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if it is store-bought and the jar is unopened, you can keep it in your larder for between six and eight months.

Thicken Alfredo Sauce (How To)

5 from 2 votes
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The key to thickening any sauce is through reduction. This is achieved by allowing the sauce to simmer until the majority of the moisture is steamed out.

Ingredients:

  • Alfredo sauce

Instructions:

Using flour as a thickening agent:

  • Gradually, add ½ to 1 tablespoon of flour (depends on the amount of your sauce). Stir the sauce as you add the flour, it will minimize any lumps forming.
    If you use regular all-purpose flour, it will develop more lumps, but it will disappear if you whisk the sauce properly.
  • Don’t forget to simmer the sauce for a few minutes to get rid of any taste of raw flour.

Making a Beurre Manié or Kneaded Butter:

  • Start with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and 1 tablespoon of softened butter. Note: Leave the butter to soften at room temperature. Don't microwave the butter. 
  • Put the ingredients into a bowl and knead until they come together to form a doughlike consistency.
  • Take a level tablespoon of the kneaded mixture, and in between the palms of your hands, roll it into a small ball.
  • Drop the ball of Beurre Manié into the simmering liquid carefully to avoid any splashing, and proceed to stir the sauce until it is completely dissolved and distributed.
  • As soon as it reaches your preferred consistency, take the pan off the stovetop; otherwise, it can develop a starchy flavor.

Using Flavored Roux:

  • Warm a pan on the stovetop on a low heat setting, add the butter or oil and add a similar amount of flour when hot. You can check the recipe here on how to make a simple roux. 
  • Mix the ingredients and cook the roux gently for between five and 15 minutes stirring all the while. It will become white or golden. Try not to let it turn brown, and if it does, reduce the heat immediately.
  • Every time you put a tablespoon of the roux into your simmering sauce, you need to stir it gently to make sure that any lumps disappear.
  • When it reaches your targeted consistency, allow it to simmer for a few minutes to dispel any taste of raw flour.

Using cornstarch as a thickening agent:

  • Mix equal quantities (1:1 ratio) of cold milk or water and cornstarch in a separate bowl. As you mix it, it will thicken.
  • Add the thickened mixture into the simmering sauce and stir gently.
  • Keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn the heat off and serve immediately.

When to use egg as a thickening agent:

  • Egg yolks will curdle if you drop them straight into a hot sauce, so you need to warm them gently and separately – a process known as tempering.
  • Add a drizzle of cream or milk to your egg yolk as this will help protect it from the heat. Add some of the sauce into the yolk mixture a tablespoon at a time.
  • Keep on until you have about a quarter or a third of a cupful. Pour the mixture back into the remainder of the sauce and simmer gently.
  • Remember to keep the temperature setting low because even a tempered yolks might curdle.

Notes:

What causes alfredo sauce to separate?

If your sauce develops a thin film that looks like olive oil near its surface, the butter has separated.
If this is a problem you keep encountering, it can be caused by one of two things:
#1. High Temperature
  • Firstly, it can happen if you heat the sauce at too high a temperature. It causes the milk to scorch, making it separate. You can get around this by ensuring that your sauce never boils. Maintain the pan on a low-to-medium temperature setting while keeping the sauce moving with a handheld whisk or wooden spoon to prevent scorching.
#2. Heavy cream is too cold
The second reason your sauce might separate is if the heavy cream you used was too cold when you added it to the sauce. The best way around this is to gently heat the cream separately while you are making the roux.
If you bought your cream in a carton, to save dirtying a pan, you could warm the cream in its container by placing it in a slightly warm oven for a few seconds.
Alternatively, you can pop it into your microwave on a defrost setting and warm it gently for a few seconds.
Another trick is to add a few drops of hot pasta water into the cream and stir to distribute the warmth.

Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

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