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You can make a delicious meal with just a box of pasta and some jarred Alfredo sauce. This inexpensive meal is easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner when you just want some comfort food, and fast. All you have to do is cook the pasta, heat up the sauce, and enjoy.
Things You Should Know
- Generally, you'll need 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of alfredo sauce per single serving.
- Cook the pasta as you would normally.
- Then, heat your sauce over medium heat and add your pasta in the same pan. Stir and cook the pasta and sauce for 3 minutes.
Steps
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Fill a tall pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. When it comes to making pasta, it doesn't matter how much water you use; you just need enough to submerge the pasta. Err on the safe side and fill the pot about 3/4 full to make sure you have enough. You want it to come to a full, rolling boil before you add the pasta.- If you want, you can salt the water to help flavor the pasta. Add a few shakes of salt from your salt shaker. You can also add salt later, after the pasta has cooked, or just enjoy the saltiness of the Alfredo sauce.
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Add the pasta to the boiling water. Drop the dried pasta into the water, and it will immediately begin cooking.Advertisement -
Cook the pasta for the amount of time indicated on the package. Different types of pasta require different cooking times. In general, it should take eight to ten minutes to finish cooking your pasta. Most people enjoy their pasta "al dente," which means it still has a bit of bite to it, rather than being completely mushy.- You can check to see if the pasta is ready by using a fork to pull out a piece and tasting it. If you like the texture, remove it from heat.
- Or smack a piece of pasta against the wall or another surface. If it sticks, it's ready.
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Remove the pasta from heat. Turn off the heat and place the pasta on a different burner so it stops cooking.
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Figure out how much Alfredo sauce to use. You'll need the same number of sauce servings as pasta servings. For example, if you made enough pasta for two people, heat enough sauce for two people. Check the nutrition label on the sauce jar to find out how much sauce is in one serving; it should be about 1/4 to 1/2 cup per person. -
Pour the sauce into a medium pan or pot. The pot you use needs to be large enough to fit both the Alfredo sauce and the pasta, so choose accordingly. -
Heat the sauce over medium heat. Place the pan on a burner, turn the burner to medium, and let the sauce begin to heat. Stir it occasionally using a spatula or spoon to keep it from scorching on the bottom. It should take about five minutes to heat. Taste the sauce to see if it's hot before going to the next step. -
Add the pasta to the sauce. Lift the pasta from the pasta pot to the Alfredo pan to mix them together. You can use tongs or a pronged pasta spoon to do the job. Keep going until all of the pasta has been moved from the pot to the pan with the sauce.
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Stir it together and cook for three more minutes. This will give the pasta and the sauce time to combine and take on a nice texture. After three minutes are up, remove the pan from heat.
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Scoop the pasta and sauce onto a plate. You could also pour it into a bowl and have everyone serve themselves. -
Add toppings if desired. Grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley taste wonderful with pasta and Alfredo sauce. Add as many toppings as you want, or just eat it plain. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. -
Enjoy with bread and salad. Make your pasta dish into a complete meal by serving it with some garlic bread and a salad on the side.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionI want to spice up my fettuccine alfredo recipe, because I'm using jarred sauce. Is there anything I can do to make it a little more homemade?Community AnswerIf you're using a plain alfredo sauce, try roasting your own garlic and using your favorite blend of herbs to personalize things and add a bit of extra oomph.
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QuestionWill the leftovers keep?Community AnswerLeftovers are even better. Heat everything up in a saute pan on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally then add parmesan and parsley and enjoy.
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QuestionCan I use hot Italian sausage in spaghetti and alfredo sauce?Community AnswerYes, you can! That would be a great combination.
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Tips
- Decide how much pasta you need before you begin cooking. The average serving size is 2 ounces of pasta per person. That's about half a handful of dried fettuccine noodles, or half a cup of dried macaroni [1] X Research source .Thanks
- The type of pasta you choose is completely up to you. Fettuccine noodles, which are like wide, flat spaghetti noodles, are commonly paired with Alfredo sauce. However, any type of pasta will taste great, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand.Thanks
- You can also add salt, pepper, and anything else you want to the sauce to customize it. While the sauce is heating, taste it and determine whether you want to add some spices or you like it just the way it is.Thanks
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About This Article
Article Summary
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To make pasta with Alfredo sauce from a jar, start by bringing a pot of water to boil over high heat. Check the pasta packet to see how much you need for the amount of people eating. Once the water starts to boil, add your pasta and cook it for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is soft when you touch it with a fork. Then, pour your Alfredo sauce into another pot over medium heat and warm it for 5 minutes. Stir it occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Finally, drain your pasta, then add it to your sauce and cook it for another 3 minutes. For more tips, including how to serve and top your pasta to give it extra flavor, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "This is the first time I've tried to make Alfredo pasta without the correct pasta. All I have is the multi color type of squiggles but I'm going to give it a try. Wish me luck. Your advice has been quite helpful, thank you." ..." more
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"This is the first time I've tried to make Alfredo pasta without the correct pasta. All I have is the multi color type of squiggles but I'm going to give it a try. Wish me luck. Your advice has been quite helpful, thank you."
..."
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"Makes some pretty good pasta. It's good to use as a basic guide for how to make the pasta."
"It helped me a lot, thanks."
