This One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo recipe is garlicky, creamy, and so easy to make! The simple flavors of garlic and Parmesan cheese go hand in hand. Combined with tender noodles and a touch of heavy cream, this simple pasta dish is a comfort food recipe the whole family will love.
Table of Contents
- Reasons This Fettuccine Alfredo Is Fantastic
- What Is Fettuccine Alfredo?
- What’s In Easy Fettucine Alfredo?
- How to Make One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo in Four Simple Steps
- Variations and Extra Mix-Ins
- Common Questions About One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
- More One-Pot Pasta Recipes
- One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe Recipe
Reasons This Fettuccine Alfredo Is Fantastic
- It’s faster than traditional recipes without using a store-bought sauce.
- From start to finish, it’s ready in less than 30 minutes.
- The prep work is quick, and cleanup is a breeze.
- It’s a satisfying vegetarian meal that can easily be spruced up with extra mix-ins.
- You can easily pair it with all your favorite sides and appetizers for a restaurant-worthy dinner.
What Is Fettuccine Alfredo?
Aaaamazing! In all seriousness, fettuccine alfredo is a pasta recipe made with thick fettuccine noodles tossed in a creamy white sauce made with butter, heavy cream, and plenty of Parmesan cheese. Some variations also include garlic, parsley, and other various herbs and spices.
The dish was originally created by Alfredo di Leilo in Rome, Italy in the early 1900s. However, it was brought to the United States by American travelers and quickly exploded in popularity.
It truly took hold in America in 1966 when the Dutch Noodle Company began to sell dried fettuccine noodles and included a fettuccine alfredo recipe on the box.
It wasn’t long before Olive Garden restaurants began to serve their own version of the recipe, incorporating protein options like chicken and shrimp. Thus, American fettuccine alfredo was born, and it remains a staple comfort food in restaurants and homes throughout the states today!
What’s In Easy Fettucine Alfredo?
For this one pot fettuccine alfredo recipe, we stuck pretty closely to the original version, including just a few flavor-boosting ingredients that will leave you practically licking the plate. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pasta – Use uncooked fettuccine pasta noodles for the base of the dish. If needed, you can swap them out for gluten-free varieties instead.
- Olive Oil – This is used to help caramelize the garlic, enhancing its flavor. Plus, it adds a boost of healthy fats.
- Garlic – For the best flavor, use fresh garlic and mince it yourself.
- Broth – This is used in place of water to cook the noodles, adding extra flavor. Chicken or vegetable broth both work great. Whichever you choose, make sure it’s a low-sodium variety so as not to overpower the rest of the ingredients.
- Heavy Cream – This forms the base of the alfredo sauce, creating the rich taste and silky texture we know and love.
- Parmesan Cheese – Use fresh Parmesan and grate it yourself. Trust us, you can definitely taste the difference!
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper – Use as little or as much as you’d like.
How to Make One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo in Four Simple Steps
If you didn’t already know, we’re obsessed with turning our favorite meals into ridiculously easy one-pot recipes. So, of course, we had to transform fettuccine alfredo into a one-pot wonder, too!
- Sauté. Heat the oil in a large pot, and sauté the garlic until it’s golden and fragrant. It cooks quickly. So, be careful not to let it burn!
- Boil. Add the broth, salt, pepper, and pasta. Increase the heat, bringing the liquid to a boil.
- Simmer. Stir the mixture together, ensuring the noodles are completely submerged in the broth. Cover the pot, and reduce the heat, letting the pasta simmer. To prevent clumping, stir the pasta a few times while it cooks. This is key to tender, individual noodles!
- Combine. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, stirring until they’re well combined. Then, garnish your one pot fettuccine alfredo with extra Parmesan and black pepper, and dig in while it’s warm!
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Variations and Extra Mix-Ins
We kept this one pot fettuccine alfredo recipe simple, letting the savory Parmesan flavor shine through. However, feel free to experiment with different ingredients and variations to fit your needs.
