How to Make Alfredo Sauce
Melt butter on the stove., Stir in the cream and Parmesan cheese., Heat until simmering., Add salt and pepper to taste., Optionally, use the pasta water to thin the sauce., Serve!
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Melt butter on the stove.
Use a standard saucepan over medium-low heat.
Your goal with this sauce should be to gently bring it to a warm temperature and a smooth consistency.
Low, slow cooking is best.
This can take patience. -
Step 2: Stir in the cream and Parmesan cheese.
Gently stir the mixture as you add the ingredients to keep them from burning or sticking.
Continue stirring to combine.
If you can, use fresh-grated Parmesan.
The taste difference is noticeable compared to using pre-grated cheese.
Fresh cheese also tends to be less vulnerable to "seizing." See below for an explanation. , Wait until the sauce reaches a gentle boil.
Just a few small bubbles will be forming.
At this point, start gently stirring until it becomes noticeably thicker.
This is usually about eight minutes.Resist the temptation to crank up the heat.
Turn it down if you notice your sauce boiling rapidly.
Not only can this burn your ingredients and produce an unpleasant bitter taste — it can also make your cheese "seize".
When cheese is heated too quickly, the proteins in the cheese coil up rather than separating gently.
This separates the fat and moisture from the cheese, leaving an unpleasantly hard product that refuses to melt., The sauce is ready to season when it's at a pleasantly thick consistency.
You can add whatever seasonings you want, but plain old salt and pepper work great on their own.
Stir to mix evenly after adding.
A few shakes or pinches of each seasoning should do the trick.
If you're worried about adding too much, try adding just a single pinch, stirring, and tasting the sauce.
Repeat until you're satisfied! , If you saved the water from the pasta pot, you can use it to thin out a sauce that is too thick and rich.
The water retains some of the flavor of the pasta, giving the sauce a nice "bready" flavor while thinning it.
If you accidentally add too much water, just simmer it a little longer to thicken it again. , When the sauce tastes just how you like it, it's ready to serve.
Spoon steaming portions over your favorite pasta.
The recipe in this section should serve about six.
Alternatively, try using it to lend creamy flavor to your favorite meat and vegetable dishes, including chicken, shrimp, broccoli, and much more.
This sauce's mild flavor is highly versatile, so you can use it for almost any entrée. -
Step 3: Heat until simmering.
-
Step 4: Add salt and pepper to taste.
-
Step 5: Optionally
-
Step 6: use the pasta water to thin the sauce.
-
Step 7: Serve!
Detailed Guide
Use a standard saucepan over medium-low heat.
Your goal with this sauce should be to gently bring it to a warm temperature and a smooth consistency.
Low, slow cooking is best.
This can take patience.
Gently stir the mixture as you add the ingredients to keep them from burning or sticking.
Continue stirring to combine.
If you can, use fresh-grated Parmesan.
The taste difference is noticeable compared to using pre-grated cheese.
Fresh cheese also tends to be less vulnerable to "seizing." See below for an explanation. , Wait until the sauce reaches a gentle boil.
Just a few small bubbles will be forming.
At this point, start gently stirring until it becomes noticeably thicker.
This is usually about eight minutes.Resist the temptation to crank up the heat.
Turn it down if you notice your sauce boiling rapidly.
Not only can this burn your ingredients and produce an unpleasant bitter taste — it can also make your cheese "seize".
When cheese is heated too quickly, the proteins in the cheese coil up rather than separating gently.
This separates the fat and moisture from the cheese, leaving an unpleasantly hard product that refuses to melt., The sauce is ready to season when it's at a pleasantly thick consistency.
You can add whatever seasonings you want, but plain old salt and pepper work great on their own.
Stir to mix evenly after adding.
A few shakes or pinches of each seasoning should do the trick.
If you're worried about adding too much, try adding just a single pinch, stirring, and tasting the sauce.
Repeat until you're satisfied! , If you saved the water from the pasta pot, you can use it to thin out a sauce that is too thick and rich.
The water retains some of the flavor of the pasta, giving the sauce a nice "bready" flavor while thinning it.
If you accidentally add too much water, just simmer it a little longer to thicken it again. , When the sauce tastes just how you like it, it's ready to serve.
Spoon steaming portions over your favorite pasta.
The recipe in this section should serve about six.
Alternatively, try using it to lend creamy flavor to your favorite meat and vegetable dishes, including chicken, shrimp, broccoli, and much more.
This sauce's mild flavor is highly versatile, so you can use it for almost any entrée.
About the Author
Teresa Jackson
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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