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–+ servings

How To Thicken Alfredo Sauce

Andi Reis
This is our homemade Italian family recipe for homemade alfredo sauce. This recipe is luxuriant with tons of cream and spices, too!
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Condiment
Cuisine American
Servings 3 cups
Calories 808 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 c. of half and half
  • 1 c. of heavy cream
  • 1 c. of grated asiago
  • ½ c. of grated or shredded parmesan or combination parmesan/regiano
  • 1/2 c. 1 stick of butter, room-temperature (either salted or unsalted)
  • 1 head of garlic or 2 T of minced garlic in a jar
  • 3 t. garlic powder
  • 2 t. onion powder
  • 1 t. of ground pepper many pro recipes call for white pepper so you don’t see black flecks but I’ve not committed to buying it yet.
  • 1 t. of ground Italian seasoning you can also use separate pinches of thyme, rosemary, basil, and sage
  • 2 T cornstarch OR 4 T of flour

Instructions
 

  • Finely chop fresh garlic. Add olive oil to pan and saute garlic until soft and fragrant. Then add to a large, cold (unheated) pot. Then add the rest of the ingredients and begin whisking immediately.
  • Turn the heat to medium. We want all ingredients to come to temperature together. This saucewill be very thin at first, and you want the flour to cook and the cheese to emulsify all the ingredientsinto a nice thick roux. To ensure the pot never goes to a hard boil, never turn it above medium andkeep whisking. My alfredo takes a solid 30 minutes on the stove because I keep whisking and tasting.
  • Add-ins. To keep your sauce at a nice density and flavor, I recommend not adding anythingINTO the sauce pot. These will cook in the hot sauce and thin your perfect alfredo.

When the sauce is ready to plate, here are some add-ins that you can toss with the cooked pasta oradd on top:

  • Sautéed mushrooms
  • Sun-dried tomatoes
  • Fresh herbs of all kinds
  • Cut scallions
  • Sautéed or fresh zucchini
  • Chicken, shrimp, or prosciutto

Notes

Pro tip: Never turn on the heat higher than medium. When it seems like your break from whisking has gone on for more than two minutes, pick the up whisk and do it some more. Don’t walk away from the kitchen for more than a couple of minutes at a time. It’s a work-intensive sauce, but the homemade results will be worth it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 808kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 30gFat: 62gSaturated Fat: 40gPolyunsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 190mgSodium: 991mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10g
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