Want authentic Alfredo sauce- no cream? This is it. Just 3 simple ingredients, 30 minutes max. Serve with fresh homemade pasta for an easy Italian dinner.
Pasta alfredo- and I’m talking about real alfredo sauce from Rome- is a creamy 3-ingredient dish made from butter, Parmesan cheese and fresh egg fettuccini. The rich, silky sauce is pure alchemy: it comes together by simmering starchy pasta water with cold butter and cheese- no heavy cream needed.
With that said, Alfredo sauce is all about technique (it’s not just a bowl of buttered noodles with Parm). What makes it work? Quality ingredients, having the right tools AND cooking in small batches so you can easily master “the toss,” which is key to nailing the sauce.
Heads up: Most online Alfredo sauce recipes use cream and garlic. That’s American-style, not authentic Italian. Don’t get confused! Treat them as two different pasta sauce recipes.
Good To Know:
- Use high-fat butter. Most American butter is 80% fat, whereas European-style butter is 82-90% fat. That extra fat (and less water) makes the sauce richer and smoother. I use Kerry Gold (least expensive at Trader Joe’s, Costco & Target), Pulgrá (this is what we use at Sfoglia) and Beurre d’Isigny (splurge, but soooo good especially on sourdough bread).
- Buy block cheese. You need real Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for this recipe. Do not skimp! Or use pre-ground Parmesan only if it’s fresh and free of preservatives or anti-caking agents.
- Serve on warm plates. I never paid attention to this until it happened to me. Cold plates make Alfredo sauce seize and clump! Warm the dishes in a low oven while you make the pasta.
- Don’t double this recipe. Alfredo needs space to move in the pan. Until you’ve felt how the sauce looks and behaves, stick to small batches. Thank me later.
How To Make Pasta Alfredo Sauce {Step-By-Step Recipe}
Before you begin… Think of it like making risotto. The act of tossing vigorously to coax out its signature, silky creaminess is very intentional- just like pasta carbonara. It’s also a rhythmic dance: a splash of water, toss, some cheese, toss again. Master this, and you’ll get the richest, dreamiest Alfredo sauce without a drop of added cream.
To Start: Warm your bowls in the oven. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Melt the butter in a large 10-inch skillet. The size of your pan is important; you will be tossing the pasta directly in the sauce and you need room to groove! A high-sided braiser pot works too, if you have one.
Cook the fresh pasta for 3–4 minutes. Don’t drain. While the pasta cooks, ladle some of the starchy water into the melted butter (I use a 1/4 cup measuring scoop). Let it simmer until slightly thickened.
Put it altogether: Use tongs to transfer the pasta into the skillet. Increase the heat; toss until coated. When the sauce looks glossy, add a small handful of cheese and toss again until melted. Add another splash of pasta water, then more cheese. Keep tossing. This back-and-forth is what thickens the sauce naturally. Taste and season with salt (it almost always needs it). Serve right away when it’s done. This dish waits for no one!
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Real Alfredo Sauce (No Cream!)
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 2
- Category: Pasta Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Real alfredo sauce is made with 3 simple ingredients: butter, Parmesan cheese and fresh fettuccine pasta. There is absolutely no cream in this dish (cream is common in most American-style alfredo sauce recipes). Make this dish with my fresh homemade pasta, fresh sourdough pasta or store-bought fresh pasta. This recipe adapted with changes from Milk Street.
Ingredients
- 227 g (8 oz) fresh homemade pasta, fresh sourdough pasta, or store-bought
- 56 g (3 oz) Parmesan cheese (block)
- 60 g (4 tbsp) good-quality unsalted cold butter (I use Kerry Gold)
- Salt, to taste
Notes & Tips:
-
- Use high-fat European-style butter for best results (I use Kerry Gold or Pulgrá).
- Don’t double the recipe- this sauce needs space to move in the pan.
- Warm your plates before serving to prevent the sauce from seizing up.
Instructions
- Make fresh homemade pasta following the instructions here.
- Preheat your oven to the lowest setting. Place 2 oven-safe bowls inside to warm up.
- Cut the Parmesan cheese into small chunks. Process until finely ground in a food processor; transfer to a small bowl. and keep it handy.
- Arrange the butter in a 10-inch skillet. Melt over medium-low heat.
- Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pasta, plus 1 heaping teaspoon of salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes (taste for doneness); do not drain. Note: while the pasta is cooking, add 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water to the melted butter and simmer until emulsified and slightly foamy.
