Alfredo Sauce Recipe

I remember when I was a kid and about the fanciest sauce I’d ever had on pasta was Kraft macaroni and cheese powder mixed with butter and milk. Butter if I was lucky. My mom probably used margarine most of the time. The first time I had alfredo sauce I was in my teens and I couldn’t believe the luxurious feel of it in my mouth. Talk about food porn!

Alfredo sauce really isn’t all that difficult to make, though. This recipe takes about 15 minutes and makes enough to cover a giant box of bowtie pasta.

• 1/2 cup butter (generally that’s a whole stick, 1/4 pound or 8 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2-3 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Use a saucepan to melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and saute until golden brown, being careful not to burn. If your burner thinks medium is medium high then turn it down a tad. You want gentle heat for this recipe.
3. Add the cream cheese and whisk until it’s melted. This stage doesn’t look very appetizing, by the way.
4. Add the cream slowly, whisking as you go. Keep whisking until it comes to a gentle simmer. You don’t want to boil this or the cream gets all separated and weird looking.
5. Once it’s simmering, keep coming back to whisk often. Lower the heat if it’s bubbling too much. Keep simmering for about 15 minutes or until the sauce is as thick as you’d like it.
6. Add parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.
7. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to your liking.
8. Pour over hot, drained noodles or serve in a dish for dipping breadsticks, etc.

Note: If you’re using a nonstick pan, use a plastic or silicone covered whisk so you don’t ruin your pan. This recipe takes a lot of whisking.