Creamy, rich, and comforting, this Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo is the ultimate pasta night indulgence featuring tender fettuccine noodles in a rich parmesan-cream sauce. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a restaurant-quality meal in under 30 minutes.
Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine Alfredo, and just Alfredo sauce in general, has been a favorite of mine since childhood. This Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo is everything you love about the classic Italian-American dish. Velvety, cheesy, and full of buttery garlic flavor. It’s made with real cream, butter, and a blend of Parmesan and Romano cheeses for an authentic taste that puts jarred sauces to shame. Best of all, it comes together in about 30 minutes.
It's the perfect balance of rich, creamy, and cheesy, and every bite is pure comfort food bliss. Whether you serve it on its own or topped with chicken, shrimp, or veggies, it’s guaranteed to impress at the dinner table.
Why You’ll Love This Fettuccine Alfredo
- Made from scratch: No jarred sauces or artificial flavors—just fresh, real ingredients.
- Restaurant-quality at home: Creamy sauce with layers of flavor from Parmesan and Romano.
- Quick and easy: No roux, and on the table in under 30 minutes.
- Family favorite: A crowd-pleasing pasta everyone will love.
- Customizable: Keep it classic or add chicken, shrimp, or vegetables.
Tips for Success
- Use freshly grated Parmesan and Romano for the best flavor and texture—it melts more smoothly than pre-shredded varieties.
- Don’t boil the cream too hard or the sauce may separate. A gentle simmer is perfect.
- Reserve a bit of pasta water to thin the sauce if it gets too thick.
- Using Romano and Parmesan makes a more complex flavor. Romano adds a sharper, saltier bite that balances the creaminess of Parmesan, giving the sauce more depth. You can use just Parmesan, if you'd like though.
- Use cream, not milk. Milk is too thin and won't be able to absorb the cheese well.
- Keep the heat low and steady. Boiling the butter or overheating the cream can cause separation.
Variations
- Chicken Alfredo: Add grilled or pan-seared chicken breast slices for a heartier meal.
- Shrimp Alfredo: Toss in sautéed shrimp for a seafood twist.
- Vegetable Alfredo: Add steamed broccoli, spinach, or peas for a pop of color and nutrients.
- Gluten free: The sauce is gluten free, and you can use gluten free noodles to make the whole dish gluten free.
What to Serve With Fettuccine Alfredo
Balance this rich dish with a crisp green salad and garlic bread. Roasted vegetables or roasted asparagus also pair beautifully.
More Pasta Recipes You'll Love
- Slow Cooker Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs - Juicy meatballs slow-cooked in marinara with gooey mozzarella centers for the ultimate cheesy, comforting dinner.
- Easy Creamy Sausage Pasta - Quick, easy, and luscious pasta dish with savory sausage in a rich, creamy tomato sauce that’s ready in about 30 minutes.
- Chicken Alfredo Lasagna - Layers of tender chicken, pasta, and creamy Alfredo sauce baked into a cheesy, comforting lasagna twist.
- 5 Cheese Stuffed Shells - Jumbo pasta shells loaded with a decadent five-cheese filling and baked in marinara until bubbling and golden.
- Cheesy Baked Kielbasa Pasta - Cozy, family-friendly pasta bake packed with smoky kielbasa, gooey cheese, and tender noodles.
Fettuccine Alfredo Video
Fettuccine Alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry Fettuccine pasta
- 12 tablespoons butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced (OPTIONAL)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 cup Romano cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, and set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan, but do not bring it to boil. This will cause it to separate.
- If using, add garlic and saute over low heat until fragrant.
- Slowly add the cream. whisk together for about a minute to fully combine the cream and butter.
- Increase the heat to medium. Stir in grated Parmesan and Romano cheese until melted and sauce has thickened.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss until thoroughly coated. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of cream to loosen the sauce, if necessary.
- Avoid microwaving, as it can cause the sauce to separate.
- I do not recommend freezing this dish.
Nutrition
UPDATE INFO: This recipe was originally published in January 2015. It has been updated with new pictures, tips, and video, and republished in September 2025.
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Katie @ On the Banks of Squaw Creek says
12 tablespoons of butter! YUM!!! Seriously - I need some comfort food like this in my life!
I'm in the Boost class with you and am trying to visit everyone and see what their blogs are about. I'm loving yours so far and am pinning this recipe!
Katie
Mary @Sweetwater Style says
I love this too. Your recipe is the same as mine. Sometimes I do a pasta bar as a party menu. When I do....I add 3 TBSP of cream cheese to stabilize the pasta sauce. In fact, when you do this, you can keep it in the refrigerator for a few days. YUMMY!
Michelle says
That's awesome, Mary! Thanks for the tip!
Rebecca says
I also add the cream cheese. I also add either shrimp or lobster...delicious!
Ines Di Lelio says
HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (“FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), NOW SERVED BY HIS NEPHEW INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” – “ALFREDO DI ROMA” IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
With reference of your article (for which I thank you), I have the pleasure to tell you the history of my grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of “Fettuccine all’Alfredo” (“Fettuccine Alfredo”) in 1908 in the “trattoria” run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). This “trattoria” of Piazza Rosa has become the “birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
More specifically, as is well known to many people who love the “fettuccine all’Alfredo", this famous dish in the world was invented by Alfredo Di Lelio concerned about the lack of appetite of his wife Ines, who was pregnant with my father Armando (born February 26, 1908).
Alfredo di Lelio opened his restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in Rome and in 1943, during the war, he sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1950 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 "Il Vero Alfredo" (“Alfredo di Roma”), whose fame in the world has been strengthened by his nephew Alfredo and that now managed by me, with the famous “gold cutlery” (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See also the website of “Il Vero Alfredo”.(with news also about franchising).
I must clarify that other restaurants "Alfredo" in Rome do not belong to the family tradition of "Il Vero Alfredo – Alfredo di Roma".
I inform you that the restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo –Alfredo di Roma” is in the registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence” of the City of Rome Capitale.
Best regards Ines Di Lelio
Love Keil (MunchkinTime) says
This Alfredo looks mouthwatering!
Jennifer Dawn says
Pasta dishes are some of my favorites! And this looks amazing!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
Yum! We do love alfredo sauce here! Your recipe looks awesome! Thanks for sharing it with us at Foodie Fridays! Hope to see you again tonight...we have some big news to share!
Bonny @cleverhen.com says
Thanks for reminding how great and easy alfredo is!
Julia DeRosia says
This recipe was wonderful! I added chicken and broccoli too. All three of my kids 13, 16 & 18 and my husband loved it! The best part it was easy and quick!
Michelle says
I'm so glad you guys liked it!
Steve VanValkenburg says
Absolutely perfect. I have had FA in all the national chain Italian restaurants around here and on trips and most of the local family restaurants, many are a letdown.
I am always on the lookout for simple recipes, the basics really. I’ve made this recipe exactly as written with and without the garlic and it is the best I’ve tasted. IMHO it does not need a pinch of this or a dash of that or that big secret ingredient nutmeg to be delicious. Chicken, shrimp etc won’t hurt it either. Just use a block of Parmesan and shred it yourself that is important.
Cindy Schulze says
This is my go-to Fettucini Alfredo recipe! So much better than the jar. So easy to make!!!!