This Make-Ahead Alfredo Sauce Is Your Ticket to Meal Planning Success (2024)

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10-minute make-ahead Alfredo for pasta, pizza, and more.

Emma Christensen

Emma Christensen is the General Manager for Simply Recipes, the author of three books on home brewing and a graduate from The Cambridge School for Culinary Arts.

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Updated November 26, 2023

16 Ratings

21 Summery Drinks to Sip and SavorFEATURED IN:

Here's a nifty meal helper for when you have a busy week coming up: make-ahead Alfredo sauce!

This Alfredo sauce can be made in about 10 minutes and then stashed in the fridge or freezer until you need it. Reheat and toss with pasta, veggies, or anything that could use a little saucy, cheesy assistance to make it delicious.

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Mornay Sauce Is Bechamel With Cheese!

If you're feeling fancy, you can call this Alfredo sauce by its classic French name: Mornay sauce. If you're feeling even fancier, you can explain to your adoring dinner companions that a Mornay sauce is just a Bechamel to which you've added a generous amount of cheese.

And what is a Bechamel but a roux-based sauce made with butter, flour, and milk. Of course.

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How To Make Alfredo Sauce

If this all sounds slightly intimidating, don't you fret. Making this Alfredo sauce is one of the easiest, most doable recipes ever.

Tips for Making Easy Alfredo Sauce

People are often intimidated and unsure how to make Alfredo sauce. This is an easy recipe, but here are some tips for first-timer success!

When you first start whisking the warm milk into the roux, it will clump up and look an awful lot like you've made a horrible mistake. Never fear -- those clumps will thin out as you continue adding the milk. First, they'll take on the consistency of mashed potatoes, then pureed cauliflower, and then a sauce. Just keep calm and carry on adding the milk a little at a time while whisking.
Also, don't wait for the milk to thicken up completely before adding the cheese since the cheese will thicken it even more. You want to add the cheese just at the point when the milk is thick enough to coat the spoon and the sides of the pan in a thick milky layer. If you're starting to wonder if it's time to add the cheese, it probably is.
If the sauce seems too thin after you've added the cheese, just let it simmer for a few more minutes on low heat until it's as thick as you like. Conversely, if the sauce seems too thick (either now or when you're warming it back up again), just whisk in a splash of milk, broth, or water to thin it out again.

Don't limit yourself to just using Parmesan for this Alfredo sauce recipe. You can really use any cheese you like -- cheddar, Swiss, gruyere, gouda... You get the idea. Use the best quality, and best tasting, cheese you can find. It's the main ingredient, so it makes a big difference in the tastiness of your finished sauce.

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Alfredo Sauce That Perfectly Reheats

The real magic of this easy Alfredo sauce is that it reheats so well. So many cheese sauces are prone to separating into gritty cheese and puddles of greasy liquid when reheated, but not this sauce. The flour in the roux makes this a very stable, very reliable, and a very forgiving sauce.

The Alfredo sauce will harden into a thick paste once it cools in the fridge, but give it a few minutes of gentle heat on the stovetop or in the microwave, and it will once again become silky and creamy. If you see a few little beads of fat starting to form, just whisk vigorously to blend them back in.

You can also freeze this Alfredo sauce for up to 1 month. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.

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Ways To Use This Easy Alfredo Sauce

What to do with your cheesy Alfredo sauce? Oh, let me count the ways. You can toss it with pasta, bien sur. Use fettuccine if you're craving fettuccine alfredo, or elbows if you want mac and cheese. The sauce is also great spooned over steamed vegetables, baked potatoes, fish and other seafood, or chicken.

I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Good thing I still have a few jars stashed away in my fridge. Happy cooking, everyone!

More Favorite Italian Recipes!

Fettuccine Alfredo
Lasagna Bolognese
Spaghetti Pasta Carbonara
Fresh Basil Pesto
Pasta Puttanesca

Easy Make-Ahead Alfredo Sauce

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time15 mins

Servings7 serving

Yield1 3/4 cups

This makes enough sauce for 1 pound of pasta -- or 1/2 pound if you like it extra-cheesy!

Swap out the Parmesan for any favorite cheese to make your own version of this cheese sauce.

For a garlicky alfredo sauce, saute 1 to 2 cloves minced garlic with the butter before adding the flour.

You can use 2% or skim milk for this recipe, but the sauce will be thinner.

