Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce
A rich, velvety garlic cream sauce made with butter, heavy cream and freshly grated Parmesan. Perfect for pasta, chicken, shrimp and vegetables.
🍽 4 servings
⏱ Prep: 5 min
🔥 Cook: 15 min
⏰ Total: 20 min
📊 Easy
VegetarianGluten-Free
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp tbsp Unsalted butter
- 4 clove Garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 1/2 cups cup Heavy cream
- 3/4 cup cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- 1/4 tsp tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- pinch pinch Freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp tsp Fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp tbsp Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Melt butter in a wide skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add garlic. Cook approximately 30-45 seconds until fragrant. Do not brown the garlic.
- Add heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook approximately 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cream reduces slightly.
- Reduce heat to low. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano gradually while stirring. Continue stirring until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Add salt, black pepper and optional nutmeg.
- If using with pasta, toss the cooked pasta directly into the sauce. Add small splashes of pasta water until the sauce reaches a silky consistency.
- Add optional lemon juice if the sauce needs a little brightness. Finish with parsley if desired.
Nutrition
380 cal/serving
8g protein
6g carbs
35g fat
Chef's Notes
Pair with pasta, chicken, shrimp, broccoli, mushrooms, gnocchi or roasted vegetables. Yield: About 2 cups. This recipe is intentionally different from the traditional-style Alfredo. Creamy Garlic Parmesan is a heavy-cream-based multipurpose sauce. Classic Alfredo relies on butter, Parmesan and pasta water. Freshly grated Parmesan is important because pre-shredded cheese often contains anti-caking agents that interfere with smooth melting. Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of milk or cream. Do not aggressively boil during reheating.