A homemade alfredo sauce will be rich, but still somehow lighter than what you would find in a jarred version. It should just hang on to the pasta without being gloopy. To make up for the homemade sauce and still make this a very doable, kid-friendly weeknight recipe, I use a rotisserie chicken rather than cook the chicken from scratch. It cuts way down on the prep with no noticeable taste difference, in my opinion!
What Is Alfredo Sauce?
Alfredo is a creamy pasta sauce. It’s basically just cream and butter, slowly simmered together. (You do not need any thickeners to make it.) When you add pasta to it the starch from the pasta further thickens the sauce, making it just thick enough to coat the pasta. People will be impressed if you serve them a homemade alfredo sauce, even though it only takes 15 minutes and three ingredients to make. Don’t worry – your secret is safe with me!
Rotisserie Chicken vs Chicken Breasts
As I said, I like to use a rotisserie chicken for this just because it’s easier, but you can also poach medium-large chicken breasts and then shred that. There won’t be much difference in finished taste. Most of the flavor comes from the sauce, anyway! The chicken just adds a little protein to the dish and gives it some extra body.
The Best Pasta for Chicken Alfredo
In theory you could use any pasta for alfredo but I think wider noodles work best for thicker sauces like this. I would go with fettuccine or linguine, but a spaghetti will work fine as well.
Vegetable Add-Ins and Suggestions
The only vegetables I would consider adding to my alfredo are peas (which you can stir in near the end of cooking) or sautéed mushrooms, which fold in beautifully. Personally, I like to keep my alfredo clean with just pasta, sauce, and chicken, and then serve it alongside a big hearty salad.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips for Chicken Alfredo
This sauce and recipe comes together very quickly and is great fresh, but if you are in a serious pinch, alfredo sauce keeps surprisingly well. Check out this make-ahead version for tips on that! Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat well. Whatever you do, just don’t microwave them! Reheat the cold alfredo pasta in a pot with a splash of water over low heat. Gentle heat is the key to bringing this pasta back to life!
The Dad Add: Lemon Arugula Salad
This is a rich dish, no doubt about it. To balance it out, I like to serve it alongside a bright, peppery arugula salad. It’s borderline if you can get kids to eat this. Mine tried it, and passed, but adults will absolutely appreciate the combination. Rather than make a dressing, I just toss the ingredients together, divide them between a few bowls, and then sprinkle each bowl with a little good olive oil, a spritz of fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of coarse salt. YUM.
The Kid Report Card
Pasta is generally a hit at house Macheesmo so I had high hopes for this alfredo sauce! The kids were very skeptical of it at first. I realized that I haven’t served them many white pasta sauces. They are used to either red sauces or butter sauces (naked pasta), so they were a bit leery of this situation. Once I got my more adventurous eater to give it a shot, though, both decided that white pasta is, in fact, worth scarfing down without a tantrum. Wins all around, although less leftovers for me the next day.
More Great Weeknight Pasta Dishes
Spaghetti Pasta Carbonara Pasta with Spinach, Artichokes, and Ricotta Chicken Piccata Pasta Easy Buttered Noodles Easy Italian Sausage Spaghetti
Sauce will thicken as you stir it with the pasta. If sauce seems too thick or gloopy, add reserved pasta water by the 1/4 cup to thin out the sauce slightly. You might not need any pasta water or you might need a good amount of it. LEFTOVERS! Leftover chicken alfredo will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat the alfredo gently in a pot over low heat with a splash of water. Do not microwave.
