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Brown butter Alfredo pasta with fettuccine in a creamy parmesan sauce, finished with fresh parsley and chilli flakes.
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4.88 from 8 votes

Brown Butter Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe

Learn how to make Brown Butter Fettuccine Alfredo with garlic, shallots, herbs and parmesan in a creamy, nutty sauce. A simple twist on the classic, ready in under 30 minutes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: comfort food, creamy, Pasta, quick
Servings: 4 people
Author: Karina Carrel

Ingredients

  • 2½ cups uncooked pasta about 500 g/ 3–3½ cups cooked
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1/2 cup shallot finely chopped (about 3 shallots)
  • 1/2 tbsp thyme leaves chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp rosemary leaves chopped
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp pasta cooking water
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red chilli flakes optional
  • Parsley and extra grated parmesan fresh chopped for garnish
US - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large pot of boiling water, add salt and cook the pasta until al dente.
    Fettuccine pasta cooking in boiling water until al dente.
  • While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter
    Butter melting in a pan, beginning to foam as it cooks before browning for Alfredo sauce.
  • Cook, stirring often, until it melts and begins to brown.
    Butter browned in a pan with golden color and toasted milk solids, ready for Alfredo sauce.
  • Reduce the heat, then add the shallot, garlic, rosemary and thyme.
    Shallots, garlic, thyme and rosemary added to browned butter, cooking until fragrant.
    • Tip: Cooking on low heat helps you control the butter and prevents it from burning.
  • Cook for about 1 minute, until the shallots are tender and the garlic is fragrant.
    Shallots and garlic cooking in browned butter with herbs until soft and lightly golden.
  • Add the white wine and let it reduce for about 2 minutes.
    White wine being added to sautéed shallots and garlic in browned butter to deglaze the pan.
  • Add the cream and the grated parmesan, stirring to combine.
    Grated parmesan added to the sauce with shallots and browned butter, melting into a creamy base.
  • Stir until the parmesan melts and the sauce becomes smooth.
    Parmesan melting into the sauce with browned butter and shallots, creating a smooth and creamy texture.
  • Add a little pasta water and stir to combine.
    Creamy brown butter Alfredo sauce simmering with shallots and herbs until smooth.
    • Pasta water is added because it contains starch, which helps bind the sauce together and makes it cling to the pasta instead of separating.
  • Add the cooked pasta to the sauce.
    Cooked fettuccine added to the brown butter Alfredo sauce before tossing.
  • Toss until fully coated and the sauce thickens.
    Fettuccine tossed in brown butter Alfredo sauce until fully coated and creamy.
  • Serve warm, topped with chopped parsley and extra grated parmesan.
    Brown butter Alfredo pasta finished with fresh parsley and grated parmesan, ready to serve.

Video

Notes

This sauce comes together fast, so have everything ready before you start. Once the butter begins to brown, things move quickly and you don’t want to overcook it.
Don’t rush the butter. Let it go past just melted and into that golden stage. You’ll smell it change before you really see it, and that’s when you know you’re close.
When adding the parmesan, do it gradually and keep stirring. If the heat is too high or you add it all at once, it can turn clumpy instead of smooth.
The sauce will look slightly loose at first, but once you add the pasta and toss it, it thickens and turns silky.
If it ever feels too thick, just add a little more pasta water to loosen it back up.
  • Use freshly grated parmesan for the best texture
  • Keep the heat low when adding cheese
  • Don’t skip the pasta water, it makes a big difference
 
Happy Cooking! Xx
 
Taste the sauce before adding the pasta and adjust the salt then. Parmesan already adds salt, so this helps you keep everything balanced.

Nutrition

Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 725mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1847IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 379mg | Iron: 2mg