This easy pasta alfredo recipe comes together in less time than it takes to boil your pasta. Three simple ingredients of butter, parmesan cheese and pasta water, married into a glossy delectable sauce that is true heaven. No heavy cream here, this is the traditional way to make it and you'll never look back. It still has an addictive creamy texture and you won't BELIEVE how easy it is.
Hi! I have a pretty fool proof method of melting parmesan cheese into a butter sauce with no clumps or stringy mess. So it seems crazy I didn't have the mother of all butter and cheese sauces, Pasta Alfredo on my site. An authentic fettuccine alfredo is made with just butter and parmesan, it doesn't need cream.
This sort of pasta recipe is what I constantly crave and is a very versatile base to add to. Keep it simple by adding some black pepper or lemon zest or add in some cooked chicken or vegetables.
I have a very similar recipe that uses a brown sage butter as a base, it is in the notes section of my 10 Minute Brown Butter For Pasta. You have to try it after this.
For some more butter sauces (my specialty!) try these:
Jump to:
Ingredients for pasta alfredo
Butter - I do tend to use unsalted butter in most recipes so I can season myself. Salted butters have all different kinds of ratios depending on brand so I like to have the control myself. For this with so little ingredients I think salted is actually the way to go.
Parmesan cheese - A lot of recipes will say- because this is such a simple dish- to use the absolute best parmigiano reggiano you can afford. I kiiiind of agree but to me this is a dish I want to slurp on the couch in my comfy clothes so honestly I often use a run of the mill one. Freshly grated ALWAYS, please don't buy pre-grated.
Pasta Water - Aka liquid gold for pasta sauces. Where would we be without this starchy goodness. It helps thicken the sauce and helps it cling to the pasta. Always reserve a mug before draining.
Optional Additions
- I am not afraid to admit that I am addicted to black pepper so I always add in a teaspoon to this recipe when butter is melting.
- Finishing this dish with freshly grated lemon zest adds brightness and a hit of acidity that helps cut through the richness.
- Some chopped parsley on top like in my Easy White Wine and Butter Sauce would be delicious.
- If you want to bulk the recipe up then some sliced cooked chicken breasts or thighs could be tossed through at the end.
Tips for getting parmesan to melt into a pasta sauce
- Adding parmesan into a sauce seems like the easiest thing you could do right? But have you ever had parmesan turn into a stringy mess or clump into little balls? Nightmare. You might have seen when chefs make something like a cacio e pepe they toss the pan really quickly. It's not the easiest action to do, especially for home cooks so I like to do it another way.
- Firstly, your parmesan needs to be grated really finely. I have found the best method is using a little smoothie maker (one with the spinny blade) to blend it into a crumb texture. If you don't have one of those use a microplane or the star side of a box grater to get it really fine.
- When you add the pasta to the butter sauce, give it a good toss then level the pasta out evenly. Turn your stove top to a low heat and then sprinkle the parmesan in a nice even layer on top. You want the parmesan hitting the pasta, not the butter so that's why it is good to get the pasta in a good flat layer at the bottom first.
- Let it melt gently then use tongs to swirl the pasta around and around until it is all emulsified together. Serve it quickly! Make sure you watch the video below in recipe card.
More expert tips
- Try and time the cooking so you can transfer the cooked pasta straight from the water into the butter. You'll learn the first time you make it how long the sauce takes.
- Undercook your pasta! I like to undercook dried pasta by a minute so it can finish cooking in the sauce and still be al dente.
- SEASON YOUR PASTA WATER. Capitals mean I am serious OK?! You want to add a good couple of tablespoons of salt to your pasta water when it starts boiling. It should be SO salty. It makes a huge difference to the way the pasta tastes, I can't stress this enough.
How much salt to put in pasta water
If you can stomach a mouthful of your pasta water, you probably haven't salted it enough! I have learnt a lot about salting water from Samin Nosrat and her book and series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this link to you, so you can come back to it later!
For two people I generally use about 1.75L of water and I use about 1 tablespoon of table salt. Personally, I don't want to waste fancy salt in water. Table salt is generally the saltiest of all salts so if you use something like Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or Maldon, you might need to go closer to 2 tablespoons.
