The Best Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

This quick and easy Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is a classic crowd-pleaser. Made with a creamy Alfredo sauce it’s perfect for adding chicken, shrimp, veggies, or just all on its own for a go-to dinner any night of the week.

Serve homemade fettuccine Alfredo with a Simple Italian Dinner Salad, Homemade Bread to sop up the extra sauce or Garlic Cheese Bread, a favorite bottle of wine, and voila dinner is served!

Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine Alfredo isn’t anything new, and flashy, but it’s a classic recipe that never seems to disappoint. Everyone needs their own go-to homemade fettuccine Alfredo recipe, and this quick and simple version is the recipe you’ll want to have in your back pocket. 

You can never go wrong with an easy pasta recipe that includes the best Alfredo sauce you’ve ever tried. Take just one bite and you’ll say so long to your favorite Italian restaurants, opting for at-home pasta nights instead. 

This classic dinner is the best for busy weeknights when you want to get a dinner that everyone will still love on the table in no time. With only 30 minutes of hands-on time, you won’t spend all night slaving over the stove just to get dinner ready. Who doesn’t love a simple recipe that everyone will devour?!

How To Make The Best Fettuccine Alfredo

Making a homemade Alfredo sauce recipe doesn’t have to be intimidating or complicated. Simply follow these instructions and you’ll wonder why you ever opted for jarred sauce over homemade. 

To start, Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles until al dente. After the pasta is cooked, drain the water, reserving 1/4 cup of the water. Next, you’ll return the fettuccine back to the large pot, add 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, and toss to coat.

While pasta cooks, you’ll begin to make the homemade Alfredo sauce, by adding cream and butter to a medium saucepan heating until it simmers. Once it’s reached a simmer, remove the pan from heat, add eggs and return the cream mixture to simmer as you add the Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until the cheese is melted. 

Lastly, pour the Alfredo sauce over cooked pasta using tongs to mix and add the remaining pasta water if the sauce is too thick. 

Why Use Eggs in Alfredo Sauce?

If you’ve read through the ingredient list already, you might have scratched your head at the idea of adding eggs to an Alfredo sauce. It sounds a little strange, but trust me on this one. Do NOT skip the eggs in this recipe.

The egg yolk acts as an emulsifier and helps keep the butter and cream from separating. It also directly contributes to the amazing creaminess of the sauce that gives it that authentic texture and taste. 

Secrets To Making A Perfect Fettuccine Alfredo Every Time

Add salt to your pasta water: Salting the water will give your pasta way more flavor and keep the pasta from coming out too bland. Don’t just add a dash or two of salt, really make sure the whole pot is heavily salted for the best result. 

Use a cream with a high-fat content: Using a high-fat content cream ensures the sauce will thicken properly, substituting the cream for milk will result in a runny Alfredo sauce. 

Cook the pasta until just underdone: The pasta will continue to cook as you add it to the warm sauce, so make sure it’s slightly underdone or al-dente when you take it off the stove. 

Tips For Storing, Freezing, and Reheating

Storing Fettuccine in the refrigerator: Place your fettuccine Alfredo pasta in an airtight container when you’re ready to store it in the fridge. For best results and taste quality, it can stay in the fridge for up to 5 days.

How to reheat fettuccine Alfredo:  For best results, reheat the leftover pasta on low heat on the stove. Stir continuously until the desired temperature is reached. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more cream to thin it out.

Freezing Alfredo: The best way to freeze homemade fettuccine alfredo is to keep the pasta and the sauce separate and combine just before serving. To do this you will prepare each according to the instructions, and instead of mixing together at the end, you will let each cool completely, and place them into separate airtight containers. 

Once ready to serve, let the pasta, and homemade alfredo sauce thaw in the refrigerator overnight then follow the reheating instructions above.

Don’t Miss Out On More Classic Italian Dishes

Baked Spaghetti –  A family favorite recipe that every household should have in their dinner rotation  A flavorful meat sauce and spaghetti topped with plenty of cheese baked in the oven until hot and bubbly.

Cheesy Ravioli Bake With Chicken – Easy to make and impossible to resist, making it the perfect weeknight dish. Cheese ravioli, marinara sauce, chicken, and lots of cheese, all layered and baked until bubbly and gooey! 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Bake – Creamy pasta, melty swiss cheese, chicken, ham all under a crunchy topping makes this easy Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta a family favorite.

Easy Beef and Ricotta Lasagna – Create a delicious dinner that the whole family will love with this easy cheesy lasagna recipe that tastes like you spent all day making it without all of the work.

Three Cheese Mostaccioli – A wonderful cheesy pasta dish the whole family will be asking for again and again! It’s also a great dish to take to a pot-luck or new mom.

Tools Used To Make Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo 

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Spaghetti Server:

You can use any kind of serving spoon, but this special spaghetti serving spoon will help make sure not a single delicious ingredient is missing from your spoonful. 

Dutch Oven: 

I can’t live without my dutch oven! It’s the perfect stainless steel pan to make any large pasta dish or soup. I use mine at least three times a week and love it. 

Originally post November 2012. UPDATED May 2020. We spiffed up this post with more info and better pictures! No changes to the original recipe.