Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Basil Pesto
May 07, 2019, Updated Aug 15, 2024
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Get ready for some serious flavor with this amazing homemade Alfredo sauce! Made with rich cream, Parmesan cheese, and a punch of Basil Pesto, this sauce is unbelievably delicious. Plus, it’s low-carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free, so you can enjoy every creamy bite guilt-free!
Homemade Alfredo Sauce is very simple to make from scratch with just a few pantry ingredients. Rich, creamy, and packed with garlic, basil, and parmesan flavor, this is possibly the most flavorful Alfredo Sauce that you’ll ever have. It’s right up there with my best recipes for honey mustard sauce and garlic aioli!
HOMEMADE ALFREDO SAUCE WITH BASIL PESTO
Served over keto pizza, steak pasta, or as a dipping sauce, our Alfredo Sauce recipe is my all-time favorite because… BASIL PESTO. It’s not much – I only use about a tablespoon – but it makes all the difference.
You can leave it out if you want, but please don’t. The basil pesto adds a certain zing to the entire sauce, and once you taste it, I don’t know if you’ll ever want to go without it.
HOW TO MAKE LOW CARB ALFREDO SAUCE
Like all great recipes, this one also starts out with:
butter √
garlic √
heavy cream √
parmesan cheese √
basil pesto √
salt & pepper √
- We first melt the butter in a large skillet and stir in the garlic.
- Whisk in the heavy cream and cook for 5 minutes, until thickened.
- Next, whisk in the parmesan cheese, then the basil pesto. Cook over low heat until smooth and creamy.
- Add salt and pepper; taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. If sauce is too thick for your liking, thin it out by adding a tablespoon of water or more cream. To thicken it, add a bit more parmesan cheese.
- Pour over your favorite food and serve.
HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE ALFREDO SAUCE
- Let sauce cool down completely.
- Store in an airtight container or jar with a lid.
- Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Please keep in mind that cream and cheese-based sauces do thicken as they stand; to thin out the sauce, whisk in a bit of cream or water to reach desired consistency.
You can also freeze Alfredo Sauce:
- Store in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bags and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To prevent from curdling, stir well when reheating the frozen Alfredo Sauce.
This sauce is quick and easy to make, taking a total time of 10 minutes and made with ingredients you already have on hand.
If you couldn’t tell by now, I am a all about homemade sauces:
and so on…
Basically, I buy sauces from the store only if my time is limited. Homemade just tastes better, but most importantly, you have full control over the ingredients.
ENJOY!
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Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1-1/2 cups Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon (or to taste) basil pesto
- salt and fresh ground pepper,, to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Whisk in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer; continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until sauce is reduced and begins to thicken.
- Set heat to LOW and whisk in the parmesan cheese.
- Whisk in the basil pesto and continue to cook over low heat until smooth and creamy.
- Season with salt and pepper; taste for seasonings and pesto, and adjust accordingly.
- If sauce is too thin, add a little more parmesan cheese.
- If sauce is too thick, whisk in more cream or water.
- Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
- Serve right away or let completely cool and refrigerate.
Notes
- Let sauce cool down completely.
- Store in an airtight container or jar with a lid.
- Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Store in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bags and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Homemade sauces are the best! Definitely going to make this with our pasta dinner tomorrow.
What a great sauce to use for so many different pasta ideas!!
This is such a great idea to add basil pesto to it! Looks fabulous!
…Seriously… the best sauce ever. So easy to make!
I’ve never tried alfredo sauce with basil pesto. What a lovely idea. Also, I am seeing so many keto recipes, I need to look into this!
I have always loved Alfredo Sauce but sometimes it is too rich for me. I will have to give your recipe a try!
Thanks for this recipe. My husband is doing keto and it’s nice to have recipes we can both eat.
This alfredo sauce is a staple in our house!!
So much yes to this alfredo sauce! White sauces are my fave.
I love Alfredo Sauce but can’t seem to find a store bought brand I love! I will have to give this a try; it sounds amazing!