Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Copycat Recipe (2024)

Cheesy, rich, and classic, enjoy a divine copycat version of Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce. Actually, it's better than theirs!

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Copycat Recipe (1)

Cheesy, rich, and classic – this copycat forOlive Garden Alfredo Sauce Recipeis the easiest sauce you will ever make!

I love how easy and delicious this homemade Olive Garden Alfredo sauce is to make! I’ve received countless comments from our readers saying that this is the best alfredo sauce they have ever made.

Even if you don’t call yourself a cook, you can make this divine sauce in under 30 minutes with just a handful of simple ingredients. Yes, you heard me right…. it’s quick, easy and DELISH!

There are so many ways to enjoy this Alfredo sauce! It tastes wonderful on homemade pizza crustor dipped in fresh, warmbreadsticks too. Yum!

Any type of noodles will work with this homemade Alfredo sauce, even the zucchininoodles or spaghetti squash variety. Top it with chicken or shrimp to get some more protein in there!

Scroll down for all the directions and print this yummy Alfredo Sauce recipe!

Here are our favorite bread stick recipes:

  • Olive Garden Breadsticks Copycat Recipe
  • Crazy Bread Copycat Breadstick Recipe
  • Homemade Breadsticks

How to make Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce Recipe

You’ll only need SIX ingredients in order to make this AMAZING Alfredo sauce! Your family will be asking for more and more! It’s rich and creamy and doesn’t take a ton to coat the pasta either.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint heavy cream
  • ½ cup butter
  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese
  • 1 to 1-1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: You’ll start by combining butter, heavy whipping cream, and cream cheese!

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Copycat Recipe (2)

Step 2: Bring that to a light boil over medium high heat and stir frequently to incorporate. Next you’ll whisk in the Parmesan cheese and garlic powder.

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Copycat Recipe (3)

Step 3: Whisk until incorporated and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the Alfredo sauce is thick enough to coat a metal spoon. Just like you see pictured below…

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Copycat Recipe (4)

We also love making this one on spaghetti night! It’s yummy combined with our favorite homemade spaghetti sauce.

Parmesan Cheese Tips:

Here’s an extra tip to make your sauce taste as good as when you order it fresh from Olive Garden.

The secret to a good Alfredo sauce is using fresh Parmesan cheese. The dried, grated variety that you buy in the pasta aisle can be too strong and salty. You can buy a small wedge of Parmesan and grate it, but I’ve also had no problem using the fresh grated parm cheese found in the cheese aisle.

Alfredo Sauce Tips:

  • If you find your sauce isn’t thick enough, be sure to let the sauce boil for a moment before you add the cheese!
  • If it starts to separate, rapidly whisk the sauce to incorporate all the ingredients.

Can You Reheat this Homemade Alfredo Sauce?

Unlike the Alfredo Sauce from Olive Garden, this EASY alfredo sauce recipe reheats beautifully! You can pop it in the microwave (time will vary, depending on the amount you are reheating) and then just whisk it up again to incorporate all the ingredients. It will taste fantastic and be nice and smooth!

My Favorite Pasta Pot:

My go-to pasta/steamer pot is much like this Excelsteel 8 Quart 18/10 Stainless Steel 4 Piece Pot. It’s perfect for cooking and draining large amounts of pasta, steaming fresh veggies, seafood and boiling eggs. Large or small, the strainer baskets do the job and having a clear lid with an 8 quart stainless pot is nice for soups and stews.

Here’s a meal idea to go along with the homemade Alfredo sauce:

Want some more inspiration? Here’s an amazing meal idea that goes perfect with our Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce recipe.

Cook a 48-ounce package of fresh cheese tortellini for 6 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Immediately drain it and add it to the Alfredo sauce. Add 2 cups of chopped, cooked chicken breast, if desired, to the sauce and pasta. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

You might also like these copycat recipes:

  • Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup Copycat Recipe
  • Pasta e fa*gioli Olive Garden Copycat Recipe
  • Olive Garden Breadsticks Copycat Recipe
  • View all copycat recipes

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Copycat Recipe (5)

Conclusion

Whenever I visit Olive Garden, I order one of their pastas with Alfredo Sauce over 80% of the time. I absolutely love it.

Now that I know the recipe, I can enjoy it at home whenever I want.

What did you think of Olive Garden’s Alfredo Sauce Copycat Recipe? Was it the same as your experience at the restaurant, better, worse?

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Copycat Recipe (6)

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Copycat Recipe

Cheesy, rich, and classic, enjoy a divine copycat version of Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce. Actually, it's better than theirs!

4.67 / 5 ( 939 Reviews )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Serves: 10

Adjust Servings: 10

Equipment

  • Saucepan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a saucepan combine heavy cream, butter and cream cheese. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, then keep it simmering until all is melted and mixed well. Stir often!

  • Right after the mixture comes to a light boil, whisk in the Parmesan cheese and garlic powder.

