The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
This Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo recipe takes just 30 minutes to make and is incredibly delicious.
It serves six and costs about $5.96 to make. That’s just $0.99 per serving!
We recommend our Panera Mac and Cheese, Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken, and Taco Bell Crunchwarap Supreme for more delicious copycat recipes.
This Fettuccine Alfredo is literally “lick the bowl good”! My 5-year-old, after licking her bowl clean, told me it was “1000% good!” That is a serious testimonial on the tastiness of this Fettuccine Alfredo recipe.
Are you one who is hesitant to try a copycat recipe? Don’t worry, this is normal! I think a lot of us feel that way. We are nervous because we know how delicious it is at the restaurant, and we don’t want to mess it up. And let’s be honest, we all love eating at The Olive Garden.
We sure do, but who wants to spend all that money on eating out? A copycat recipe is a perfect solution, especially when you can make this recipe for a family of 6 for less than you’d spend on one order of fettuccine alfredo at Olive Garden!
Well, we are here to help you overcome your fears. This Fettuccine Alfredo is easy to make and comes together in just 30 minutes. It’s super creamy and tastes better when you can eat it in your own home and not wait for who knows how long to be seated at a table and wait for your food.
Keep reading, and we will walk you through the steps to create this Homemade Copycat Fettuccine Alfredo!
Ingredients & Estimated Cost:
- 16-ounce package fettuccine – $1.36
- 5 Tablespoons salted butter – $0.50
- 2 large garlic cloves – $0.10
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream – $1.74
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper – $0.02
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese – $1.38
- 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese – $0.86
To learn more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
Instructions
- First, cook the fettuccine.
- Next, make the Alfredo sauce by melting the butter and then adding the garlic to cook for a minute.
- Then add in whipping cream and pepper and bring to a bubble.
- Add in cheeses and stir until sauce thickens.
- Finally, spoon the sauce over the drained fettuccine and serve.
***For complete recipe instructions and a recipe video, see the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Add chicken to make this a classic dish. You can use grilled chicken, baked chicken, or shredded chicken.
- We recently made the alfredo sauce, boiled a pound of fun-shaped pasta, and threw in 2 cups of chopped leftover ham and a 12-ounce package of steamed peas for a completely different dish! Our entire family gobbled it up! See the picture of the dish below.
Storage and Serving Tips
Serve: As with most recipes with dairy products, you shouldn’t leave this Fettuccine Alfredo out for longer than 2 hours.
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If possible, store the alfredo sauce and the pasta separately. The sauce needs to reheat at a low, slow temperature, so it doesn’t break or become grainy.
Freeze: Because of all the dairy in the sauce, it will not freeze well.
Cook’s Tools:
- large colander
- large pot
- liquid measuring cup
- large saucepan
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- wooden spoon
Recipe FAQs
If you are short on time, you can use store-bought Alfredo sauce. However, we like to add a few things to make it taste even better! Adding a few simple ingredients to the jar will help it taste a little more fresh and homemade. Try adding two teaspoons of minced garlic, a pinch of dried basil, and a dash of salt and pepper.
You can also make our Tomato Chicken Alfredo with store-bought alfredo sauce.
Any green veggies, such as our Fresh Green Beans Almondine, go great with Fettuccine Alfredo. Then, serve a Caesar Salad, steamed broccoli, or asparagus to complete the meal. You can also serve our Easy Garlic Bread to dip in the yummy sauce!
We would not classify this dish as one of our healthy dishes. Maybe that is why it is so extra delicious tasting?! Fettuccine Alfredo does give you healthy carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and minerals. However, it does also contain saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Jess likes to eat this to carb up the night before a long run the next day! Beth and Jill like to eat it in moderation while enjoying the savory taste!
Get Kids Involved
- Ages 2-3: Let them help measure you measure the shredded cheese. They can also help you gather the pot, sauce, pan, and whisk needed to make the recipe.
- Ages 4-5: Have your kiddo break up the noodles to put them into the pot of water. Put oven mitts on their hands, so no boiling water splashes on them. They can also help stir the sauce.
- Ages 6-8: Let them cook and stir the fettuccine noodles and help make the sauce.
- Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
- Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Discover why we love getting the kids involved in the kitchen and more tips in our How to Get Kids Involved In Cooking article.
Budget Tips
You will spend at least twice as much on this dish if you order it at The Olive Garden versus making the meal at home for your whole family. So save some money on your monthly food bill and make this Fettuccine Alfredo at home.
More $10 recipes
- BBQ Chicken Braid
- Easy Chana Masala
- Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes
- Homemade Sloppy Joes
- Inside Out Chicken Pot Pie
- Italian Zucchini Boats
- Jenna’s Chicken Pillows
- Large Batch Freezer Meatballs
- Chicken Parmesan Subs
- Buffalo Chicken French Bread Pizza
Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
Equipment
- large colander
- large pot
- large saucepan
- Liquid measuring cup
- measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 16 ounce package fettuccine
- 5 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon ground black or white pepper
- ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
COOK FETTUCCINE:
- Cook the fettuccine as per the package instructions and drain.
