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5 Easy Add-ins That Make Jarred Alfredo Sauce Taste Better
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By clicking "Sign Up", you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the email.When you have the time, making a big batch of pasta sauce from scratch is a lovely idea. But not every dinner can be the dinner of our dreams.
Sometimes you just need to get some food on the table for yourself and your family before everyone gets hangry. In that case, you may find yourself reaching for something like a jarred Alfredo sauce.
In the time it takes pasta to boil, there are a few things you can do to zhuzh up the jarred sauce to the point that it may even taste homemade. Joshua Resnick, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education offers tips below to brighten and freshen the flavor of your favorite jarred Alfredo sauce.
What is Alfredo sauce made of?Classic American Alfredo sauce is made with cream, butter, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Some iterations add Pecorino Romano, herbs, or garlic.
Cream and butter are gently simmered, then cheese is whisked in and salt and pepper are added. Alfredo is known for being a creamy, cheesy, and comforting sauce that's perfect for a weeknight dinner.
For a truly customized Alfredo sauce, feel free to mix and match any of the below ingredients.
Sautéed garlic and spinach Add both flavor and texture with garlic and spinach. Fermate/Getty ImagesYou could just add garlic powder, sure, but quickly sautéeing fresh garlic while your pasta cooks is a great way to layer flavor. Resnick likes to add spinach as a way to cut the richness of the sauce.
Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a few cloves of minced garlic in a sautée pan over medium heat. You'll know your sautéed garlic is ready when it's a very light tan color and the scent of cooking garlic has filled your kitchen, about 1 minute.
Once the garlic is fragrant, turn off the heat and add a few handfuls of fresh spinach and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Gently mix as the spinach wilts over the residual heat. Stir until the spinach is evenly distributed.
Quick tip: To add a bit of heat, add a good pinch of chili flakes to the oil while the garlic cooks.
Freshly grated Parmigiano ReggianoParmigiano Reggiano, the name-protected Italian cheese, is a surefire way to add a umami and depth of flavor to a jarred Alfredo sauce.
Freshly grate a few inches of the cheese, then whisk it right into the sauce as it's warming on the stove. For extra impact, grate some more Parmigiano Reggiano over each serving of pasta once you've tossed the noodles with the sauce.
You can do this with other Italian hard cheeses as well, like Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, or Asiago.
White balsamicAfter heating your sauce, Resnick suggests drizzling some white balsamic in to brighten the flavor. The acidity will help cut through the richness of the sauce. Start with about a half a tablespoon, then taste and adjust if needed.
If you don't have white balsamic, classic balsamic or a good squeeze of lemon juice will also work, though balsamic will darken the sauce slightly.
Fresh herbs Herbs like parsley, thyme, and basil add freshness to the sauce. Istetiana/Getty ImagesFresh herbs will brighten and freshen the flavor of the sauce. Resnick suggests using parsley, thyme, oregano, or chervil, or mixing and matching depending on what you like.
To use them, finely mince 2 tablespoons of your chosen herbs. Heartier herbs like thyme or oregano can be added in to simmer with the sauce. Add delicate herbs like parsley, basil, or chervil at the end to maintain their delicate, aromatic flavor.
Quick tip: Swirl in a bit of leftover pesto to add another herbaceous twist to your Alfredo sauce.
Infused oilsIf you have infused oils, such as truffle oil or basil-flavored olive oil around, use them to add richer flavor to your jarred Alfredo sauce. Drizzle whichever oil you're using over the pasta at the end. These oils are potent, so start with a few drops, taste, then see if you'd like to add more. A fruity and zippy extra virgin olive oil could also do the trick.
Best ways to use jarred Alfredo sauce Try making a white pizza, a creamy crab dip, or go the classic route with fettuccine or chicken. Cavan Images/Getty ImagesThere's no reason why a quick dinner using jarred Alfredo sauce needs to be boring. In the time it takes to boil your pasta, you can sautée some aromatics plus a veggie to add in, or you can simply drizzle some balsamic or infused oil over the plated pasta. Use your customized sauce for fettuccine Alfredo, a low-carb chicken dish, or a white pizza.
