My first taste of Olive Garden’s Alfredo sauce was a culinary revelation that changed my life. Living in rural East Texas, the nearest Olive Garden was a 90-minute drive away, making their creamy pasta a rare and special treat. After one particularly memorable dinner, I couldn’t stop thinking about that velvety sauce coating every strand of fettuccine.
I became determined to recreate it at home, spending weeks perfecting the recipe until I finally achieved that signature richness and flavor. That first successful batch was more than just dinner—it was the moment that inspired me to launch CopyKat.com, beginning my journey of recreating restaurant favorites at home. Thirty years later, this Olive Garden Alfredo recipe remains my most treasured recipe, bringing that restaurant magic to my family table in just 20 minutes, no long drive required.
What makes Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce so good?
There are many reasons why this sauce is so good. This pasta sauce is known for its richness. It is made with heavy cream, butter, and lots of cheese. The sauce has a luxuriously thick and creamy texture. While made with rich and flavorful ingredients, the ingredients are straightforward.
Why you will love this copycat recipe
This copycat version is tried and true. You can make this iconic sauce from the comfort of your kitchen with ingredients commonly found in your grocery store. I love that this recipe tastes just like a restaurant version, but the best part is you can make this pasta recipe in less than 20 minutes. Add a copycat Olive Garden salad, and you can recreate the restaurant taste with this accessible homemade version.
Homemade Alfredo ingredients
What You’ll Need to Make this Recipe:
- Garlic puree or garlic powder – you can make your puree out of fresh garlic
- Butter – I have used both salted and unsalted butter
- Heavy whipping cream – please use only heavy cream, milk, half and half, and fat-free half and half aren’t thick enough to develop the rich texture of the Olive Garden’s sauce
- Grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- Salt & Pepper
- Fettuccine pasta – I recommend Barilla pasta, or De Cecco pasta
- Parsley for garnishing, if desired
You don’t need an egg yolk or flour to thicken the sauce for this recipe. The creamy sauce will thicken nicely and thicken with heat, so it is gluten-free.
How to make easy alfredo sauce like Olive Garden
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown the garlic puree.
- Whisk the heavy whipping cream to the browned garlic.
- Once the butter and cream bubble, add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and salt & pepper.
- Stir on medium heat until the cream mixture starts to thicken. If it does not thicken after a couple of minutes, turn the heat up to high until it does, then turn off the heat and continue to stir.
- In a separate pot, follow the instructions to make your fettuccine noodles, be sure to drain off the pasta water.
- Combine the pasta with the alfredo sauce and garnish with chopped parsley.
Recipe tips and variations
Use a block of fresh Parmesan cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese has an anti-caking agent that may prevent the cheese from melting well.
Heat the butter and cream until they bubble before adding the cheese. This helps the sauce thicken and sets the cheese at a temperature that will melt.
Heat the butter and cream until they bubble before adding the cheese. This helps the sauce thicken and sets the cheese at a temperature that will melt.
If you plan on having some extra sauce, do not store the sauce with the pasta. The pasta can soak up the sauce.
This is perfect for a large family or a party. If you want to serve a fancy pasta bar, you can easily put this sauce in a slow cooker once it is finished. Placing the slow cooker on low allows you to keep this sauce for a long time.
With this sauce, you can add some grilled chicken for chicken alfredo or even grilled shrimp for shrimp alfredo.
If you like creamy alfredo sauce, add cream cheese to this recipe.
Olive Garden Alfredo dipping sauce for breadsticks
Did you know this is the same sauce used as an appetizer? I am sure you have seen on the menu where you can order the Alfredo dipping sauce; this is the same sauce used in the Alfredo Dipping Sauce. So you don’t need to place the dipping sauce order anymore! You now know how to make the special sauce!
Frequently asked questions about Alfredo sauce
Can you make Alfredo sauce with half and half? Yes, you can. It may not thicken as well, but when combined with the pasta, the starch in the pasta will help thicken the sauce.
Is this sauce better than Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce? Many people who have tried this pasta sauce think so; check the comments.
What type of pasta should I use for alfredo? Use your favorite pasta. Fettuccine is most often used, but you can use anything you have on hand.
How to store and reheat Alfredo Sauce
If you have leftovers, I recommend storing the sauce in an airtight container. Do not combine the pasta and the sauce in the same container. The pasta will soak up the sauce, and reheating it like this will result in a plate of very thick pasta and no sauce.
I recommend reheating the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat. When the sauce melts due to the heat, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream to thin it out. The second time I serve the sauce, I typically make fresh pasta for my fettuccini Alfredo.
