From-scratch Basil and Roasted Garlic Alfredo Pasta Sauce
Garlic Alfredo Sauce Recipe
This Roasted Garlic and Basil Alfredo Sauce is so straightforward to cook. Roasting the garlic is the most time consuming part, but it’s so plain and worth it! Have you ever had roasted garlic, if not, you’re missing out! It’s straightforward to do at home. We often find myself taking the extra time to roast the garlic in recipes if we're able to. It amps up the flavor in sauces and even salsa. It’s especially satisfying if you take tomatoes and roast garlic on top of them. Yum! You might also love this Orange pasta sauce.
What is the difference between white sauce and alfredo sauce?
A standard white sauce is often a bechamel type of sauce. This is simply milk, butter, and flour. Sometimes seasonings like nutmeg, salt, and pepper are added.
Alfredo sauce does not use a roux the way white sauce does and often contains parmesan and heavy cream.
Creamy Basil Alfredo Sauce Ingredients
- Garlic – you’ll need to use two full heads of garlic. You can’t take a shortcut here with the pre-minced because you’ll be roasting the heads in the oven.
- Olive oil – Find that extra virgin olive oil gives a house favorite flavor, you can also use a neutral oil like avocado oil
- Fresh basil – It’s important to use fresh basil. Dried basil won’t give you the same flavor.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream will give the silky texture and flavor, but if you can’t find it half and half will work as well
- Light sour cream – Both light sour cream and full-fat sour cream work, but don’t use fat-free. It does not combine the same into the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese – Go with freshly grated if possible. It melts easier and gives a better flavor overall
- Salt & pepper – we always recommend using kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper when possible for maximum flavor
We chose to pair our Alfredo sauce with tortellini, but any thick and hearty pasta would be well-balanced! It would also be great with chicken. We've still got some serious pregnancy meat aversions so we left it out this time, but on a normal occasion we would include some sliced grilled chicken on top. This would be especially satisfying on some mushroom ravioli!
How to Roast Garlic
- To roast garlic, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the tops off the heads of garlic leaving the rest intact.
- Drizzle a tablespoon of oil over the top of each head of garlic.
- Wrap the garlic heads in foil cut side up and place in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and unwrap the foil. To remove the garlic, squeeze it from the peel.
How to cook Basil Garlic Alfredo Sauce
- After you’ve roasted the garlic, squeeze it into a food processor.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the processor along with the fresh basil.
- Pulse until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Add the garlic and basil mixture to a deep skillet over medium heat.
- Slowly add in heavy cream until it begins to simmer.
- Stir in the sour cream and parmesan cheese.
- Stir frequently until smooth and enjoy the sauce over your favorite pasta.
Best Ways to Serve Garlic Alfredo Sauce
Garlic Alfredo Sauce is best served over pasta or you can use it to dip your favorite breadsticks. If you’re low carb, you can serve it over spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or hearts of palm pasta.
What can we add to alfredo pasta?
You can add so many things to alfredo pasta to bulk it up and enhance the flavor. Some great things to add are:
- Chicken
- Shrimp
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Lobster
- Crab
How to keep and Reheat Garlic Alfredo Pasta Sauce
Garlic Alfredo Sauce should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow it to cool completely before storing.
To reheat Garlic Alfredo Pasta Sauce, we recommend placing it in a skillet over medium-low heat and stirring occasionally until heated through. Because of the heavy cream, be careful not to scald it.
Basil and Garlic Alfredo Sauce WW Points
The Weight Watchers Freestyle points along with the nutrition information have been calculated based on using 2oz of fettuccine. You can lower the points or calories in this with a few plain swaps. You could use zoodles in place of the pasta or even Palmini or Banza pasta would work here too.
Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce FAQ
This decadent dish is a table favorite that the whole family will love. It’s also easily adaptable to be made for a crowd if needed. Serve it up with a nice side salad and some crusty bread and you’re good to go!
3.5.3228
Prep 10 minutesCook 1 hour 10 minutesTotal 1 hour 20 minutesMakes 6
Ingredients
- 2 full heads of garlic
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Handful of fresh basil
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- salt & pepper
- Your favorite thick pasta cooked (fettuccine, tortellini, ravioli, etc.)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the tops off the heads of garlic leaving the rest in tact.
- Drizzle a tablespoon over the top of each head of garlic.
- Wrap the heads of garlic in foil and place in the oven for 1 hour.
- Squeeze the garlic from the peel into a food processor .
- Add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil to the processor along with a handful of basil.
- Pulse until mixture is smooth and combined.
- Add mixture from the food processor into a deep skillet over medium heat.
- Slowly add in heavy cream until beginning to simmer.
- Add in sour cream and Parmesan cheese.
- Stir frequently until melted and smooth.
- Add in your pasta and enjoy!
Notes
- Weight Watchers Freestyle Points: 26 for 2oz pasta + 1/6 of sauce <h3 class="wprm-recipe-header
