This copycat recipe for Olive Garden Alfredo sauce gives you rich, creamy fettuccine coated in a smooth garlic-Parmesan sauce made with butter, cream, milk, Parmesan, and Romano cheese. It has that comforting restaurant-style texture, but everything comes together right on the stovetop.
If creamy pasta is your thing, try my Creamy Mushroom Pasta for another rich dinner with a silky sauce. For something with a creamy tomato base, my Penne alla Vodka is a great option.
You can also make my Chicken Pasta Bake when you want something extra cheesy and family-style. Or, for a fresher pasta without heavy cream, try my Pesto Pasta.
What Is Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce?
Olive Garden Alfredo is a creamy white sauce traditionally served over fettuccine. According to Olive Garden itself, its Alfredo sauce is made with ingredients including butter, garlic, Parmesan, cream, milk, salt, and pepper. olivegarden.com
This homemade version follows that same creamy flavor profile but adds Romano cheese for extra sharpness and a small amount of flour to help the sauce coat the fettuccine.
It is best described as an Olive Garden-style copycat, rather than the restaurant’s official recipe.
Table of contents
Ingredients
Let’s Make Olive Garden Copycat Alfredo Sauce
- Cook the fettuccine.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine until al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Start the sauce.
- Melt the salted butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add the garlic.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant. Avoid letting it brown.
- Add the flour.
- Sprinkle in the flour and whisk it into the butter until there are no dry pockets.
- Add the dairy.
- Gradually pour in the heavy cream and milk while whisking so the sauce stays smooth.
- Thicken gently.
- Let the mixture heat gently, stirring frequently, until it starts to become creamy and slightly thicker.
- Add the cheese.
- Lower the heat and stir in the Parmesan and Romano cheeses until melted and incorporated into the sauce.
- Season.
- Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Add the pasta.
- Toss the cooked fettuccine directly into the Alfredo sauce until every strand is evenly coated.
- Finish and serve.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve while the sauce is creamy and warm.
How to Keep Alfredo Sauce Smooth and Creamy
The biggest thing to watch with Alfredo sauce is the heat. Once the cream, milk, Parmesan, and Romano are in the pan, keep the heat gentle rather than bringing the sauce to a hard boil.
Freshly grated cheese also melts more smoothly than many pre-shredded cheeses. Add the cheese gradually and stir until each addition melts into the sauce.
The fettuccine should be cooked only until al dente so it still has a little structure once mixed with the rich sauce. Barilla also recommends following the package cooking time when cooking pasta to al dente. Barilla Barilla – How to Cook Pasta
If the sauce sits too long before serving, it naturally thickens as the cheese and pasta cool, so this dish is best tossed and served soon after the sauce is finished.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using heat that is too high: High heat can make a cheese-and-cream sauce separate or become grainy.
- Adding all the cheese at once: Stir it in gradually for a smoother finish.
- Using cold cheese straight from the fridge: The recipe works best with the Parmesan and Romano at room temperature.
- Browning the garlic: Garlic only needs enough heat to become fragrant.
- Overcooking the pasta: Soft pasta becomes even softer after it is tossed with the sauce.
- Letting the finished Alfredo sit too long: The sauce becomes noticeably thicker as it cools.
What to Serve With Fettuccine Alfredo
This creamy pasta works especially well with:
- Garlic bread
- Breadsticks
- Grilled chicken
- Chicken breast
- Shrimp
- Roasted broccoli
- Green beans
- Caesar salad
- Garden salad
- Roasted vegetables
A crisp salad or simply seasoned vegetable is especially good beside Alfredo because it balances the richness of the cream, butter, and cheese.
FAQs
No. This is a homemade copycat recipe for Olive Garden Alfredo sauce inspired by the restaurant-style dish. Olive Garden publicly lists butter, garlic, Parmesan, cream, milk, salt, and pepper among the ingredients in its Alfredo sauce. olivegarden.com
Olive Garden’s current Alfredo page lists butter, garlic, Parmesan, cream, milk, salt, and pepper and does not list cream cheese. olivegarden.com
Yes. Whole milk gives the sauce a richer texture, but 1% or 2% milk can be used if needed.
The heat may have been too high when the cheese was added. Keep the sauce over gentle heat and add the Parmesan and Romano gradually.
Alfredo naturally thickens as it cools. Serve it shortly after tossing it with the fettuccine rather than leaving it sitting in the pan for a long time.
You might also like
More Recipes To Try
Swipe to see all 5 recipes
Olive Garden Copycat Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cook the fettuccine. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine until al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Start the sauce. Melt the salted butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add the garlic. Stir in the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant. Avoid letting it brown.
- Add the flour. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk it into the butter until there are no dry pockets.
- Add the dairy. Gradually pour in the heavy cream and milk while whisking so the sauce stays smooth.
- Thicken gently. Let the mixture heat gently, stirring frequently, until it starts to become creamy and slightly thicker.
- Add the cheese. Lower the heat and stir in the Parmesan and Romano cheeses until melted and incorporated into the sauce.
- Season. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Add the pasta. Toss the cooked fettuccine directly into the Alfredo sauce until every strand is evenly coated.
- Finish and serve. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve while the sauce is creamy and warm.
Nutrition
Video
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Estimated reading time: 1 minute