  • Simmer this for 5-10 minutes on medium-low heat, just until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.

  • Salt and pepper to taste.

  • Serve over hot pasta, in place of red pizza sauce, or for dipping. It's great with grilled chicken or shrimp too.

Recipe Notes

TIP: If the sauce seems to seperate, whisk rapidly on low heat to incorporate the fat back into the cream.

If you find your sauce isn't thick enough, be sure to let the sauce boil for a moment before you add the cheese!

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 29g | Sodium: 189mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Copycat Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is Olive Garden's alfredo sauce really made from scratch? ›

Olive Garden's Alfredo sauce is made daily

The ingredients are simple: a blend of cream, milk, and butter all come together with flour to create the base, then garlic is added along with Parmesan and Romano cheeses to get that hearty Italian flavor that seems to keep customers coming back.

Does Olive Garden sell alfredo sauce? ›

10.99. Choose a pint of our freshly prepared alfredo sauce.

What is the secret to thick alfredo sauce? ›

The easiest way to accomplish this is to mix about a spoonful of cornstarch to 2 spoonfuls of liquid – it could be water or chicken stock or even milk. You will add this mixture, also called a slurry to the sauce and as it starts to cook, the sauce will thicken.

What is Olive Garden chicken alfredo made of? ›

Creamy alfredo sauce made from scratch with ingredients like parmesan, cream, garlic and butter, served with fettuccine pasta and topped with sliced grilled chicken.

Does Olive Garden make their sauce from scratch daily? ›

Our soup and sauce masters create dishes by hand and from scratch, every day. With fresh, whole ingredients like kale, peppers and squash. Because they know cooking that way – the Italian way- everything tastes better. to everything they make.

What's the difference between white sauce and Alfredo sauce? ›

White sauce – also known as béchamel – is made with flour, milk, and butter. It's a basic sauce that can be used as a base for other sauces or as a topping for dishes like lasagna. Alfredo sauce, on the other hand, is made with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese, and has a much richer flavour than white sauce.

What's the difference between American alfredo and Italian alfredo sauce? ›

The alfredo sauce, which now catered to American tastes rather than Italian, evolved to include ingredients like flour, cream, milk, and shrimp or chicken. To this day, di Lelio's original recipe only contains three ingredients: fettuccine, young Parmesan cheese, and butter.

Who makes Bertolli alfredo sauce? ›

Bertolli is a brand of Italian food products produced by multiple companies around the world with the trademark owned by Mizkan Holdings. Originating as a brand of extra-virgin olive oil, in which it was the global market leader, pasta sauces and ready meals are now sold under the brand name as well.

What is the difference between alfredo sauce and fettuccine sauce? ›

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.

How to keep butter from separating in Alfredo sauce? ›

Low and Slow: Cooking the sauce over low heat helps prevent the dairy from curdling. Take your time to slowly whisk the ingredients together for a smooth texture.

Why is my Alfredo sauce not creamy? ›

Add Cheese

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.

Will cream cheese thicken Alfredo sauce? ›

For a thicker, more creamy sauce, reduce the amount of heavy cream/milk used and add either sour cream or cream cheese 1 ounce at a time.

Does Olive Garden fettuccine Alfredo have garlic in it? ›

Our signature alfredo sauce made fresh in-house every morning with ingredients like parmesan, cream, garlic and butter, served over fettuccine.

Is Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo good for you? ›

Anything with cheesy alfredo sauce made from butter and cream is loaded with fat and calories. Olive Garden's Chicken Alfredo is no exception. It far exceeds your entire daily recommended intake of fat, much of it saturated fat.

Can you ask for extra alfredo sauce at Olive Garden? ›

Ask for more sauce

If you like your pasta with extra sauce, there is a way to achieve this while dining at Olive Garden. The next time you order Fettuccine Alfredo, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Chicken Parmigiana — or whatever classic pasta dish you love to get at Olive Garden — ask them to add some extra sauce.

Does Olive Garden make their own fresh pasta? ›

So, although Olive Garden's pasta isn't entirely made fresh to order, it is cooked fresh that day and it never sees the inside of a freezer or microwave. The restaurant uses the same process for its sauces and soups.

What kind of pasta sauce does Olive Garden use? ›

Olive Garden Marinara Sauce has the robust flavor you expect in an authentic marinara. With my copycat recipe, you can skip the restaurant!

Is Olive Garden Chicken alfredo good for you? ›

Anything with cheesy alfredo sauce made from butter and cream is loaded with fat and calories. Olive Garden's Chicken Alfredo is no exception. It far exceeds your entire daily recommended intake of fat, much of it saturated fat.

Does Olive Garden cook their pasta? ›

Since Americans don't want their pasta to be cooked al dente, Olive Garden won't cook its pasta that way. Instead, Olive Garden cooks its pasta a little longer, boiling it for about one minute more than required to ensure it is soft and tender rather than deliberately undercooking it.

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