We all have those dishes that transport us back to our childhood, and for me, this Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo does just that. It’s rich, silky, and made with a handful of simple staples that I always keep stocked in my kitchen. And no, you won’t find any heavy cream here! This recipe is my take on the classic Italian version, using easy-to-find ingredients like fettuccine, salted butter, Parmesan, and seasonings. And at just $0.45 a serving, this dish proves that comfort food doesn’t have to come with a high price tag!
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Easy Fettuccine Alfredo rECIPE
When I was a little girl, my maternal grandparents lived with us. My Grandpa was a first-generation Italian immigrant in the U.S., and he always spoke Italian when he was at home, catching up with his friends. They tried to teach me words here and there, but my favorite phrase was “morire di fame” or “dying of hunger.” 😉 My Grandpa Pellegrini was obsessed with food, and I can say with absolute certainty that my love for cooking started with him.
For this recipe, I considered sharing a cream or cream cheese-based American-style Alfredo sauce, but my Italian roots (and my bank account!) told me to stick with tradition and make a fettuccine Alfredo the way it was originally intended with just a few simple ingredients: fettuccine (of course!), butter, and cheese (mmm Parmesan). I’ve also added some garlic to my recipe (because “aglio è la vita!” aka “garlic is life!”). The original recipe, created in the early 1900s by Alfredo di Lelio in Rome, combined these ingredients with starchy pasta water to create this iconic pasta dish (with no cream added!), just as I’ve replicated here.
Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo
Servings 8 servingsIngredients
- 1 lb fettuccine pasta* ($0.98)
- 1 stick salted butter ($0.99)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper ($0.17)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced ($0.08)
- ¾ cup pasta water ($0.00)
- 1 ¼ cup grated Parmesan, divided** ($1.35)
- ½ Tbsp fresh parsley, minced ($0.05)
Instructions
- Put salted water on to boil and boil fettuccine noodles for 10-12 minutes until al dente.
- Meanwhile, you can melt butter in a large sauté pan with salt, pepper, and finely minced garlic. Cook on medium low heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Once your pasta is cooked, strain it, but reserve at least 3/4 cup of the pasta water! This is an important step! I like to keep my cooked pasta off to the side in the now-empty boiling pot with a clean, damp kitchen towel over the top.
- Add ¼ cup pasta water to the garlic and butter mixture and whisk to combine. Let it bubble and thicken for 3-4 minutes
- Sprinkle in half the grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup at a time, while continuously whisking until a smooth sauce forms. Add extra pasta water, if needed (you should have ½ cup of reserved pasta water left to use.)
- Once your pan sauce is done, add the cooked fettuccine, the remaining grated Parmesan cheese, and the minced parsley. Toss to combine.
- Top with any remaining grated Parmesan cheese you may have (optional). Serve immediately.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make a Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo Step-by-Step Photos
Boil the pasta: Gather all of your ingredients. Now, boil a pan of salted water and add 1 lb. of fettuccine noodles. Cook them for 10-12 minutes until al dente (still with a little bite to them). While your pasta boils, you can start on the fettuccine Alfredo sauce.
Start the sauce: In a large sauté pan, melt 1 stick salted butter and add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper, and 2 cloves finely minced garlic. Cook over medium-low for 2-3 minutes until it becomes fragrant.
Reserve the pasta water: Strain your pasta once cooked, but reserve at least 3/4 cup of the pasta water! You need this to make the sauce later on. Don’t pour it all away. I like to return my cooked pasta back to the now empty boiling pot and cover it with a clean, damp kitchen towel while I finish the sauce.
Make the sauce: Pour ¼ cup pasta water into the garlic butter mix and whisk well to combine. Let it thicken and bubble for 3-4 minutes.
Now, add in half the grated Parmesan cheese, a ¼ cup at a time. Keep whisking after each addition until a smooth and creamy sauce forms. If needed, add in some more reserved pasta water (you should have ½ cup left) to help the sauce emulsify. You don’t need to use all the pasta water, only as needed.
