How To Thicken Alfredo Sauce

Let’s face it, we just cannot get enough of a pasta and sauce dish. How can something so simple be so good?

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Pasta is just a homey, heartwarming meal. It’s delicious, filling and oh so tasty.

The best part is that anyone, whether they are a seasoned chef or novice in the kitchen, can make their own homemade sauce and coat it over pasta shells, noodles or spaghetti to make a simple meal that pleases everyone.

Alfredo sauce is one of the most popular and easiest pasta sauces that you can make. It’s elegant and creamy, yet so quick and easy!

So, what exactly is alfredo sauce, how can you make it and how can you ensure it’s thick and perfectly creamy? Read on to find out!

What Is Alfredo Sauce?

Alfredo sauce is a simple, thick and creamy white sauce often used to top pasta noodles or to make lasagna.

It’s a simple recipe, made from butter, cream and parmesan cheese to compliment your favorite meat, veggies and pasta noodles.

Some people can add seasonings and garlic to the sauce depending on their preferences, but traditional alfredo sauce is simply cheese, butter and heavy cream.

Alfredo sauce is a classic Italian recipe that is used in many pasta dishes. It can also be referred to as simply ‘white sauce’ or ‘pasta blanco’ which pretty much means the same thing.

Due to its creamy texture and flavor, alfredo sauce tends to be very indulgent and rich.

Unlike other pasta sauces that are tomato based, alfredo sauce emits any vegetables and is mainly creamy, dairy products.

However, it can be made with salt, pepper, garlic and parsley or other seasonings to add to the flavor. It’s hearty, cheesy and very moorish!

How To Make Alfredo Sauce

The good news is that Alfredo sauce is not hard to make at all, and only takes a few ingredients that you probably already have lying around in your kitchen!

To make traditional, simple alfredo sauce, you will need:

¼ cup of butter
1 ½ cups of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup of heavy cream
1 clove of crushed garlic
¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Once you have gathered all of your ingredients, you are going to want to melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over a medium to low heat.

The next step is to add in the heavy cream and mix it in with the butter, simmering for about 5 minutes.

Finally, you’ll need to add in the parmesan cheese, and stir to ensure that the ingredients combine and the cheese melts.

To do this, you will want to whisk the mixture quickly while it heats up. Then, add in the crushed garlic and mix it up, before stirring in the parsley and your alfredo sauce should be ready to go.

How To Thicken Alfredo Sauce

The thing that makes alfredo sauce so velvety and delicious is its thick texture. Without the thick creaminess, it’s just not as good.

So, how can you thicken up your alfredo sauce if it’s looking a bit runny and lackluster?

The trick with Alfredo sauce is using heavy cream as the base, this should ensure that it is thick enough to coat your pasta or spaghetti really well.

However, if you’re trying to make a low-fat kind of alfredo sauce, then you could struggle to make it as creamy as you want it.

This is why we recommend using the full fat ingredients for the best results.

Another thing to keep in mind is that alfredo sauce thickens better when it is mixed and whisked in a hot pan, as this will not only help the ingredients mix together, but it will melt them, and as long as you whisk and stir well, it should start to thicken up.

If you’re still struggling to thicken the alfredo sauce, then why not try adding in some extra ingredients to give it that creamy consistency that you want.

For instance, you may want to try adding in some cube softened cream cheese and whisking that into the mixture to make it thick and velvety. However, keep in mind that this option changes the flavor quite substantially.

Alternatively, you can add more freshly grated parmesan cheese and melt it in to add more substance to your sauce.

Why Is My Alfredo Sauce Not Thick & Creamy

If you don’t have parmesan, then other high quality shredded cheese could also work to thicken the sauce.

One of the easiest ways to add thickness is to pour in more heavy cream. However, this can be fattening if you use too much, so you can try mixing a little flour and water and adding that into the mixture to thicken it, or mix in some more softened butter, whisking and simmering until the sauce has thickened.

Just remember that whichever method you use, or whatever ingredients you add, you will need to whisk frequently and simmer the sauce until the ingredients have combined, and the sauce should thicken up in no time.

Why Is My Alfredo Sauce Not Thick & Creamy?

One of the most common reasons why your alfredo sauce is not thick and creamy is if your ingredients do not have a high enough fat content.

You will want to ensure that you are using the highest quality ingredients, and that you are whisking the alfredo sauce until it is super smooth.

Failing that, you can also try adding some flour as a thickening agent to ensure you get the texture that you want, or follow some of our tips above.

Conclusion

To conclude, alfredo sauce is a popular homemade sauce with a simple recipe. It can be paired with pasta dishes to make a delicious hearty meal, and it’s not that difficult to make yourself.

The only issue is that you may struggle to get the right texture if you’ve never made it before.

However, with our tips, you can make a beautifully thick and creamy alfredo sauce that all can enjoy!

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Jess Smith

Hi, my name is Jess Smith, and I love cooking in my spare time. Around three years ago, I decided to give up my day job as a teacher to pursue my passion for food. While I have enjoyed sharing tips and tricks on Social Media, I have decided to expand my horizons through this blog.

Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.

I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!