There is a story behind the creamy Alfredo sauce. Like so many other Italian sauces, this one originates from the United States. They say that a man named Alfredo di Lelio created the sauce to tempt his pregnant wife to eat something different. In 1914, he cooked fettuccine and made a sauce with butter and Parmesan cheese to pour on top. He must have loved it, because when Alfredo opened his own restaurant in Rome, one of the dishes he served him was his fettuccine Alfredo. It is now served in many Italian restaurants around the world.

There are several methods of making Alfredo sauce, and of course you can serve it with any type of pasta you have. It doesn’t have to be fettuccine.

You will need a heavy bottomed saucepan to make the Alfredo sauce and of course a wooden spoon to stir it.

alfredo sauce recipe

half a cup of butter

1 pint heavy cream

4 ounces of cream cheese

1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely minced (more if you like garlic)

1 handful of basil leaves, finely chopped

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and freshly grated pepper to taste

method

Melt the butter and add the cream with the cream cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring all the time to prevent the sauce from burning or sticking. When the cream cheese has melted, add all the other ingredients except the Parmesan cheese.

When the sauce is smooth and simmering, add the Parmesan cheese. Stir for about 3 minutes until the Parmesan cheese has melted.

Serve hot with the pasta of your choice.

Alfredo sauce is very versatile, so you can experiment with it. Pour over lightly boiled broccoli as an alternative to cheese sauce. Add cooked strips of chicken or bacon to the sauce, or add both. If you like flat leaf parsley, add some to taste.

You can use different cheeses, try a mix of Parmesan and two of your favorites. Blue cheese can be used in this sauce to great effect.

If you are on a diet you can use milk instead of cream, just make a white sauce and add cheese(s). If you don’t have Parmesan cheese, don’t worry! You can use shredded mozzarella and shredded gruyere or sharp cheddar if you prefer.

It is better not to use prepackaged grated Parmesan cheese, it spoils the flavor of the sauce.

When you’ve successfully made this sauce, you’ll never want to buy another kind. Your home cooking is better without additives or preservatives.