Low-Carb Alfredo Sauce (keto, primal, vegetarian)

Growing up in an Italian family, pasta has always been my ultimate comfort food. For the ultimate indulgence, it was Alfredo pasta, topped off with a rich, creamy sauce.

But instead of regular pasta, you can serve this creamy low-carb cheese sauce with keto-friendly options such as shirataki noodles or zucchini noodles!

This recipe below is for a basic gluten-free Alfredo sauce, but I’m also giving you some tips on how best to serve it, along with some flavour variations to mix things up a bit.

In terms of cooking the sauce, it’s really simple and comes together in minutes. The cheese added in at the end not only adds flavour but also will help thicken up the sauce. Make sure you don’t scrimp here, and use the best quality Parmesan you can find/afford, and grate it fresh before adding.
The sauce will thicken further if you leave it a few minutes before serving. Note however that this sauce does not have any thickeners, and therefore it is on the runnier side. To thicken further, add more parmesan, and/or cream cheese (see notes below).
If not serving straight away, store the sauce separately from the pasta/zoodles (or however you wish to serve it), and then when reheating do so over a low heat, whisking to combine and avoid separation. Alternatively, give the sauce a quick blitz using a hand blender.
Alfredo sauce can be frozen, but it may separate when reheating. This can affect the flavour and texture, so I would always recommend to make it fresh and in smaller quantities rather than freezing.

Alfredo Sauce Variations

Herbed — add in a tsp of dried Italian herbs at step 2, or stir through 2 tablespoons of pesto at the end.
Smokey — add ¹/₂ tsp smoked paprika at step 2. Serve on shirataki noodles topped with sliced fried chorizo for a smoky sausage pasta.
Thick & creamy — add 40 g/ 1.4 oz cream cheese at step 1 — this will thicken the sauce further and create a creamier texture.
Browned butter — In step 1, add the butter first, and cook over medium heat, swirling in the pan, until starting to turn an amber colour. Reduce to low heat, whisk in the cream, and then continue with the rest of the recipe.
Also make sure to try our Keto Cheese Sauce which is made with cheddar instead of Parmesan, and additionally includes cream cheese!

Step-by-step

Finely grate the Parmesan cheese. (You can use Pecorino Romano or other Italian hard cheese.)
Add the butter and cream to a large saucepan over low heat. Simmer, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Whisk in the garlic, salt, and pepper, and then the grated Parmesan cheese.
Cook until melted and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Allow to sit 2-3 minutes before serving to allow sauce to thicken further.
Enjoy over zoodles, grilled meat, fish and cooked vegetables.
The sauce is best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. To serve, reheat over a low heat, whisking to combine and avoid separation.

Recipe