Christine Clark
Freelance Reporter
Christine Clark is a freelance writer who covers specialty food and beverage, especially cheese and wine. She has been in the food and beverage world for a little under a decade. Christine got her start in cheese at Murray's Cheese in New York City, where she ran the education department, teaching and programming classes on cheese and cheesemaking (everything from wine to mezcal to chocolate to smoked fish was fair cheese-pairing game). Christine is a Certified Cheese Professional with the American Cheese Society and has taught cheese and pairing classes around the world. Some of her bylines can be found in VinePair, Wine Enthusiast, Epicurious, AllRecipes, The Spruce Eats, Food52, and more and she has been featured as a cheese expert in The New York Times, Bon Appetit, FirstWeFeast, and HuffPost. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Read more Read lessChicken Alfredo Lasagna Recipe Combines 2 Italian Classics Into 1 Tasty Bake
The choice between chicken Alfredo or lasagna for pasta night can be a tricky one. So, why make it easier on yourself and whip up chicken Alfredo lasagna instead? This lasagna puts a rich and creamy twist on the Italian classic by swapping Alfredo sauce for tomato sauce. It produces a hearty bake that your crowd will want seconds of. Even better, a simple trick ensures your lasagna layers stay solid–making it a breeze to slice and serve. Here's how to make chicken Alfredo lasagna as an appetite-satisfying dinner main!
What is chicken Alfredo lasagna?This lasagna consists of Alfredo sauce, shredded chicken, lasagna noodles and cheese that are layered in a dish. It's then baked until the cheese is melted and golden brown. With this lasagna, you get the buttery and cheesy flavor of the Alfredo that complements the seasoned chicken. It's a nice change of pace from the standard version of lasagna made with a tomato or meat sauce.
How do you layer lasagna so it doesn't fall apart?Since you spend a considerable amount of time layering this dish, you'll want to make sure those layers stay intact. Otherwise, they'll fall apart the moment you scoop a slice and put it on a plate. Each lasagna recipe will outline steps for layering the ingredients. But, for chicken alfredo lasagna, here's the order that YouTuber @ChefKristiThymetoCook follows before baking and cooling this dish.
Alfredo sauce on the bottom of the dish
Three lasagna sheets on top
Spreading a layer of shredded chicken and ricotta cheese mixture
A sprinkle of mozzarella cheese
Another layer of Alfredo sauce
Repeat until the pan is completely filled and cover
Ready to make this lasagna that makes any dinner extra special? Try chef Kristi's recipe listed below as it uses a homemade Alfredo for a creamier flavor. To achieve gooey lasagna, use a mozzarella cheese such as Galbani's low-moisture variety as its firm texture withstands the oven's temperature and melts perfectly–both inside of the layered dish and on top!
Chicken Alfredo LasagnaFor Alfredo sauce:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour (¾ cup of flour for thinner sauce)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream (half-and-half or milk can be substituted)
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp. Cracked black pepper
For lasagna:
8 cooked chicken tenderloins, shredded
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 Tbs. Dried parsley
12 lasagna noodles cooked
4 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
Oil or nonstick spray (for greasing)
Directions:
Make sauce: In saucepan over medium heat, melt stick of butter. Add minced garlic to melted butter. Cook for few seconds before gradually whisking in flour until dry roux forms. Allow roux to cook 1 minute. (Note: The more flour you use, the more dry your roux will be.)
Pour in chicken broth a little at a time, whisking vigorously so that mixture is thoroughly combined. Once lumps are removed from mixture and it's slightly thickened, stir in heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Make chicken and ricotta filling: In medium bowl, mix together shredded chicken, ricotta and dried parsley.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease baking pan with oil or nonstick spray.
Assemble lasagna: Place around 1 cup of Alfredo sauce in bottom of greased pan. Add 3 lasagna noodles on top of sauce, then add chicken mixed with ricotta cheese and parsley.
Then add a handful of mozzarella, and finally spread some alfredo sauce over mixture, then repeat until pan is full and you end up with a plain lasagna noodle layer.
Add remaining sauce and cheese. Then cover with foil and bake about an hour. Uncover and bake 15 to 20 more minutes or until cheese begins to get golden brown and everything is hot and bubbling.
Once browned, remove from oven and cool at least 30 minutes before slicing into eight even portions and serving. Enjoy!
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