Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

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February 3, 2009 75 Comments

Olive Garden alfredo sauce is a rich, creamy sauce that can be made at home. This recipe for Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce was one of the first ones we attempted to recreate; it’s one of my favorite recipes of all time. This recipe is simple, butter, cream, cheese, and a little bit of patience, and everyone will think you are a five star chef.

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Author: CopyKat Recipes
Recipe Type: Copycat Restaurant Recipes, CopyKat Recipes, Dips/Sauces, Pasta Recipes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Make Alfredo sauce just like the Olive Garden, one try with this dish, and you will never buy bottled or a package of Alfredo sauce again.

Ingredients

1 pint of heavy cream
1/4 pound of butter (one stick)
2 tablespoons cream cheese **optional, and not pictured in the video
1/2 - 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese **do not use cheese that has been pre-shredded or pre-grated
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

In a saucepan, combine butter, and heavy cream. Simmer until all is melted and mixed well. Add the Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes on low. You may wish to add a little salt and pepper. I have made this with half and half, but we prefer the heavy cream.

I wouldn't recommend trying it with plain milk.

Optional Cream Cheese Method

This can be used if the sauce is still a little thin. The sauce can be thin for a variety of reasons: not using heavy cream, not cooking at a high enough temperature, and using pre-shredded or pre-grated cheese. Pre-shredded and pre-grated cheeses have an anti-caking agent in them, and prevent the sauce from setting up. If the sauce is a little thin, add cream cheese in after you have finished the Parmesan cheese. Add cream cheese and whisk until the sauce thickens.

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You can find more Olive Garden Recipes at Copykat.com.

http://www.facebook.com/jaimi.clifford Jaimi Clifford

This is in a sauce pan on my stove right now, so yummy, so good. I don’t care if its not exact, my taste buds are screaming “You just made olive garden at home!!!!!” never using a can again. I can’t wait till my boyfriend gets home!!! I added seafood=)=) yummmm
kathryn

I made this tonight. Used a lot more fresh parmesan cheese along with white pepper and fresh minced garlic. It turned out great. I served it over three cheese tortelini and the family loved it!
- http://www.copykat.com Stephanie
  
  It is great when you can edit a recipe and make it your own. I am glad to hear you and your family liked this recipe.
Michelle

Then why are you on here commenting if you don’t like Olive Garden. Defeats the purpose of the comment thread don’t you think? Your agenda must just be to insult people.
therron

Just made this and it tastes exactly the same!! Yummmmy!
ddp

This was great – made it for my 2 oldest college alfredo loving sons! I have tried a couple times to get a good alfredo sauce from scratch – I did use the cream cheese…..yum yum!
KirstinG

I tried making this recipe, and it just turned out terrible. I used whipping cream, real butter, un-shredded cheese, the whole nine yards– and it completely separated. It was basically a big glob of cheese floating in butter. Not sure hat I did wrong — I followed the directions exactly — but needless to say I won’t be making this again!
- Stephanie Manley
  
  KirstinG I am sorry this recipe didn’t work out well for you. If your cheese never melted maybe your heat wasn’t up high enough. If you are whisking this all of the time like you see me stirring this, your butter won’t be separated from the heavy cream. Again I am sorry this didn’t work out for you.
http://www.facebook.com/clcarsley Cheryl Carsley Doubleday

How much pasta should i use per batch?
- http://www.copykat.com Stephanie
  
  I would use about 16 ounces of dry pasta.
- Stephanie Manley
  
  This can easily take about a pound of dry pasta.
heide

Couple of things. Cheap parmesan will not create the right sauce. It will stay chunky pieces no matter how long you try to stir it. The other thing is NEVER EVER EVER allow any form of boiling! It will separate your sauce and there’s no coming back from that! Parmesano Reggiano is the only cheese that will truely melt. I’ve tried 6 different brands and stirred for 30 min trying to find any brand that would melt like the real thing. Nope never happened.
- http://www.copykat.com Stephanie
  