For instance, some of our favorite ways to switch it up include:
- Using Different Noodles. If you aren’t a fan of thick fettuccine noodles, replace them with thinner varieties like linguine,
spaghetti , or short pasta noodles like shells, elbows, or spirals. They all work wonderfully! - Mixing and Matching Cheese. Whether you’re making Parmesan pasta, mac and cheese, or fettuccine alfredo, you can never have too might cheese! Right? We love Parmigiano Reggiano for this recipe, but Asiago or Romano blends taste incredible, too. If you want to really treat yourself, you can even use a blend of all three. YUM!
- Creating a Dairy-Free Option. If needed, you can easily make this one pot fettuccine dairy-free by replacing the heavy cream with coconut cream and swapping out the Parmesan for your favorite dairy-free alternative.
- Including Protein. A distinctly American thing to do, we sometimes like to incorporate grilled chicken, chicken strips, or shrimp into this dish to transform it into a complete, filling meal.
- Adding Veggies. For extra nutrients and fiber, try including vegetables either while the pasta is boiling or after the dish is finished. Options like broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, and peas, all work great.
Common Questions About One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
Once fully cooled, leftover pasta can be transferred to an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
No, unfortunately, fettuccine alfredo cannot be frozen, because the dairy does not thaw well.
When you’re ready to eat, warm leftovers in the microwave for a few minutes until your desired temperature is reached. Or, place them back in a pot over medium heat on the stove. Add an extra splash of broth as needed to liven the sauce back up if it has become a bit too dry.
If you’re looking for the ultimate saucy comfort food, enjoy a big bowl of this pasta on its own! Or, serve it as a side with main courses like baked pesto chicken and baked feta salmon. Then, add include sides such as a light salad and cheesy focaccia. Top your meal off with Zeppole or tiramisú bread pudding, and you’ll feel like you’re at a fancy restaurant!
More One-Pot Pasta Recipes
If you enjoy this one pot fettuccine alfredo pasta, you won’t want to miss out on more easy one-pot pasta dishes like the ones listed below.
One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic grated
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt +more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper +more or less to taste
- 16 ounces uncooked fettuccine pasta
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated + more for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute or until the garlic fragrance.
- Add the broth, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the uncooked pasta, submerging it completely in the broth. Cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cook for 12-14 minutes or until the pasta is al dente, stirring a couple of times as it cooks to avoid clumps.
- Add the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Garnish with extra Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve warm!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Video
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Soo good and easy!! I added smoked paprika crushed red pepper and shrimp
I made using linguine because that’s what I had and wasn’t feeling the store. I followed all the instructions exactly but the pasta did not use up all the broth. It was still very tasty and I expect it will be even better tomorrow but is it supposed to use up most of the broth so it resembles closer to drained or is there supposed to be almost a cup of liquid left when you are adding the cream?
oh no! No, it should absorb the liquid. What kind/brand of pasta did you use?
What kind of pasta did you use for this video? The stuff in my local supermarket isn’t as wide as that!
We use a pappardelle pasta!
I had this exact same issue. I had a gut feeling to add less broth but I added the 5 cups anyway 🤦♀️
I used Barilla pasta and I have sooooo much liquid left after 14min cooking
OMG!!! I love everything about this one pot fettuccine alfredo!! My picky boys tore it up too! Thank you so much and your videos are amazing!!!
Delicious!
I made this for my son’s 16th birthday in December and it was great! He loved it and usually requests alfredo pasta with a side of homemade meatballs for his birthday. Also used the base of this recipe to make a mac & cheese on christmas day and it was the favorite side dish to texas style brisket. I am goin to make it again tonight!!
DELICIOUS & EASY!
Need I say more?.. but I have to because it was that good! I made this tonight with the bruschetta chicken recipe from the fooddolls also and both were SOO good! Don’t walk, RUN to the store to get the ingredients. Highly recommend!
Amazing! We are SO glad you liked it!!