MAKE ALFREDO SAUCE:
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add garlic and cook and stir constantly until the garlic is fragrant about 30-60 seconds.
- Add in whipping cream and pepper and bring the mixture to a bubble (NOT a boil). Once bubbling, reduce the heat to simmer and simmer while stirring often until the mixture has thickened. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Add in the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese and continue to cook and stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened. This will take about 5-10 minutes.
TO FINISH:
- Spoon the alfredo sauce over the drained fettuccine and serve.
Barrie says
THANK YOU! This is my favorite fettucini alfredo! I can’t wait to make this!
Jess Jankowski says
No THANK YOU!
Shana Lenoir says
My absolute favorite!
Jess Jankowski says
Me too!
Hannah Chase says
Fettucine alfredo is so delicious. It’s one of my favorite pasta dishes.
Jess Jankowski says
It is so easy and cost effective too!
Brandon Sparks says
This I have to make for my family.. They will love this.. Thanks so much..
Jess Jankowski says
Please do and be sure to let us know how it goes!
laurie damrose says
Tastes just like it.
Jess Jankowski says
Thank you so much!
Ashley F says
One of my favorite sauces! Love that I can make it at home and that it is inexpensive!
Jess Jankowski says
Cost effective and delicious for the win!
Liz says
Oh, my gosh, this is an awesome recipe!! I’ve never tried making alfredo sauce at home, but it’s so easy and was a home run!
Jess Jankowski says
That’s amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Dana Rodriguez says
This is a great idea and looks so good! Thanks for the recipe!
Jess Jankowski says
Enjoy!
Debbie Welchert says
This recipe looks and sounds delicious. I love that it doesn’t have a lot of ingredients in it and I can’t wait to give it a try.
Jess Jankowski says
It is super easy to make. My kids devour it every time!
Katie Bellamy says
Yummy! I could totally do this!!
Jess Jankowski says
Katie, YES you can!
Mimi says
I’ve actually never tried Fettucine Alfredo because they are not something we make in Italy but I’ll definitely give it a go
Jess Jankowski says
Definitely try it. You will not regret it!
Lecy | A Simpler Grace says
I love trying new copycat recipes! Italian food is my favorite.
Jess Jankowski says
We have that in common!
Kim Byars Croisant says
Nice recipe. THis will be great at my next dinner party.
Jess Jankowski says
Yes it will be a hit! We just served it at a family party and there was none left!
Amanda says
I’m typically not one to like Olive Garden but this pasta dish looks very tasty.
Jess Jankowski says
It is one of my favorites!
Marta says
I’ve always loved how easy it is to make alfredo. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Jess Jankowski says
It is so easy and delicious!
Nadalie Bardo says
I love how quick and easy this recipe is! Make it at home too, in just 30 minutes. Perfect week night meal when you can’t eat out just yet.
Jess Jankowski says
It is perfect for week night meals. Enjoy!
Millie says
This is my go-to disk when we go to the Olive Garden. Since we won’t be going to restaurants for quite some time (due to COVID-19)having a copy cat recipe is perfect! Thanks!
Jess Jankowski says
It’s perfect for right now!
Mae says
Yummy! Thank you for this recipe and I would definitely make this with my toddler!
Jess Jankowski says
You will both love it!
Josephine Bokuniewicz says
This looks absolutely delicious!!!
Jess Jankowski says
It really is yummy!
Taresa Lambert says
Perfect to the taste and Affordable, This is a definitely keeper, Thank you for sharing , , Love it
Jess Jankowski says
So happy you loved it. Thank you for your review and feedback!
Karen M says
Made it for supper tonight. It was delicious & easy. I did use 24 oz. of fettuccine noodles, but there was plenty of sauce for that much pasta. Hubby enjoyed it. Bonus is there are leftovers.
Jess Jankowski says
Karen we are thrilled you loved it. Leftovers the next day are the best!
Tavo says
You guys nailed it! It definitely tasted like the Olive garden fettuccine! thanks for the recipe!
Anita says
It was the first time for me preparing alfredo sauce from scratch. Turned out really well and delicious. I’m going to make my own sauce from now on. 🙂
Roxana says
Wow a nice and simple recipe at such an affordable cost. Love how thorough the post it. Saves time with all these tips.
rebecca says
Yum! I love how easy this recipe is and how I usually have all the ingredients on hand, so I can make it whenever.
Victoria says
Can I make this a few hours ahead of time and leave it on warm in a crock pot?
Jess Jankowski says
Hi, we haven’t tested in a crockpot but our first thought is that it will separate if not stirred constantly.