Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe For Two – Ready In Only 30 Minutes!

When you are looking for an easy to make, comfort food recipe for two, this classic Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is the answer. A simple, homemade creamy sauce tossed with tender fettuccine pasta for a delicious and filling Italian meal.

Although you could easily grab of jar of store-bought Alfredo sauce from the grocery store, it is easy to make your own. Not to mention, the jars that you purchase at the grocery are designed to feed an entire family.

Instead, by combining just a few basic ingredients you can make the perfect amount of sauce for two. Then toss it with the pasta and you have a delicious comfort food meal ready to eat in minutes!

Homemade Alfredo Sauce Ingredients

To make your Fettuccine Alfredo sauce you will need only 5 ingredients. That is of course not counting salt and pepper.

By combining these few simple ingredients you will have a rich and delicious sauce that you can’t get in a jar. 

1. Butter – Not only does butter add a nice bold flavor to the sauce, it also helps the sauce become creamy.

2. Garlic – Although garlic may not be found in every Alfredo sauce recipe, the addition of garlic enhances the complexity of the flavor. However, if you are out of garlic or simply don’t like the taste of garlic you can definitely leave it out.

3. Heavy Whipping Cream – This is the secret ingredient to get a super thick and creamy sauce. If you don’t have whipping cream you could use half and half or whole milk, but the sauce will be thinner.

4. Parmesan Cheese – No Fettuccine Alfredo would be complete without Parmesan cheese. However don’t reach for that shaker that is in your refrigerator. Instead purchase a wedge of Parmesan cheese and grate it yourself. Yes, it is a little costly, but the cheese will last for months in your refrigerator.

5. Mozzarella Cheese – As an added bonus, Mozzarella cheese is added to the sauce as well. The cheese will melt down perfectly, giving you a creamy and cheesy sauce that is full of flavor.

Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta 

Fettuccine pasta is the ideal pasta for serving with the homemade Alfredo sauce. Meaning ‘little ribbon’ in Italian, its flat shape has a broad surface area that allows it to hold the perfect amount of the creamy sauce.

This ratio of pasta to sauce is important because these are the only two ingredients in this dish. However, you can also make the Alfredo sauce and serve it with other types of pasta. However, obviously it should no longer be called Fettuccine Alfredo. Maybe Pasta Alfredo instead?

Other Pasta Options To Serve With Alfredo Sauce

Linguine

Linguine is similar to fettuccine because of its flat shape. However this pasta is a bit more narrow than fettuccine but the flat surface area will still hold the thick, creamy sauce nicely.

Penne

Penne pasta is a tubular pasta with ridges on the outside. Because of those ridges and the opening on both ends of the pasta it is also an excellent choice for holding the sauce. 

Rigatoni

Rigatoni is a larger, hollow shaped pasta that also has ridges. The larger opening traps the sauce inside and the ridges holds the sauce on the outside, making for a good balance of pasta to sauce ratio.

Farfalle

This pasta has a unique bowtie shape that holds the sauce well. The pasta is bite size and is easy to eat without the need to cut or swirl.

Orecchiette

Orecchiette pasta is smaller in size but it has a concave shell-like shape that captures the sauce both inside and out.

Protein Option

Adding protein to Fettuccine Alfredo is a common option in restaurants. And you can certainly add your choice of protein to your homemade recipe as well.

Here are some common types of protein that pairs well with the pasta and Alfredo sauce:

• Chicken
• Shrimp
• Scallops
• Bacon
• Prosciutto
• Ham

Option To Add Vegetables

For added nutritional element, throw some vegetables in the mix. Using fresh or frozen veggies will also add color, texture and flavor to this classic dish. Below are some great options to choose from.

• Mushrooms
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Frozen Peas
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Asparagus 
• Zucchini

And for unique twist on homemade Alfredo sauce, try this Pumpkin Alfredo recipe: Tortellini Pumpkin Alfredo.

Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces fettuccine noodles
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons butter, salted
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Optional Garnish

• fresh chopped parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Cook The Pasta:

1. Cook the fettuccine as per the package instructions for al’dente consistency and then drain.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce:

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Then, once melted add the minced garlic and cook and stir constantly until the garlic is fragrant about 30-60 seconds.

Then add in the heavy whipping cream and black pepper. Increase the heat to medium-low and stir frequently until the mixture begins to bubble. However you don’t want the cream to boil or it may curdle. Once it begins to bubble, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until it starts to thicken.

Last, stir in the Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the Alfredo sauce has thickened (approximately 5-10 minutes).

Serving Suggestions

Overall, fettuccine Alfredo is best served immediately. However if you do have leftovers you can store them for up to 2 days, although the texture will be slightly thicker and not quite as smooth.

To store leftover Fettuccine Alfredo, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. When reheating, place the desired portion in a microwave-safe dish. To preserve the creamy texture, drizzle a small amount of water or milk in with the sauce before reheating.

Heat the dish in the microwave in short intervals, stirring occasionally to distribute the heat evenly. Alternatively, you can reheat the pasta on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of water or milk as needed.

Enjoy! Mary

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