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:

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

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 1049 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

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

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Keywords: fettuccine, pasta, roasted garlic, Vegetarian