  I love Parmesano Reggiano, while it is expensive, it works well. I have also found that the cheese at Trader Joes works very well too.
Kassie

I always use the Romano brand Parmesan cheese, pre shredded, and never had a problem with the sauce not setting. You just have to stir it non stop and for a bit longer than with freshly grated but it tastes the same and cuts down on some work if you don’t want to shred it yourself.
Guest

I made it as per the video…no cream cheese….only butter, cream, parmesan and salt

After i added the cheese….the whole thing started to look like its curdling up….like breaking up into tiny pieces….not creamy

To fix it, after a while, i had to beat it in the mixer/blender for some time to get it to look like a creamy mix….

Is this ok….or did i do something wrong which caused it to break up bad …..

Any specific type of cream needed….and i see a inconsistency between your video and recipie in text below it…..video does not have cream cheese….recipie has it….Pls clarify.

Pic of my pasta prepared with this sauce below.
- http://www.copykat.com Stephanie
  
  I don’t know why your sauce would have curdled up. My first thought would be the cream was not super fresh, but I am sure you would have used cream that was fresh or the fat content was not high enough in the cream you used. The fat content in heavy cream prevents curdling. If you would have tried this with milk it may have curdled up.
  
  I don’t recommend any salt, the Parmesan cheese is salty enough on its own.
  
  I mention heavy cream in the recipe, heavy cream can also be called whipping cream. It depends on who is producing the product. Both are correct, and used interchangeably.
  
  I have added the instructions for what to do when you have a thin sauce, with the cream cheese instructions. This was/is my goof proof way to make the sauce.
  
  This is a very easy sauce to make, I am sorry your dinner did not work out well for you when you tried it.
- Stephanie Manley
  
  I have clarified multiple times in the comments about the cream cheese. You can add a couple of tablespoons if you like, it is OPTIONAL.
  
  Can you tell me how you were heating this recipe? Did you turn your burner up on high? Was it on medium high? This sauce shouldn’t be breaking down.
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Zappa202020

I was having the same problem. By the time I sat down to eat, the butter was separating from the sauce. I found that it is best to NOT let the cream boil. You need it to be hot to melt the cheese, but try for the lowest temperature you can that will still melt the cheese. Once the cheese is melted there is no benefit to continue heating it. I also noticed that if you go crazy with the whisk you can make a very fluffy sause with a wonderful texture, but that will fall apart quickly.
- http://www.copykat.com Stephanie
  
  Did you use pre-grated or pre-shredded cheese? Those cheeses contain anti-caking agents in them. Naturally the cheese would glob back together in a package if it didn’t contain the anti-caking agents on the cheese.
Hillpriscilla

It is soooooo delicious!! I have used it twice: one for chicken alfredo flat bread pizza and another one for chicken, shrimp, broccoli, and mushroom fettucina alfredo. I have never used a jar alfredo but I never will. It is really good!!! Thanks
- http://www.copykat.com Stephanie
  
  It is simply too easy to make your own Alfredo sauce. Save the jar, make your own homemade Alfredo sauce.
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Matt

You can buy a pint of Alfredo sauce from Olive Garden for less than it cost to buy the ingredients to make this.
Gues

Don’t try many internet recipes, but this one just sounded so good! Glad I did, even the kids thought it was super yummy! Thanks! Now on to the next one!
http://www.whimsicalarchives.com/ Penny

I kid you not, I get an extra dimple in my rear just thinking about this sauce.
John

Made it for my daughter’s basketball team meal. They loved it!!! Sooo much cheaper then taking everyone out to Olive Garden.
John

Made it for my daughter’s basketball team meal. They loved it!!! Sooo much cheaper then taking everyone out to Olive Garden.
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Bob

she never put the cream cheese in
Ms Zayda

Okay…so I made this receipe today without the cream cheese and it was soooo good! My daughter said it tasted just like Olive garden! I also subtituted powder garlic with minced garli and added romano cheese!! So Good!! Thanks for the receipe!!!
- Anonymous
  
