How To Make Alfredo Sauce With Just 3 Ingredients

Two pasta sauces worth having in your arsenal are a tomato basil sauce and a cream sauce. Alfredo is one of the easiest dairy-based pasta sauces to nail, and there's a large skill threshold you can develop from a basic recipe. Don't fret over pulling out the whole kitchen fridge for this one — all you need are three common household ingredients.

There are two main versions of Alfredo sauce, and they each require Parmesan cheese, butter, and a liquid. The original recipe, developed by Alfredo di Lelio, used pasta water while the Americanized version uses heavy cream (it's the secret to Olive Garden's Alfredo sauce). Each of the three ingredients plays an important role in maintaining the sauce's flavor and consistency. Parmesan cheese is the most non-negotiable aspect. You can use the canned stuff in a pinch, but a fresh block has a stronger, sharper flavor. It only takes a couple of extra minutes to use the cheese grater, and it's worth it because parmesan has a naturally salty taste. By using a quality cheese, you don't have to add extra salt later. Parmesan is what prevents Alfredo sauce from becoming too soupy.

Butter has a delicious but subtle flavor, which is why there's almost as much of it as there is cheese in Alfredo. It helps emulsify the sauce and prevents it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Butter is the first ingredient to go in, and any other ingredients you'd like to add to the sauce, such as garlic, can simmer in it. When it's fully melted, add the heavy cream or pasta water.

For those looking to make a more "authentic" Alfredo or keep lactose to a minimum, pasta water is the way to go. You need just enough to coat the noodles to make it work. Instead of pouring the boiled pasta into a strainer, grab it with tongs and toss it into the pan with the melted butter and cheese, adding spoonfuls of water as needed. It's very important to use pasta water specifically — pasta releases starch when boiled in salted water, and this salty, starchy goodness helps bind the sauce to the pasta. If you're using heavy cream or half-and-half for a rich Alfredo, stir it in and bring it to a simmer so it's hot enough to melt the Parmesan. When everything is stirred together without lumps, toss in your pasta for the ultimate creamy Alfredo sauce.