How to Make Alfredo Sauce From Scratch

By Lynne Evans

There's a story behind creamy Alfredo sauce. Like so many other Italian sauces, this one originates in the 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 over it. She must have loved it as when Alfredo opened his own restaurant in Rome, one of the dishes he served was his fettuccine Alfredo. Now it is 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 kind of pasta that you have. It doesn't have to be fettuccine.

You will need a heavy-bottomed saucepan to make the sauce Alfredo and, of course, a wooden spoon for stirring it.

Alfredo Sauce recipe

half a cup of butter

1 pint of thick cream

4 ozs of cream cheese

1 or 2 cloves of garlic finely minced (more if you love garlic)

1 handful of basil leaves, finely shredded

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and freshly grated pepper to taste

Method

• Melt the butter and stir in the cream with the cream cheese. Cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time to prevent the sauce 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 around 3 minutes until the Parmesan has melted.
• Serve hot with the pasta of your choice.
• Alfredo sauce is very versatile, so you an experiment with it. Pour it 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-leaved parsley, add some to taste.
• You can use different cheeses, try a mixture of parmesan, and two of your favourites. 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, don't worry! You can use shredded Mozarella and grated Gruyere or a strong cheddar if you prefer.
• It's best not to use pre-packed grated Parmesan cheese, it spoils the flavour of the sauce.

When you have made this sauce successfully, you'll never want to buy another kind. Your home-cooking is best with no additives or preservatives.

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