Alfredo Sauce (creamy pasta sauce)

Alfredo sauce is a sauce for pasta made by mixing thickened cream, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Variants include additions like pepper, nutmeg, and parsley. Outside of Italy, Alfredo sauce is often combined with proteins such as chicken, or vegetables. The quintessential dish with Alfredo sauce is fettuccine Alfredo, made with extra-thick fettuccine noodles drenched in the rich, creamy sauce. This dish is a stock offering at many Italian restaurants. My Alfredo sauce uses my basic cream sauce with additions. It may not be the exact way the Italians make it, but it tastes damn good, and is quick and easy. Some other variations of this basic sauce include Boscaiola Cream Sauce,Carbonara Cream Sauce,Pesto Cream Sauce,Primavera Cream Sauce and Tuna and Mushroom Cream Sauce.

Ingredients

Add the parmesan and the parsley to the basic cream sauce and heat gently to allow the cheese to melt and incorporate into the sauce.

Other ingredients can also be added to a cream pasta sauce such as...

Carbonara Cream Sauce - lean bacon or pancetta, cut into strips, and paprika. Sauté and add to the cream sauce.
Tuna and Mushroom Cream Sauce - small can of tuna - flaked, button mushrooms - sliced, 1 Tbsp tomato paste. Sauté the tuna and mushrooms in a little olive oil, add to the cream sauce with the tomato paste.
Pesto Cream Sauce - add 2 Tbsp pesto to the cream sauce.
Boscaiola Cream Sauce - bacon or pancetta cut into strips, sliced button mushrooms. Sauté bacon and mushrooms together and add to the sauce.
Primavera Cream Sauce - selection of vegetables cut into bite sized pieces. Sauté and add to the cream sauce.