This rich and decadent Roasted Garlic Fettuccine Alfredo is loaded with cream, butter and sweet roasted garlic.
Sometimes you just need a dish that is pure comfort. That is exactly what this Roasted Garlic and Fettuccine Alfredo is. It is creamy, buttery, garlicky and carby comfort.
It’s fancy enough to make on a date night but it is also easy enough that you can make it on a weeknight after a rough day at work.
First let’s talk about what you’ll need:
Ingredients you’ll need:
BUTTER: Use unsalted butter. You’ll be using a lot of parmesan cheese in this recipe and it’s pretty salty. By using unsalted butter you can control the final saltiness of the dish.
ROASTED GARLIC: This is what sets this recipe apart from the more traditional Fettuccine Alfredo recipe. The roasted garlic gives a sweet garlicky flavor to the sauce. I’ve included instructions so you can make your own but if you’re short on time, you can always buy some.
HEAVY CREAM: Heavy cream is what gives this dish it’s richness. Don’t substitute it with half and half or milk. You need the full fat stuff here.
PARMESAN CHEESE: It is essential that this is freshly grated. The cheese you buy in a can is just not going to give you the melt that you need for this recipe. I find that it is also better if the cheese is at room temperature. It melts into the sauce a bit better.
BLACK PEPPER: Use a pepper grinder to freshly crack the pepper. The bits of peppercorn really add a nice texture to this.
PARSLEY: Just for a little pop of color, you can leave it out if you want.
How do you make roasted garlic alfredo?
Aside from roasting the garlic, this comes together really quickly. If you use pre-made roasted garlic, this will come together in the time it takes to boil the pasta.
Melt butter and add roasted garlic. 
Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve some pasta water. 
Whisk in heavy cream and then parmesan cheese. 
Toss in hot cooked pasta.
- STEP #1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the top 1/4 inch off the garlic. Place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle oil over the top. Wrap in the foil and roast for 40 – 45 minutes or until browned and soft. Remove from oven. Allow to cool. Use a fork to remove cloves. Mash together in a bowl.
- STEP #2: Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
- STEP #3: While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add in roasted garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds – 1 minute.
- STEP #4: Stir in 1/2 of the cheese and cook just until it starts to melt. Stir in 1/2 of the cream and whisk until the cheese melts. Add in remaining cheese and cream. Continue whisking until smooth. Add pepper and parsley. If sauce appears to thick, thin with a little of the reserved pasta water.
- STEP #5: Add hot pasta and toss to coat. Add salt if needed. Serve immediately.
Of course you’re going to want to top this with more freshly grated Parmesan cheese. If you want to make it a bit heartier you can add some chicken or sautéed garlic shrimp.
To round out the meal serve it with salad with Homemade Caesar Dressing. And of course, the easiest garlic bread.
Can’t get enough garlic? Me either! Check out these other recipes for garlic lovers.
Roasted Garlic and Brie Pull Apart Bread
Note: This post was originally posted in 2013. It was updated with new photos, tips and nutrition information in 2022.
Servings
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound dried fettuccine pasta
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut the top 1/4 inch off the garlic. Place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle oil over the top. Wrap in the foil and roast for 40 - 45 minutes or until browned and soft. Remove from oven. Allow to cool. Use a fork to remove cloves. Mash together in a bowl.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add in roasted garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds - 1 minute.
- Stir in 1/2 of the cheese and cook just until it starts to melt. Stir in 1/2 of the cream and whisk until the cheese melts. Add in remaining cheese and cream. Continue whisking until smooth. Add pepper and parsley. If sauce appears to thick, thin with a little of the reserved pasta water.
- Add hot pasta and toss to coat. Add salt if needed. Serve immediately.
[…] Classic Alfredo gets an upgrade with deeply caramelized roasted garlic stirred into a luxuriously creamy sauce of butter, heavy cream, and fresh Parmesan. The roasted garlic adds sweetness and depth, balancing the richness with a mellow complexity that sets this apart from your standard Alfredo. Garnished with parsley and cracked pepper, it’s the ultimate comfort dish.Get the recipe on: Fettuccine Alfredo with Roasted Garlic and Cream […]
[…] adds a rich umami flavor to this sauce.It’s great with fettuccini or short pasta shapes.Get the Recipe @ lifesambrosiaTuscan Pasta Salad is an easy recipe with sun dried tomatoes, peppers, spinach and olives tossed in […]
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You’re welcome, Darla! Happy to hear you enjoy it!
Oh so good….I have made this 2x. I add a few extras as that is how I cook.
Thank you I love this
You are so welcome! And I’m going to have to look into the garlic toaster thing! That sounds so helpful!
Love this recipe, I’ve made it many times and still forget the steps 😁 I always get compliments, the roasted garlic adds great flavor! I have a garlic toaster which is very convenient to use with this recipe, thank you 😊
Hi Darla! I am so happy to hear that!! And the idea of tortellini and spinach sounds amazing. And thank you for sharing!!
Hi…I have again enjoy this recipe! See my comments and pics! I love a great pasta and love roasted garlic in dishes. I did tortellini in recipe this time as i had some fresh i wanted to use. Also added some fresh spinach to sauce as i am a veggie person. Pinch of cayenne pepper. Shared with my cooking fans on FB. Love this dish and so much you can do with variations! Thank you!!!!!!!!
Try some coconut oil on your lips and all over your body, massage it in. I live in Mpls, got the same temp issues here.
P.S. I’m making this for my fiance and his son & new wife tonight, cannot wait!!!
Haha nope I actually thought oh no! I left it out! People are going to be eating garlic skins! :) Hope you enjoy it!
Lol, yes it helps. I’m sure you probably had one of those “duh!”moments when you read my question, lol. Thanks so much!
Robbie- I am not sure why that happened. The only thing I can think of that would cause it to become bitter is if the garlic was a little over done. It doesn’t take much for garlic to turn bitter. Hope this helps!
Lizzie- After you allow the garlic to cool you remove it from the casings with a fork and then you smash it. Hope this helps!
Brand new to this, When do you remove the garlic covering? Do you just mash it all together and leave in the casing too?
Love love LOVE fettucine alfredo! YUM!
…you had me at garlic LOL Pepper jack cheese stix for the game, and this for dinner! Could this top your
Caribbean Jerk Chicken Pasta…currently my fave??
Robbie, I’m sorry to hear that. I did not experience this issue. I know that alfredos can sometimes become gritty when allowed to cool if the cheese is not melted completely. And once cooled and reheated the butter kind of separates making it more oily then cheesy, this is why I rarely eat left over alfredo. I am not sure why yours was bitter, perhaps the roasted garlic was a bit overcooked. Garlic that has any bit of burn to it will taste bitter.
Was wonderful till it started to cool then it became gritty and bitter. What’d I do wrong
I know right?! My hands are so dry right now too! I hope you enjoy the pasta :)
I live in Seattle too, and I COMPLETELY agree with you about the cold. If it’s not snowing, 32 degrees is just a waste of everyone’s time. Arg! I hate it. My lips are so chapped from this weather, despite using my Burt’s Bees like it’s going out of style.
This pasta looks delicious. I might have to put it in my menu for the week. :)