  I am glad to hear the recipe worked out well for you!
- http://www.facebook.com/shirley.kase Shirley Kase
  
  Thanks I was reading comments to see if I could use fresh minced garlic Ok.
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pinky

this is totally off the olive garden alfredo sauce not even close
Shaun

I love how simple and tasty this recipe is. We are feeding 70!!! (yes, 70), high school cross country runners before a big meet next week, and I would love to serve this this grilled chicken instead of the (now boring) regular marinara sauce…
1. Any tips on the ingredient quantities?
2. Will it ‘keep’ for an hour or so before serving without clumping, or spoiling?
Thanks
- Anonymous
  
  I would suggest making the sauce in bulk and then keeping it warm in crock pots, this should work.
  - Shaun
    
    Hi Stephanie – we will use an electric turkey roaster on a low setting to keep the bulk sauce warm. I’d be grateful on a tip for the ingredient quantities i will need to make this large volume of sauce? Can you help please?
    Thanks so much for your help
    Shaun
    - Anonymous
      
      To be honest, I don’t know how many batches you will need, I would guess 7 to 10. I would simply multiply the ingredients by 7 to 10 times. I think you would be better off making the sauce in smaller batches, and then combining in the turkey roaster. Again, I would make 7 to 10 batches, and I would multiply my ingredients by how many batches I decided on.
  - Shaun
    
    Hi Stephanie – we will use an electric turkey roaster on a low setting to keep the bulk sauce warm. I’d be grateful on a tip for the ingredient quantities i will need to make this large volume of sauce? Can you help please?
    Thanks so much for your help
    Shaun
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Kristy

Just made this recipe and it was awesome. My kids loved it to, I added canned chicken breast to it.
Jules

I just gained a lb reading the recipe… sounds delicious.
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P40tim

Fantastic!!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/NCPrincessBows Heather C.

Made this tonight and EVERYONE LOVED it! I will DEFINITELY be making this again!!! No more can Alfredo sauce for me!
- Anonymous
  
  We really should stay away from canned stuff whenever possible. This was so easy wasn’t it?
Dave

I tried this with a little more cream cheese and it turned out delicious. Everybody thought I learned while I was living in Italy. Really, really good!
Robin

I have uses this recipe for years and my kids think it tastes better than O.G. I use exact recipe as it’s printed.
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http://www.thrivearizona.shelfreliance.com/ThriveArizona Monica

I have been using this recipe for years and everyone loves it! It’s easy, the ingredients are practical and I never have left overs to waste. I do add salt and pepper to taste and sometimes more cheese if I’m in the mood. Love it!! Thank you for sharing.
- Anonymous
  
  If you have any left over, which is hard to imagine, store the sauce in its own container. Reheat on the stove top is best, and you may need to add a little more cream as the sauce may thicken.
gma22

Thank you for this, I will definitely have to try it as I have tried alfredo at a dozen restaurants and never found the delicious taste of Olive Garden’s.
- Detric414
  
  if you go on olivegarden.com they give the recipe for their alfredo sauce
  - Anonymous
    
    Their recipe for the alfredo sauce contains 4 or 6 egg yolks, I really don’t think you need to add that many egg yolks to make alfredo sauce. I have never seen a recipe for the alfredo sauce that contained egg yolks except theirs.
    - DesertDiva
      
      I know when I make Spaghetti Carbonara & Creamy Mac & Cheese it calls for 4whole eggs. That’s what makes the silky/creamy texture : )
babygirl

I can’t get this recipe to work half the time. It won’t let the butter stay mixed in it. It starts out good and mixed then as i let it simmer it seperates. What am I doing wrong. I have made it right before but I dont know what it is that i do different when it mixes well.
- http://www.copykat.com Stephanie
  
  I would make a couple of suggestions, make sure the butter, and cream are very hot before adding the cheese, when you add the cheese whip it a great deal to make the mixture uniform. Also, some cheese that comes pre-shredded has an additive to keep the cheese from clumping together in the package. I really recommend shredding cheese just before you use it if you are going to melt it into a sauce.
- Kristy
  
