This Loaded Awesome Pasta Alfredo recipe is my favorite. It is so good. Ham, shrimp, chicken, bacon or sausage, all work beautifully. The sauce is divine.You will make this again and again!
I am not kidding. You really can use ham, shrimp, chicken, bacon or sausage to make this wonderful weeknight dinner idea. Make sure that you quickly saute or cook everything you add before combining it with your sauce.
Secretly, I know that the main reason I make ham is for the leftovers and all of the recipes I love to make with all of those leftovers. This Loaded Awesome Pasta Alfredo is one of them.
I also have used ground sausage and slices of sausage in this dish as well as ground beef and I have never had a single complaint! Feel free to experiment! I can’t wait to hear what you use when you make this dish for yourself!
Ingredients for Loaded Awesome Pasta Alfredo
- butter
- heavy or whipping cream
- salt
- pepper
- parmesan cheese
- crushed red pepper flakes
- minced garlic
- parsley, dried or fresh
- your favorite pasta
- mushrooms
- peppers
- onions
- ham, bacon, shrimp, chicken or sausage
How to Make Loaded Awesome Pasta Alfredo
In a large skillet, over medium high heat, heat oil until it shimmers or a drop of water flicked in it dances.
Add mushrooms and stir.
Next, add onions and stir occasionally until water is released from mushrooms and they are both tender.
Add peppers and ham if using.
Stir for a few minutes and remove from heat.
Drain.
Once drained, you will need to put the vegetables into a pot large enough to hold all of your cooked pasta and everything else.
If you are using chicken or ground or sliced sausage, bacon or shrimp, add some more oil to your now empty skillet and wait for it to heat up.
Add chicken pieces, sausage slices or ground sausage and stir regularly until no longer pink and cooked.
Dump meat with vegetables in your colander or strainer and then into your large pot.
In a saucepan or skillet, melt butter over medium low heat.
Add cream, increase temperature to medium high and bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce back to medium low and simmer for 7-9 minutes. Stir regularly.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In the meantime, cook pasta of your choice according to package directions.
Reserve 1 cup cooking water before draining the pasta to thin your sauce if necessary.
Drain pasta and then dump into your large pot.
Stir alfredo sauce frequently.
Add the garlic, parsley and parmesan. Whisk constantly until cheese is totally melted, about 3 minutes.
Pour sauce into your large pot.
Gently toss everything together in your large pot to combine.
Serve immediately.
Loaded Awesome Pasta Alfredo Variations
- instead of just parmesan cheese use ½ cup mozzarella and ¾ cup parmesan
- broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, peppers, spinach, peas, asparagus, corn and the list goes on…
- if you are in a hurry, you can use a frozen vegetable blend and just add them to the sauce before you add the pasta
- Italian seasoning
- cajun seasoning
- thyme
- instead of regular garlic use roasted garlic
- nutmeg
- pesto
- ham, bacon, shrimp, chicken or sausage, sliced steak
- use a shredded store bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken
Just in case this Loaded Awesome Alfredo Pasta recipe isn’t for you I have listed a bunch of our favorites for you to have a look at!
More Delicious Pasta Dishes to Try
Our Favorite Loaded Pasta Carbonara
Chicken Pasta in Sherry Cream Sauce
Million Dollar Pasta Casserole
Meat Lovers Pizza Pasta Casserole
Creamy Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff
Simple Skillet Chicken Stroganoff
Cheesy Pizza Spaghetti Casserole
Tips for Making Loaded Awesome Pasta Alfredo
- Reserve approximately 1 cup cooking water right before draining the pasta to thin your sauce if needed, a few tablespoons at a time. When pasta is still in the water and cooked I grab a measuring cup, with a handle, and scoop out about 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Then I drain the pasta in my colander or strainer in the sink and then into the large pot.
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese if at all possible. It not only melts better but it tastes so much better too.
- The first time you make this recipe it will take you less than 30 minutes. After that you should be able to get it down to 20 minutes of total cook time with 2 pans going at once! One for the pasta and one the sauce!
- Never use flour or cornstarch to thicken this sauce, it might result in a pasty, glue like texture as it cools.
- Start cooking your pasta of choice first, so the cooled pasta can be added to the sauce right before you serve it. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, so make sure EVERYTHING is ready before starting your sauce.
- Alfredo is best served immediately and hot. However, it can be reheated, over low heat, slowly on your stove top or in the microwave if there are any leftovers! It will last in your refrigerator for up to 3 days in a sealed, airtight container.
- Some kinds or brands of Parmesan cheese can be quite salty so be sure to taste as you go.
- Don’t add oil to your pasta water as it will stop the sauce from covering or coating the pasta.
- Cook the pasta until just underdone and allow it to finish cooking in the sauce so it can absorb the flavors and marry with the sauce.
Loaded Awesome Pasta Alfredo Video
Loaded Awesome Pasta Alfredo Video
Loaded Awesome Pasta Alfredo
Equipment
- saucepan
- large skillet
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter - or 1 stick
- 1 ½ cups heavy or whipping cream
- 1 ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tblsp dried crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tblsp garlic, minced
- 2 tblsp parsley, dried or fresh or ¼ cup
- pasta cooked
- 3 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups peppers, sliced or chopped
- 1 cup onion, sliced or chopped
- 1-2 cups ham, shrimp, chicken, bacon or sausage, cubed or chopped
- 1 pound pasta or your choice, cooked and drained
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium high heat, heat oil until it shimmers or a drop of water flicked in it dances.
- Add mushrooms and stir.
- Add onions and stir occasionally until water is released from mushrooms and they are tender.
- Add peppers and ham if using. Stir for a few minutes and remove from heat.
- Drain. I usually put a colander or strainer in my sink and dump everything in there, one by one.
- Once drained, you will need to put the vegetables into a pot large enough to hold all of your cooked pasta and everything else.
- If you are using chicken or ground or sliced sausage, add some more oil to your now empty skillet and wait for it to heat up.
- Add chicken pieces, shrimp, bacon, sausage slices or ground sausage and stir regularly until no longer pink and cooked.
- Dump meat with vegetables in your colander or strainer and then into your large pot.
- In a saucepan or skillet, melt butter over medium low heat.
- Add cream, increase temperature to medium high and bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce back to medium low and simmer for 7-9 minutes. Stir regularly.
- Taste your sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- In the meantime, cook pasta of your choice according to package directions.
- Reserve 1 cup cooking water before draining the pasta to thin your sauce if necessary. When pasta is still in the water and cooked I grab a measuring cup, with a handle, and scoop out about 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Then I drain the pasta in my colander or strainer in the sink and then into the large pot.
- Stir alfredo sauce frequently. Add the garlic, parsley and parmesan. Whisk constantly until cheese is totally melted, about 3 minutes.
- Pour sauce into your large pot.
- Gently toss everything together in your large pot to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
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