Experiment with what works for your tastes. I can't stress the importance of salting your pasta water enough. It makes a HUGE difference, especially in a recipe like this with so few ingredients. Remember, pasta has zero salt in it so seasoning your water is the one chance to have to add some flavour INTO the pasta.
How to make this recipe
Full ingredients, step-by-step instructions and a short tutorial video are in the recipe card below.
Cook your pasta of choice in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions. I tend to undercook dried pasta by a minute.
ONE: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and when sizzling add ⅓ cup of pasta water and whisk vigorously to combine. A flat whisk is great for this. Let it bubble away to thicken slightly for 1 - 2 minutes.
TWO: Add your cooked pasta and another ⅓ cup pasta water and toss.
THREE: Let it bubble away very gently for 30 seconds or so.
FOUR: Turn the heat down to low and sprinkle the grated parmesan in an even layer on top of the pasta.
FIVE: Leave it to melt on top of the pasta for 1 minute or so then use tongs to spin the pasta around and around quicky.
SIX: Keep tossing/spinning until a smooth sauce appears (only about 10 - 20 seconds). Serve straight away.
What pasta shape is best?
Pasta Alfredo is typically made with fettuccine pasta and I think it is the perfect shape for it! My method of melting the parmesan on top of the pasta works especially well with a long pasta shape. Spaghetti, linguine or pappardelle will all work too but use any type of pasta you like.
Because this is such a quick sauce to make you could make some pasta from scratch?? Use my Easy Homemade Pasta Dough to make some fettuccine from scratch, if you have a pasta machine it should have a fettuccine cutter. I have a recipe for Homemade Pappardelle too.
Other recipe FAQs
The original recipe is only butter and cheese, I think cream ruins it personally. The cooking liquid does basically turn this into a cream sauce, trust me.
My go to always? A simple Iceberg Wedge Salad. It's quick, fresh and goes with anything.
Want some other pasta dishes to try?
If you loved this homemade alfredo sauce then check out my recipe section for all my other delicious recipes. A few suggestions? For a creamy sauce, my Pasta Primavera is perfect for Spring, or any time of the year for that matter. My Delicious Confit Garlic Butter Pasta is a total winner and a personal fave is my Creamy Tomato Pasta, it's a classic.
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave me a review down below and let me know what you thought! I love to hear any changes or adaptions you have made too. Also if you put a photo on instagram, please tag me so I can see, it makes my day!
Recipe
Easy Pasta Alfredo Recipe (3 Ingredients!)
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this link to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
- 200 grams dried pasta or 300 grams fresh
- 100 grams butter
- 70 grams parmesan cheese finely grated (see notes)
- ⅔ cup pasta water
- Optional extras
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Lemon zest to serve
Instructions
- Cook your pasta in a pot of well salted boiling water. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
- When the pasta has 5 minutes to go, start the sauce. Timing it so the pasta is done right when you need to add it to the sauce will be easier the second time. See notes.
- Melt the butter in a large fry pan that will fit all the pasta in it at the end over a medium heat.
- When sizzling add ⅓ cup pasta water and the pepper if using and whisk really vigorously. I like to shake the pan with my left hand and whisk with my right. A flat whisk is brilliant for this.
- Let it gently bubble away for 1 - 2 minutes, whisking every so often. It shouldn't be boiling, just a gentle simmer so adjust heat as you need.
- Add your cooked pasta in with another ⅓ cup pasta water and toss well. Let it gently bubble for 30 seconds.
- Turn the heat down to lowest and add the grated parmesan cheese in an even layer on top of the pasta and leave it alone.
- Let it gently melt on top of the pasta for 1 - 2 minutes.
- With tongs, swirl the pasta around and around really quickly (watch the video below!) until you get a well emulsified sauce that clings to the pasta. It doesn't take long.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve straight away and top with more parmesan if you wish and some lemon zest is a great addition.
Kira Wilson says
Made this last night and I’m still dreaming about it ??
Catriona Routley says
This was unctuous, delicious and oh so simple! My kids (they eat a lot of pasta!) said it was the best they’ve ever had!
Emilie Pullar says
I actually get so excited when kids approve of recipes!
Anna says
This is so easy and so delicious!! Love the melting method