- When the pasta is cooked: transfer with tongs to the skillet. Increase the heat to medium, and toss several times to coat all of the pasta strands in the melted butter. Keep tossing until the sauce starts to thicken and becomes less “watery” about 30+ seconds.
- Then add a small handful of the cheese, while continuing to toss. Once the cheese is absorbed and the sauce becomes creamier, add 1/4 cup more of pasta water. Keep tossing until the sauce thickens again. Add more cheese. Toss again. This is how you create the signature alfredo “cream” sauce. If at any point the consistency becomes too dry, or it thickens/absorbs too quickly, lower the heat and add more water, as needed, up to 3/4 – 1 full cup in total.
- To finish, taste the pasta. Season with salt (if necessary).
- To serve: remove the warm bowls from the oven. Portion out the pasta, spooning some of the sauce on top. Garnish with extra Parmesan. Serve immediately!
Comments
Chip says
I’ve wanted to make homemade Alfredo sauce for quite a while. I found this and thought it sounded good, so i thought I’d give it a try.
This is the only way I will ever make Alfredo. It was delicious!
Rob Aitken says
Excellent! Tasty alternative to heavy cream. May try a vegan version next for my dairy allergic daughter in law.
Miriam says
Excellent! My family enjoyed this. I didn’t make fresh pasta because I was tired and I’m gluten free but it was still delicious. The 3 year old cleaned her plate too. Did not leave a heavy sauce feeling and was so tasty.
Aimee says
Omg!! I did it & it’s DELICIOUS! For the 1st time, EVER, I made actual Alfredo pasta! Thank you for these instructions– it made all the difference. This dish always clumped up into a disaster for me in the past. Not today– YAAAAAY!!! (& a huge thanks from my kids too)!
Paul says
I had made this 9 months ago and could not find the recipe bookmark, so I used a different one and it came out okay, Emilie recipe is better. Why? Adding the water to the butter and getting i foamy, and then using tongs (which adds water) seems to work better-and then add cheese, water, cheese water etc. The other guy’s recipe had the noodles and water added at the same time, was okay but did not work as well. I also steamed up some little neck which I added to the noodles once the sauce was done. And Emilie the tip on warming the plates was great also.
You rock.
maria says
Best recipe I’ve tried! My family couldn’t stop eating it 😋 😍
Ang says
Thank you for this recipe. I can’t stand alfredo, but maybe I will like this as the ingredients are so simple and it sounds less heavy and filling.
Michelle says
Thank you for this authentic recipe it was very delicious!
Will not go back to my old ways of making it!😀
Jen says
This was such a tasty recipe and I’m glad I got to try a cream free recipe. Thank you!
Debra says
I’m flabbergasted. we have made this for YEARS with egg noodles and cheap parmesan, all in one pan. the hillbilly version, i guess. I started reading it and … well, there it is. where the heck did my largely Oklahoma born grandparents find an authentic recipe and not know it? now i’m gonna have to try it with the fancy ingredients. it works great with cheap dimestore noodles and cheese…. what’s it gonna taste like with fresh noodles and real parmesan? can’t wait to try it.
Tina says
I wonder if it’s an Oklahoma thing because I’ve lived here my whole life and we also grew up eating egg noodles with butter and Parmesan haha. My kids still ask for “fancy noodles” every now and then. I’m trying this recipe out tonight, I was thinking about adding some spinach to it too.
Cindy says
Made this with rice noodles and it was delicious!
Emilie Raffa says
Cindy, thanks so much for sharing! Great tip re: rice noodles ☺️
Krishna says
Just now tried this recipe. I had low fat butter on hand but the pasta came out to be amazing! Thanks a ton. This is very much like the authentic pasta you get in an Italian restaurant.
Emilie Raffa says
Love this! Thank you for sharing your feedback Krishna :)
Jim says
If this seizes when cold, can it be reheated? I’m thinking about making 2 batches – one for tonight, and one for lunches tomorrow.
Emilie Raffa says
Yes, it can. But you’ll have to give it a little love and finesse the next day! To do so: add a splash of water and/or more butter when you reheat it.
Mardi says
I buy the big block of Pecorino Romano at Costco because it’s a sheep’s milk cheese, with less cholesterol. Will this work the same as Parmesan?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Mardi! I loooooove Pecorino. I literally put it in everything. Flavor wise, it’s stronger and saltier than Parmesan cheese, so it’s not an even swap. If you want to experiment using what you have, use a smaller amount of cheese altogether and perhaps go easy on salting the pasta water to compensate.
Mardi says
Thank you! Information I can apply more generally!