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Roasted Garlic Fettuccine Alfredo

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:

Overhead photos of ingredients needed to make roasted garlic alfredo.

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.

  • 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

Garlic Fried Chicken

40 Clove Chicken

Garlic Aioli Recipe

Note: This post was originally posted in 2013. It was updated with new photos, tips and nutrition information in 2022.

Roasted Garlic Fettuccine Alfredo

This rich and decadent Roasted Garlic Fettuccine Alfredo is loaded with cream, butter and sweet roasted garlic.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine American
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 1049 kcal

Ingredients
  

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.

Notes

Freshly grated parmesan cheese is a must! Slowly whisk in the cheese to prevent clumping. It also helps if it is at room temperature. 
The roasted garlic can be made in advance. 
This is best served the day of. The leftovers do not reheat very well because the sauce tends to separate a bit. 
Nutrition information for estimation purposes only. 

Nutrition

Calories: 1049kcalCarbohydrates: 85gProtein: 36gFat: 63gSaturated Fat: 38gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 257mgSodium: 846mgPotassium: 413mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2362IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 685mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @lifesambrosia or tag #lifesambrosia!
Keywords: fettuccine, pasta, roasted garlic, Vegetarian

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




  • Reply
    Darla
    March 23, 2021 at 4:59 pm

    5 stars
    Oh so good….I have made this 2x. I add a few extras as that is how I cook.
    Thank you I love this

    • Reply
      Deseree
      March 23, 2021 at 9:17 pm

      You’re welcome, Darla! Happy to hear you enjoy it!

  • Reply
    Lani
    July 18, 2020 at 6:02 pm

    5 stars
    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 😊

    • Reply
      Deseree
      July 19, 2020 at 9:24 am

      You are so welcome! And I’m going to have to look into the garlic toaster thing! That sounds so helpful!

  • Reply
    Darla A Weber
    March 2, 2020 at 2:01 pm

    5 stars
    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!!!!!!!!

    • Reply
      Deseree
      March 3, 2020 at 1:38 pm

      Hi Darla! I am so happy to hear that!! And the idea of tortellini and spinach sounds amazing. And thank you for sharing!!

  • Reply
    LiZzie
    March 4, 2014 at 6:03 pm

    Brand new to this, When do you remove the garlic covering? Do you just mash it all together and leave in the casing too?

    • Reply
      Deseree
      March 4, 2014 at 8:27 pm

      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!

      • Reply
        Lizzie
        March 5, 2014 at 6:52 am

        Lol, yes it helps. I’m sure you probably had one of those “duh!”moments when you read my question, lol. Thanks so much!

        • Reply
          Deseree
          March 5, 2014 at 6:26 pm

          Haha nope I actually thought oh no! I left it out! People are going to be eating garlic skins! :) Hope you enjoy it!

  • Reply
    Laurie{Simply Scratch}
    January 3, 2014 at 7:24 am

    Love love LOVE fettucine alfredo! YUM!

  • Reply
    Chris
    December 24, 2013 at 6:37 pm

    …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??

  • Reply
    Robbie
    December 15, 2013 at 1:20 pm

    Was wonderful till it started to cool then it became gritty and bitter. What’d I do wrong

    • Reply
      Deseree
      December 15, 2013 at 10:58 pm

      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.

    • Reply
      Deseree
      March 4, 2014 at 8:29 pm

      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!

  • Reply
    housepea
    December 9, 2013 at 12:27 pm

    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. :)

    • Reply
      Deseree
      December 9, 2013 at 6:16 pm

      I know right?! My hands are so dry right now too! I hope you enjoy the pasta :)

    • Reply
      Patricia Baldwin
      May 11, 2015 at 11:04 am

      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!!!

    Des

    Hey! I'm Des!

    Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.

    Read more »

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