Spaghetti Alfredo
This Spaghetti Alfredo recipe is the ultimate comfort food, featuring a rich Alfredo sauce made from just parmesan cheese, heavy cream, garlic, and butter.
Servings: 5
Calories: 563kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 10 ounces spaghetti noodles
- ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 1.2 ounces, plus more for serving
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt generously.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add garlic and sauté until fragrant and golden brown (about 3 minutes).
- Add heavy cream to the skillet, and cook over medium heat until sauce thickens and starts to bubble more slowly, about 10-12 minutes. The liquid should be reduced to a little over 1 cup.
- Season sauce by stirring in salt and white pepper.
- Meanwhile, add the spaghetti to the pot of boiling water. Cook spaghetti noodles to al dente, about 11 minutes. If the sauce and the spaghetti is done at the same time, just use tongs to add spaghetti to the skillet. If the spaghetti is done before the sauce is ready, drain it and reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water.
- Turn the heat under the sauce to low, and toss spaghetti with the sauce, sprinkling in the parmesan cheese a little at a time. Add a bit of pasta water if the sauce looks at all dry, and continue to toss until sauce, cheese, and noodles are well combined.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and extra parmesan cheese (if desired).
Notes
Storage Tips:
Spaghetti Alfredo is really best eaten right after it is cooked. The noodles will soak up more of the sauce the longer it sits, drying out the alfredo sauce. If you do have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Saving some starchy pasta water or cream to splash on it as you are reheating it will help bring the sauce back to life. Expert Tips:
Note that different brands of spaghetti have different cook times—use the cook time on your package for al dente. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat way up to reduce the sauce faster. The butter in the sauce can cause it to separate if it is heated too aggressively.
Spaghetti Alfredo is really best eaten right after it is cooked. The noodles will soak up more of the sauce the longer it sits, drying out the alfredo sauce. If you do have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Saving some starchy pasta water or cream to splash on it as you are reheating it will help bring the sauce back to life. Expert Tips:
Note that different brands of spaghetti have different cook times—use the cook time on your package for al dente. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat way up to reduce the sauce faster. The butter in the sauce can cause it to separate if it is heated too aggressively.
Nutrition
Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 490mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1455IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 1mg
