You will be blown away by how good this One Pot Alfredo Pasta is. This deliciously creamy pasta is so easy to make and a total game changer!
I know I am not alone in this, but I love pasta! Big shocker, I know. I just cannot resist a creamy, cheesy Alfredo pasta sauce! This One Pot Alfredo Pasta recipe is great because it works as an entrèe or a side dish.
It can be paired with fresh veggies, like roasted asparagus, or topped with juicy grilled chicken. The best part of all is how you can have this restaurant-worthy pasta from pan to plate in just 15 minutes!
I am a huge fan of one-pot meals. Anytime I can serve a delicious meal and spare myself time cleaning up after is a total win for me.
Another huge plus is the fact that everyone in my family loves fettuccine Alfredo pasta. Sometimes it is hard to find a meal that everyone will eat without a dozen special requests. That makes this recipe a total game-changer in my opinion.
WHAT TO PUT IN ALFREDO PASTA
Milk: For this Alfredo pasta recipe, you can use milk with any percentage of fat.
Parmesan: I think that freshly grated parmesan is a must when it comes to making pasta! Whenever we eat at an Italian restaurant, I’m the girl who never says “stop” when the server is adding fresh parmesan to my pasta. I need my pasta Alfredo to have that restaurant-quality taste and look, even if it is being made in my own kitchen.
Chicken: There are tons of ways to turn this into a chicken pasta Alfredo dish. The easiest way is to simply cut up a grilled chicken breast and serve it atop the pasta. But feel free to spice up this recipe however you would like. I can say for certain this Alfredo makes for a perfect base for a Cajun chicken pasta!
HOW TO MAKE ALFREDO PASTA
From pan to plate in 15 minutes, you are going to absolutely love this super easy recipe!
STEP ONE: Grab a skillet that is large enough to fit the 8 ounces of fettuccine pasta. Place the skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Into the pan, add the milk, chicken broth, butter, and garlic. Bring these ingredients to a simmer and then add the pasta.
STEP TWO: Once the pasta is added, move it around about every 30 seconds to prevent it from sticking. Once the pasta is softened, reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir the pasta every couple of minutes. The pasta will be almost cooked after about 6 minutes. You will notice that there is still liquid covering the bottom of the skillet.
STEP THREE: Add the cream and parmesan cheese and mix it into the pasta. With all the ingredients added, continue to simmer the pasta Alfredo, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked and the sauce is thickened.
*If you happen to overcook the sauce and it becomes too thick, add a splash of hot water and toss it into the pasta to thin the sauce.
STEP FOUR: Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to the pasta to taste and serve it immediately topped with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
HOW MUCH ALFREDO SAUCE DO YOU NEED FOR A POUND OF PASTA?
This One Pot Alfredo Pasta recipe will yield a 1/2 pound of pasta and set you up for success when it comes to the sauce to pasta ratio. Authentic Italian pasta tends to go pretty easy on the sauce. My personal recommendation is to always start out lighter because you can add more sauce easier than you can correct having too much.
If this was not a one-pot recipe, I would recommend mixing your pasta and your sauce together prior to serving to help incorporate all the flavors together. Luckily, this Alfredo pasta recipe is cooked all together in one pot so the finished product is a perfect fusion of flavors.
WHAT CAN I PUT IN ALFREDO PASTA?
Alfredo pasta is one of those pasta dishes that pretty much goes with anything! The most obvious addition variation is to make chicken pasta Alfredo. There are also a ton of different ways you can prepare your chicken, from simply grilling or air fryring it to serving it blackened with Cajun spices.
Salmon and shrimp are two more proteins that pair well with this dish. If we are being truly honest though, my favorite way to jazz up this pasta is by adding bacon! The crispy, salty bacon and the creamy smooth Alfredo sauce are a match made in heaven!
If you are looking for a way to add on but still keep this pasta light, consider adding veggies into the pot. Peas, asparagus, broccoli, and spinach are all wonderful additions that help to add a little nutritional balance to this rich pasta.
WANT MORE EASY PASTA RECIPES?
- One-Pot Spinach and Artichoke Pasta
- Creamy Greek Shrimp Pasta
- One Pan Chicken Stroganoff
- Baked Stuffed Shells
- Pasta Carbonara
*This post originally posted on 10/03/2017.
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 clove garlic minced (or 2 smaller cloves)
- 8 ounces fettuccine (or pasta of your choice)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, plus more for garnish
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Grab a deep sided skillet that's large enough to fit the fettuccine.
- Place the skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add milk, chicken broth, butter, and garlic. Bring to simmer and stir until the butter is melted. Then add the pasta.
- Move the pasta around every 30 seconds or so until it is softened so it doesn't stick. This should take around 3 minutes. Once the pasta is softened, reduce the heat to medium and stir every couple of minutes.
- After another 6 minutes or so, the pasta should be almost cooked but there should still be liquid covering the base of the skillet. Add in the cream and parmesan and mix.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and the pasta is cooked. *If you cook it too long and the sauce goes gluggy, add a splash of hot tap water, it will go back to being silky with a few tosses.
- Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with freshly grated parmesan and parsley!
Megan says
I have tried this dish twice, and the first time I had a little trouble with the sauce not melting properly. The second time, I added a few more noodles, cooked it a little longer, and let it rest more than I did the last time. It was AMAZING the second time! It’s hard judging times and amounts when you have different stoves and pots and tools and such, but with just a little tweaking, this recipe was a big hit with my family!
Annie says
this is my favourite pasta ever!
John Nashmy says
Thanks for the great recipe my wife and I loved it.
Took no time at all to put it together.
Better than we’ve had a some local Italian places.
I real keeper ???♂️
JN
Franklin Lakes, NJ
Aubrey Cota says
Thank you, John! I’m so glad to hear you both loved it.
Erin says
Oh my goodness..thank you so much..I’ve never had luck with 1 pot pasta before but this worked wonderfully
Aubrey Cota says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you.
Bonnie @ TastyKitchenn says
Just tried this recipe last Sunday. Added abit more stock/milk to make more sauce but yes great receipe, Thank you.
Brooke says
Hi,
I just tried your recipe. I used fresh parmesan grated on the powdery side of the box grater and the sauce didn’t completely emulsify to the silky and creamy point you mentioned but was thick and had a little graininess. Any thoughts on improving? Was really impressed I just need to figure out that last part. Was precise about following along.
Thanks!
Julie @Real Housemoms says
Hi Brooke! A box grater grates parmesan so it is “sand like”, not into fine shreds that you get using a proper microplane or similar, that’s why it didn’t melt properly and was sandy.