Brown Butter Alfredo Sauce
I love an alfredo sauce! I wish it was as healthy as a salad; I’d be eating it every day! When I used to work at Olive Garden, it was like the ultimate guilty pleasure for me! This Brown Butter Alfredo Sauce was pretty unique! It was garlicky, that brown butter flavor, the hint of lemon and crushed red pepper in there – it was a total flavor bomb! This sauce was so easy to whip up, and it goes with so many things! Breadsticks, pasta, pizza – I mean you can do so much with a good sauce, especially alfredo! Just a few ingredients are needed, and it takes like no time to make this, all in just one pot! It felt so springy, and we all loved it.
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Where did alfredo sauce come from anyway?
Alfredo sauce was created all the way back in 1907 by a man named Alfredo di Lelio in Italy. The alfredo that he created, was not like the alfredo that we know today though! His version was made from butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano which was melted and served over fettuccine. He came up with this dish when his pregnant wife was struggling to eat, and this happened to be one of the very few things she LOVED! I mean, it makes sense…who doesn’t love alfredo! It’s delicious!
Once Americans got their hands on this concept, heavy cream was added, sometimes swapped out for half and half, even cream cheese! This sauce is still a huge hit today, all over the world!
Did you know?
Brown butter becomes “brown butter” due to the milk solids in the butter turning brown through the “Maillard reaction,” which is the same way a steak and coffee beans would brown! This is what gives off that nutty and toffee-like aroma!
Browning butter is a French technique, and the French name “beurre noisette” literally means “hazelnut butter.” In English, we just call it “brown butter!” Pretty neat stuff, right?!
What ingredients do I need to make this?
For the brown butter alfredo sauce:
Garlic
Lemon
Heavy Cream
Butter
Parmesan
Salt
Freshly Cracked Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper
For serving:
Parsley
What equipment do I need?
How do I make it?
To prep the ingredients:
First let’s zest and juice the lemon, shred the cheese, mince the garlic, and get all of the other ingredients out.
To make the brown butter alfredo sauce:
In a large skillet on medium heat, melt butter. Once melted, turn the heat to medium low and allow that butter to brown, until it smells nutty and appears speckled. Next, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Slowly pour in the cream, whisking to incorporate.
Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes, until slightly thickened. Then, slowly add the parmesan cheese, while whisking continuously. Keep adding more as it melts and whisking, until it’s all used up.
Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper.
To serve:
Garnish brown butter alfredo sauce with fresh parsley if desired and serve with fresh buttery bread, cooked pasta, make a pizza with it, or drizzle it over literally anything! Enjoy!
Tips:
- Stirring in the lemon juice and zest after removing from heat stops the sauce from “breaking.” Heat + acid can cause dairy based sauces to curdle and separate!
- If you don’t like a little spice, skip the crushed red pepper! It wasn’t too spicy, and still family friendly though!
- This sauce makes enough for about 8 oz of cooked fettuccine and some breadsticks!
- Try pairing this with my oven baked chicken breast recipe!
- This will keep for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator!
Big alfredo lover too? Check these out!
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Brown Butter Alfredo Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
For the brown butter alfredo sauce:
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- ¾ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly shredded
- 3 tbsp Butter
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper
- Freshly Cracked Pepper
- Juice and Zest from Half a Lemon
For serving:
- Parsley minced
Instructions
To make the brown butter alfredo sauce:
- In a large skillet on medium heat, melt butter.
- Once melted, turn heat to medium low and allow that butter to brown, until it smells nutty and appears speckled, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, one minute.
- Next, slowly pour in the cream, whisking to incorporate.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Slowly add the parmesan cheese, while whisking continuously. Adding more as it melts and whisking until it's all used up.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper.
To serve:
- Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve with fresh buttery bread, cooked pasta, make a pizza with it, or drizzle it over literally anything! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
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