  I used real salted butter and it did fine no seperating.
Judy Nutzmann

I had heavy cream left over from Christmas so the end of December I made this recipe, I made about triple the recipe and froze it. Last week I cooked it I added cooked chicken served it over cheese tortellini for my grandchildren and husband they loved-loved-loved it and I did use the cream cheese. I’ve never made Alfredo Sauce (was so easy to open a jar) before because I thought it was a lot of work and I love to cook. This is the only recipe for Alfredo Sauce I will ever use, and no work at all.

Thanks for sharing
Jacquelyn

Ive been making this recipe for about 3 years and everyone I make it for absolutely loves it! I have even gone to Olive Garden and ordered just a large salad and breadsticks and everyone thought I bought the sauce too! I love it and this is a quick and easy recipe! My fiance’ can even do it without the recipebook!
http://www.almostdinnertime.blogspot.com Susan

I love this recipe and have been using it for almost 10 years. The only thing I do different is I add salt to taste and it is perfect. It’s the best alfredo sauce I’ve ever had and I can’t bear to order it in a restaurant because it will never compare to this recipe!!! I would love to feature this recipe on my blog sometime.
jordyn

how many servings does this recipe yield?
- http://www.copykat.com Stephanie
  
  You can make 4 very large servings, or 6 to 8 smaller servings with this amount of sauce.
Anonymous

I have made this many times from this recipe and all people do is rave over how great the taste is. I also add grilled chicken to mine or put it over cheese ravioli’s. This recipe is awesome!!!
Johnnie

I work for Olive Garden and I can tell you that their sauces are made from scratch. However you are right about the recipe on the website not being the one they use. Unfortunately, I’m not able to give that recipe.
http://copykat.com What?

Okay, what is will the post about "think Olive Garden’s food is palatable"?
Yes, I do think at one time they did make it form scratch; whether they do now is a different matter. Have you ever tried reheating alfredo sauce? It is not easy to achieve reheating the sauce to exactly the same texture and taste; in fact, it is very hard to do(the more butter in the sauce, the harder it is to do so). The post for the Olive Garden Sauces are a least a three years old based on my earlier copy.
NolinParker

I worked for a catering company several years ago which claimed to have the Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce recipe….and everyone who tasted it agreed. I have misplaced the recipe showing the measurements, but I can tell you that we used several scoops of Knorr Alfredo Sauce Mix (institutional size) along with lots of grated parmesan cheese and heavy whipping cream. If I ever find the recipe I will send it in to post.
the violator

Anonymous for the win…
First, you people *seriously* think that Olive Garden’s food is palatable?
Second, you think they actually make it from scratch??? At a corporate chain restaurant?
- Anonymous
  
  I worked at Olive Garden and they DO make their sauces and soups from scratch. Every day.
Anonymous

thats because there sauces are made by nestle.
http://www.copykat.com Stephanie Manley

Olive Garden doesn’t put their recipes online that they like to serve in their restaurants. Often they are vastly different. They post tasty recipes online, but their alfredo sauce doesn’t have eggs in it.
- Davey_roxy
  
  Hmm I just made this recipe as shown in the video then to look underneath the video to find it needs cream cheese Stephanie Manley can you confirm cream cheese or no cream cheese and if so are we talking bagel cream cheese?
Melanie

There website posts recipes and both of the alfredo ones on here are different from what they posted… I have made it a couple times. A friend told me that they forgot to post to put a stick of butter in the recipe as well. So I’ve done that… never tried making it without the butter.

1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup imported Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup imported Romano cheese, grated
6 egg yolks from fresh jumbo eggs
Salt and black pepper to taste

Procedures
1.HEAT milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins to simmer. Turn off heat. Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat.
2.PLACE egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture back into remaining cream mixture. Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering. Take sauce off heat so it thickens. (This will increase temperature of egg yolks, known as tempering).
3.SEASON to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta.