Day is observed annually on February 7th. Alfredo di Lelio, an Italian restaurateur, created Fettuccine Alfredo in 1908. After his wife had given birth to their first son that year, she did not have an appetite. To help encourage her to eat, he created a dish of noodles, cheese and butter.

Both sauces are dairy-based, but White Sauce is thickened with a roux made with butter and flour while Alfredo Sauce uses heavy creamy and is thickened by reduction on the stovetop and not with a roux.