What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta.

I call this fake Alfredo because it’s not quite what you would order at a fine Italian establishment, but it’s pretty on-par in the taste department. And it’s so easy to make, it takes about the same amount of time as preparing the noodles to go with it.

A friend gave me this recipe on a post-it note several years ago – did I mention how easy it is?! I keep meaning to create a whole recipe box, but instead, I just slapped it on top of a recipe I photocopied out of a magazine and shoved it in a sleeve in my family’s self-bound recipe collection. It’s just as useful, and being on a yellow sticky note makes it easier to find for quick reference.

If you’ve ever tried the store bought Alfredo sauce that comes in a jar, you probably have been severely disappointed in the flavor department (it’s like eating white gravy with a hint of garlic). This is a wonderful replacement for that stuff, with a ton more flavor. I will warn you that with parmesan being such a hard cheese, it never truly melts like other cheeses, so be prepared for a grainy texture.

Fake Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 sticks of butter (or 3/4 c.)
• 1 c. half and half
• 2 c. finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp. dried chives (or just a good sprinkling – I rarely measure this out)
• 1 tsp. dried parsley (same)
• 1 clove garlic (or three – can you really ever have too much garlic?)
• 8 oz. sour cream

What to do:

1. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add in the half and half, stir until combined.
3. Add in the parmesan cheese, stirring continuously. (Usually, I just use a whisk and keep that baby moving.)
4. Sprinkle in the chives, parsley, and garlic. Stir to combine.
5. Let mixture simmer for about 5 minutes, but continue to stir throughout.
6. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream until fully blended.
7. Serve, eat, enjoy!

Sometimes, I use up leftover chicken and stir in into the sauce before pouring it over some nice fettuccine noodles; sometimes, I sautee some shrimp in butter in a separate pan and then combine with angel hair pasta; and it makes a great dipping sauce for breadsticks, too, if you’re into that sort of thing. (Let’s be real – who isn’t?!)