Add the pasta: When your homemade alfredo sauce is done, add the cooked fettuccine to the sauce and toss to coat.
Now, add in the remaining half of your grated Parmesan cheese and ½ Tbsp minced parsley. Toss to evenly distribute the cheese and parsley throughout the pasta.
Serve: If you have any spare grated Parmesan cheese, you can sprinkle that over top before serving. Enjoy!
What Else Can I Add?
I don’t usually add anything to my homemade fettuccine Alfredo as I love the simplicity of the pasta in the buttery, garlicky sauce. But if you want to turn it into a more filling meal, here are a few tasty add-ins to try:
- Mix in steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, cooked frozen peas, fresh spinach (the heat from the sauce will make it wilt nicely), or any other veggies you love at the end
- Top the pasta with grilled chicken and turn this dish into a chicken Alfredo!
- Or, if you prefer seafood, you can’t go wrong with shrimp scampi
- Mix in chopped sun-dried tomatoes (in oil) or olives
- Sprinkle over some toasted pine nuts or walnuts for a little crunch
Recipe Tips for First Time Cooks!
If you’ve never made a traditional fettuccine Alfredo from scratch before—don’t worry! This recipe is super beginner-friendly, and I’ve got a few tips to help you nail it on your first try:
- Save your pasta water. This is THE most important tip I can give you! The starchy pasta water helps the sauce emulsify (come together) so the cheese and butter stay creamy and cling to the noodles. I like to reserve about ¾ cup, so I have plenty to work with.
- Cook the pasta until al dente. You want it tender but still slightly firm to the bite. It’ll finish softening as you toss it with the warm sauce. As a general rule of thumb, you want to cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes less than the time listed on the package to get it al dente. This worked out at 10-12 minutes for me.
- Work quickly but gently. This Alfredo sauce comes together pretty fast, so have everything ready to go before you start. Keep the heat over medium-low when combining the ingredients to prevent the cheese from clumping.
- Grate your own cheese. The pre-shredded stuff is super convenient, but for the creamiest sauce, freshly grated Parmesan is the way to go. Pre-shredded cheese is often coated with anti-caking agents that keep it from melting smoothly, which can lead to a clumpy or grainy sauce. Grating it yourself creates that gorgeous, silky texture we’re after!
- Whisk, whisk, whisk. When adding the cheese, I recommend using a whisk to incorporate it into the sauce. Keep whisking until all the cheese is melted and fully incorporated.
Storage & Reheating
This homemade fettuccine is definitely best when served fresh. However, I’m all about reducing food waste, so if you’ve got any leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce will soak into the pasta some, but it’ll still taste good! I’d also store any leftover reserved pasta water in the fridge and mix that in during reheating as needed. If you used up all your pasta water, regular water will also work to loosen up the sauce. Reheat gently in the microwave or over low heat, stirring often, until warmed through.
MORE ALFREDO SAUCE RECIPES
Our original Alfredo sauce recipe was published 2/27/23. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 4/2/25.
A great no-flour recipe, but I’d definitely recommend that you make it with either unsalted butter or omit the salt. It was a chore trying to counter how salty this was, and in the end, I had to thin it out, then thicken it again with flour (which than goodness nobody in my family is gluten sensitive). A keeper, with tweaks.
Delicious and so easy. I agree with the other review about it being a touch salty though, maybe my parmesan was on the saltier side too. I’d wait til the end to season next time
Fast, simple, delicious. :)!!
Incredible. This will quickly work its way into our regular rotation. I would cut the salt in half, though.
It’s too salty, and I used to find the recipes on this site (when it was still run only by Beth) rather undersalted for my taste. Your own recipe for chicken Alfredo uses 1/4 tsp of salt for the double batch.
Has anyone tried freezing this sauce?
We don’t suggest freezing this because it will probably separate, but it does keep super well in the fridge for about a week! ~ marion :)