Fettuccine Alfredo
A comforting Italian pasta built around fettuccine, heavy cream and parmesan — roughly 45 minutes start to finish, and rated easy to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 5 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and large pot. At easy difficulty across 5 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Dairy
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of boiling water and salt.
- Add heavy cream and butter to a large skillet over medium heat until the cream bubbles and the butter melts.
- Whisk in parmesan and add seasoning (salt and black pepper).
- Let the sauce thicken slightly and then add the pasta and toss until coated in sauce.
- Garnish with parsley, and it's ready.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Large pot · Saucepan · Whisk
Watch how it's made
Hosted on YouTube — pressing play loads content from YouTube.
Ingredient substitutions
- Heavy Cream
- evaporated milk · ½ cup milk + ¼ cup melted butter · full-fat coconut milk
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Parmesan
- pecorino · grana padano · aged asiago
What to serve with Fettuccine Alfredo
- Spaghetti Bolognese Beef
- Spicy Arrabiata Penne Vegetarian
- Vegan Lasagna Vegan
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad Seafood
Tips & common questions
How long does Fettuccine Alfredo take to make?
About 45 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 5 steps and 6 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of heavy cream?
Try evaporated milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Fettuccine Alfredo vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Structured source recipe — not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Recipe data for Fettuccine Alfredo via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.