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Thick, smooth and indulgently cheesy, this sauce is an easy, clean-eating, gluten-free delight that is just waiting to be paired with any whole grain pasta or protein of your choosing or to be used as a dip or even as the base for creamed spinach!
💕 You’re going to love this recipe because:
- It is clean eating, gluten-free, keto and lacto-vegetarian friendly.
- It takes 15 minutes to throw together.
- It tastes amazing and is arguably better than the jarred stuff (plus it’s healthier for you!)
- You can adjust your seasoning and thickness to suit your personal preference.
- It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or can be frozen for later use.
- It requires only 8 staple kitchen ingredients so this is one recipe you can make tonight!
To make your Alfredo Sauce you’ll need the following:
- Whole Milk: This is the bulk of our liquid and I recommend using full fat (whole) milk for the best results. Typically heavy cream is used but this is technically a “lighter” version.
- Broth or Stock: You can use either a vegetable or chicken stock or broth or even a bone broth.
- Starch: You can use any starch from potato to arrrowroot to cornstarch.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted the choice is yours.
- Cheese: You can use any hard salted cheese such as Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano or even an Asiago.
- Salt: I’m using a pink Himalayan salt but you can also use sea salt.
- Pepper: Use pre or fresh ground black pepper.
- Garlic: Opt to use fresh garlic cloves instead of dried or powder.
You can also use any other herbs or seasonings you enjoy such as oregano, thyme, rosemary or Italian herbs.
Here’s how easy this sauce is to make:
Begin by dividing your stock into half and adding the starch to it.
Mix to evenly combine the stock and starch into a slurry.
Next, set a saucepan on medium heat and melt your butter with the garlic in a saucepan until fragrant. Don’t let your garlic or butter brown. Add in your milk and the other half of your stock/broth and bring it to a simmer.
Once simmering, add in your stock/starch slurry and whisk constantly for a couple minutes, allowing the mixture to simmer and thicken. It should be smooth not lumpy. If it is lumpy you can use an immersion blender to get it to be smooth.
Lower the heat and add in your cheese 1/3 cup at at time, whisking as you allow each batch to fully melt and incorporate.
Season your sauce to taste with salt, pepper.
Your sauce should be thick and silky smooth. As it cools it will thicken even further.
Finally, season your sauce with any other herb or flavor you enjoy. I like using a touch of dried oregano and fine thyme. And, if I have some on hand, adding in some Roasted Garlic is a wonderful way to really amp up the flavor of this sauce!
That’s it for another post! Short and simple, this sauce is rich, creamy and perfectly hits the savory-craving spot. Talk about comfort food heaven!
How do you like to use your Alfredo sauce? What do you pair it with? Personally I love pairing my sauce with some spinach, roasted chicken or shrimp, and some whole grain pasta or some of my homemade gnocchi. Another great use is as a base for a flatbread appetizer. Topped with cheese and a bit of roasted garlic, it’s guaranteed to be a hit!
Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- ½ cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 1½ tbsp potato starch (or arrowroot or cornstarch)
- ½ tsp Himalayan salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano (fresh grated)
Optional seasonings: dried oregano, fine thyme, fresh parsley, Italian herbs, Roasted Garlic.
Instructions
- In medium-sized pot, melt the butter and add the minced garlic. Fry until fragrant. (don't let the butter brown or burn).
- Add the milk along with 1/4 cup of broth and bring to a simmer.
- Mix the potato starch into the remaining 1/4 cup of broth to make a slurry and add the slurry to the simmering sauce and whisk constantly until the sauce is smooth and thickens.
- Lower the heat and add in the cheese ⅓ cup at a time and continue to whisk until fully melted.* See notes
- Season your sauce to taste with salt and pepper and add in any additional seasonings of your preference (example fresh parsley, thyme, dried oregano etc.)
- Use and serve immediately for the best results. To store any leftovers, bring your sauce to room temperature before pouring and storing in an airtight jar or container for up to 5 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer.
Notes
- For a silky smooth sauce you can use an immersion blender once the cheese has melted.
- If your sauce is thickening too much or is drying out, add more milk or stock to it.
- If freezing there is chance of your sauce separating upon defrosting, if that happens simply reheat it in a saucepan and whisk it or use an immersion blender until it comes together once more.
