Thickening Alfredo Sauce: Easy Guide to Creamy Goodness

Alfredo sauce is a sauce served over hot fettuccine or other pasta.

The original Alfredo was created in 1923 at the famous restaurant Alfredo di Roma in Rome, Italy.

It is a delicate and rich recipe that has been copied repeatedly but never duplicated – although the name – and its quality can vary greatly from one restaurant to another.

It is commonly served as a substitute for cheese, with which it is also used on pizzas.

Many times Alfredo sauce can have lots of variations depending on the region in Italy.

We would normally use butter for thickening Alfredo sauce, which gives it extra creaminess and richness, but using flour may give you the best results.

In this article, we will cover the various ways to thicken alfredo sauce.

So let’s get started.

Common Mistakes When Making Alfredo Sauce

Making alfredo sauce is not complicated.

In fact, it’s very easy to make, but there are a few mistakes that people usually do when they try to make this wonderful sauce.

1- Not enough butter

One of the common mistakes when making Alfredo Sauce is adding too little butter in the beginning.

So, add more butter than you think to get a great sauce.

2- Adding butter at the end

Another common mistake that people usually do is adding butter at the end of the alfredo sauce.

So, make sure to stir your sauce well and mix it thoroughly before adding butter if you really want to enjoy its texture.

3- Using milk instead of heavy cream

One more thing that people do wrong when making Alfredo sauce is substituting heavy cream with milk.

The fresh and velvety taste of alfredo sauce will not be achieved if you use milk in place of heavy cream.

So, to make a great Alfredo sauce that is rich and creamy, remember to add lots of butter for a better texture.

Why Consider Thickening Alfredo Sauce?

The main reason why many people want to thicken alfredo sauce is to use it as a substitute for cheese.

Not only is it delicious, but you can easily add vegetables and other flavors to thicken the sauce and get the best results possible.

Another reason why people consider thickening alfredo sauce is because they want more creaminess without adding butter or milk.

You can make your alfredo sauce thick by using different ingredients or just a few.

Some of these thickeners are flour, corn starch, potato, and cream cheese.

The most common thickener is flour, while the others are less common.

It doesn’t matter what you use to add thickness to Alfredo sauce; all that really matters is the quality and taste of your sauce.

So, if you really want to thicken alfredo sauce and get the best results possible, below are the main ingredients commonly used to thicken alfredo sauce.

How to Thicken Alfredo Sauce?

The main ingredients usually used to thicken Alfredo sauce include flour, corn starch, potato, cream cheese, and heavy cream.

Since there are many ways to thicken Alfredo sauce, we have provided detailed information on each one of them below:

1 – Add Flour

To thicken alfredo sauce with flour or all-purpose flour, you must mix it into butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat until it starts to bubble.

You can also use whole wheat flour if you want to add some extra flavor to your sauce.

Add salt and pepper for taste. Keep stirring the alfredo sauce until it becomes thick enough, then remove from heat.

Add cream cheese or sour cream and stir again gently.

Let it cool completely before serving.

2 – Add Corn Starch

Corn starch thickens alfredo sauce completely.

Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into the sauce mixture in a pot over medium heat.

Mix constantly until it thickens and becomes lump-less, then remove from heat immediately.

Add cream cheese or sour cream and stir again gently. Let it cool completely before serving.

3 – Add Potato

If you want to get extra creaminess, it’s best to use potato when thickening alfredo sauce.

Peel and cut 2 potatoes into small cubes and boil them until they are soft.

Then mix it with butter or olive oil in a pot over medium heat until it becomes like a paste.

Add salt and pepper for taste. Mix with cream cheese or sour cream and stir until the texture becomes creamy.

Let it cool completely before serving.

4 – Add Cream Cheese

Cream cheese can be added to Alfredo sauce to thicken it well, but make sure not to add too much, or else it will overpower your alfredo sauce.

Add 2 tablespoons of cream cheese into the sauce mix and constantly stir over medium heat.

Make sure to stir gently until it becomes smooth and creamy, then remove from heat immediately.

Add salt for taste and serve warm or cold with pasta.

You can also use sour cream as a substitute if you want a milder flavor.

5 – Add Heavy Cream

Heavy cream is the best thickener for Alfredo sauce.

Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream into your alfredo sauce mixture and mix gently over medium heat until it becomes smooth and creamy.

Now, add salt and pepper for taste.

Add cream cheese or sour cream and stir gently until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Let cool completely before serving warm or cold with pasta.

You can also use evaporated milk as a substitute if you want a milder flavor.

Conclusion

The information provided above should be enough to help you thicken alfredo sauce and get the best results possible.

If your sauce turns out too thick or too thin, you can adjust to get it just right.

To thicken alfredo sauce with these ingredients is quite easy and quick.

Just remember that the quality of your finished product depends on how thick your sauce is.

So, make sure to follow each detailed step and use the ingredients according to the best results.

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