Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter (or if I have just cooked chicken or other meat, I like to add 2-4 Tbs butter to whatever oil and spices are left in the pan)
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley (you can substitute this blend of spices for a teaspoon of any Italian spice blend, as long as the blend doesn't have salt added in)
1 1/2 - 2 Cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
*1 fist-full of fresh basil leaves (optional)
Directions:
Add your butter and garlic to a medium-large sized sauce pan, and put the heat on medium. I like to prepare my Alfredo sauce in the pan I just used to cook chicken or other meat. This way all of the spices and oil from the meat are left in the pan and add a tone of flavor to the sauce. If you do it this way, reduce the butter you add (the amount you reduce will depend on how much oil was left in the pan)
Let the garlic cook in the butter for a few minutes, then stir in the heavy whipping cream. keep stirring until the butter and cream are well blended.
Add in your oregano, thyme, and parsley. Then bring the mixture to a simmer.
Slowly add in your parmesan, stirring as you add. You don't want the sauce to be too thick, so hold back some parmesan if needed. The sauce will thicken significantly as it cools. You can always add more parmesan on top of your pasta after serving.
Once the parmesan is completely melted, give it a taste. Then add salt and lemon juice to taste. Salt is less critical here, so try adding the lemon juice first to give your sauce that extra kick. Right now you sauce is mostly fats (butter, heavy cream, and cheese), so you need an acid like lemon juice to balance it out. Adding lemon juice is what I have found to be the key to a great Alfredo sauce.
Turn off the heat and stir in your fresh basil leaves. This will add a bit more flavor, but is mostly for looks. You don't have to add the basil leaves, but I personally like the look of an Alfredo sauce with fresh green leaves mixed in. You could also save them and use them as a garnish when plating your pasta.
Now your sauce is complete. You can stir your sauce into some pasta, or let it cool and move it to an air-tight container for storage.