Authentic 4-Ingredient Fettuccine Alfredo (NO CREAM!) - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the original Alfredo sauce made of? ›

Real alfredo sauce is made with 3 simple ingredients: butter, Parmesan cheese and fresh fettuccine pasta. There is absolutely no cream in this dish (cream is common in most American-style alfredo sauce recipes). Make this dish with my fresh homemade pasta, fresh sourdough pasta or store-bought fresh pasta.

THE BEST SUBSTITUTE FOR HEAVY CREAM IN ALFREDO SAUCE

Milk + Flour + Butter: Whisk together 1 cup of whole milk (make sure it's COLD), 2 tablespoons of flour, and 2-3 tablespoons of melted butter (cooled). Whisk until smooth. Once you heat this mixture it will begin to thicken like heavy cream.

Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted and the cream is hot but not boiling. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the Parmesan cheese until well combined. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

You could just add garlic powder, sure, but quickly sautéeing fresh garlic while your pasta cooks is a great way to layer flavor. Resnick likes to add spinach as a way to cut the richness of the sauce. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a few cloves of minced garlic in a sautée pan over medium heat.

What we call alfredo sauce here in the US doesn't exist in Italy. Its closest cousin is similar to di Lelio's invention: a sauce known in Italy as “al burro” (with butter) — pasta served with melted butter that's sometimes infused with fresh sage, as well as grated Parmigiano.

To each their own, but no authentic fettuccine Alfredo recipe should include cream (because it dulls the flavor of the cheese).

White Flour

Flours can be used to make a bit of a slurry and add to the sauce to make it thicker. 1 part flour to 2 parts liquid and then adding it to your sauce should thicken it nicely. Just make sure that when you make the slurry, there are no lumps in your mixture.

You can make a stand-in for the heavy cream called for in a recipe where it will be mixed with other ingredients. Melt 1/4 cup unsalted butter in a large glass bowl and gradually whisk in 3/4 cup whole milk or half and half. You'll end up with 1 cup of a cream substitute.

Whole milk is an excellent substitute for heavy cream. It adds richness to your pasta sauce without the excess fat. Simply simmer your favourite pasta sauce with whole milk until it thickens to your desired consistency. The result is a velvety and indulgent sauce that pairs beautifully with pasta.

Flavor Boosters

Nutmeg: A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg can elevate the flavors in your Alfredo sauce. However, use it sparingly; a little goes a long way. White Wine: A splash of a good-quality white wine can add depth and complexity. Make sure to cook off the alcohol by simmering the sauce for a few extra minutes.

How do you make Trader Joe's Alfredo better? ›

Since this is a creamy sauce to begin with, cheese makes the perfect addition. Add up to 1/2 cup of any melty cheese such as cheddar, mozzarella, gouda or cream cheese. Or add up to 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Tip: Avoid low-fat cream cheese to avoid a low-quality, grainy end result.

Fresh herbs

Add basil, parsley, oregano, or rosemary to add life to the sauce. The first three herbs are classic for many Italian dishes, and rosemary is a common addition to creamy potato dishes, so adding them to a jarred Alfredo sauce makes sense.

- Add chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, or thyme to the Alfredo sauce for a burst of freshness and color. Simply stir the herbs into the sauce just before serving. Easy!

The five mother sauces are: Bechamel, Espangnole, Tomato, Hollandaise, and Veloute. Each take some practice and skill to master, and some are easier than others to perfect. Bechamel is a white sauce, made of flour, butter and milk. It's typically the base for Alfredo sauce or white country gravy.

National Fettuccine Alfredo Day is observed annually on February 7th. Alfredo di Lelio, an Italian restaurateur, created Fettuccine Alfredo in 1908. After his wife had given birth to their first son that year, she did not have an appetite. To help encourage her to eat, he created a dish of noodles, cheese and butter.

White sauce – also known as béchamel – is made with flour, milk, and butter. It's a basic sauce that can be used as a base for other sauces or as a topping for dishes like lasagna. Alfredo sauce, on the other hand, is made with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese, and has a much richer flavour than white sauce.

This happens when there's too much fat or liquid in the mixture. This can happen when there are not enough emulsifiers (which help keep your ingredients together). Sauces are usually made from multiple ingredients that include both oil and water. Oils and water will naturally separate.