This recipe can be scaled up to make larger batches. Just keep the ratios of flour, butter, milk, and cheese the same.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole milk, plus extra as needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (3 to 3 1/3 ounces, 85 to 128 grams)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Method

Warm the milk:
In the microwave (30-second bursts) or on the stovetop, warm the milk until it's warm to the touch and a bit steamy. (It does not need to be boiling hot; just warm.) Set aside.
Make the roux:
Melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over top, then whisk together using a whisk.
Continue to cook the roux, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. This cooks off the raw flour flavor. It's ok if the roux turns a golden color, but continue immediately to the next step if it starts to brown significantly.
Whisk in the warm milk:
Add about 1/4 cup of the warm milk to the roux and whisk. Add another 1/4 cup and whisk some more. The roux will seize up into clumps.
Continue adding the milk in small 1/4-cup increments, whisking continuously. The clumps will eventually smooth out and look like mashed potatoes, then a thick puree, and then a sauce. Once it looks like a sauce, whisk in any remaining milk. This step should only take about a minute. You can move through the phases fairly quickly.
Cook the sauce:
Once all the milk has been added, continue to cook the sauce over medium heat while whisking, for 3 to 5 minutes. It's ready when it looks like heavy cream—slightly thickened and silky.
Stir inthe Parmesan:
Add all of the cheese at once. Whisk until the cheese has melted into the sauce and is no longer visible. At this point, the sauce should look quite thick and creamy.
You can cook it a little longer, whisking occasionally, to let it thicken a little more if you like, but it's better to err on the side of a too-thin sauce at this point. It will thicken a bit more when you reheat it.
Store the Alfredo sauce:
Transfer the sauce to storage containers and cool completely. A skin will form on the surface of the sauce and the sauce will thicken to a paste-like consistency; this is normal. Refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Reheat the sauce:
If your sauce was frozen, transfer it to the fridge to thaw overnight before reheating.
Transfer the sauce into a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Gently warm over low heat, or in 30-second bursts in the microwave, until warmed. Stir occasionally, or between every 30-second burst in the microwave. It will start off very thick and paste-like, but will soften and return to a sauce as it warms.
If the sauce seems too thick, whisk in a splash of milk, broth, or water until the sauce is as thinned as you like.
Use reheated sauce immediately:
Toss with cooked pasta or pour over cooked vegetables, chicken, or fish.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
159	Calories
11g	Fat
7g	Carbs
8g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories	159
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g	14%
Saturated Fat 6g	32%
Cholesterol 32mg	11%
Sodium 493mg	21%
Total Carbohydrate 7g	3%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 244mg	19%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 112mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

FAQs

How long is Alfredo sauce good for in the fridge after opening? ›

Once opened, it's best to use your jar of pasta sauce in about five to six days. For sauces that contain dairy, like Alfredo or other cream sauces, it's best to stick to three or four days. Unlike bread or other foods, mold is less of a concern — of course, if you leave that jar long enough, mold will certainly grow.

How to make premade Alfredo sauce better? ›

Heartier herbs like thyme or oregano can be added in to simmer with the sauce. Add delicate herbs like parsley, basil, or chervil at the end to maintain their delicate, aromatic flavor. Quick tip: Swirl in a bit of leftover pesto to add another herbaceous twist to your Alfredo sauce.

Should you put pasta water in Alfredo sauce? ›

After 12 ounces of fettuccine pasta noodles are finished cooking, reserve 2 cups of the pasta water to include in your sauce. The starchy water is essential to creating a thick, creamy sauce consistency.

Read On ›

How do I keep my Alfredo sauce creamy? ›

Mix the cornstarch with some cold water to create a smooth slurry, then whisk it into the sauce while cooking over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add all-purpose flour. Another very common thickening agent that will give your Alfredo sauce a creamy texture.

Learn More Now ›

How can you tell if alfredo sauce has gone bad? ›

An off smell, a change in texture, or the presence of mold can all signal that your Alfredo sauce is no longer safe to consume. Equipping yourself with the ability to identify these signs ensures that every dish seasoned with Alfredo sauce remains not only sumptuous but also safe to savor.

Discover More ›

How long does pasta sauce last in the fridge after opening? ›

However, once they're opened, they should be used quickly. "After opening a high-acid canned food, like a tomato sauce, it can be stored safely in the refrigerator for five to seven days before being used," says Shelley Feist, executive director of the Partnership for Food Safety Education.

Keep Reading ›

How long is leftover fettuccine Alfredo good for? ›

How to Store Fettuccine Alfredo. Store your leftover fettuccine Alfredo in an airtight container for up to three days.

Explore More ›

Is chicken Alfredo good after 5 days? ›

According to food safety guidelines from Healthline, you should consume cooked pasta dishes, like fettuccine Alfredo, within three to five days of refrigeration.

Read On ›

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 7
Amount per serving
Calories	159
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g	14%
Saturated Fat 6g	32%
Cholesterol 32mg	11%
Sodium 493mg	21%
Total Carbohydrate 7g	3%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 244mg	19%
Iron 0mg	1%
Potassium 112mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.