Looking for what to serve with fettuccine alfredo? Whether you’re planning a family meal, hosting company, or meal planning, here you will find the best fettuccine alfredo side dishes. This complete recipe collection of vegetables, salads, breads, and meats also comes with expert tips for serving, storing, and reheating!
Regardless if you’re preparing a quick weeknight meal or need to impress company, alfredo pasta is a very popular choice! It can be prepared in minutes, easily adaptable for gluten-free alfredo, and pairs great with proteins, such as chicken alfredo or shrimp alfredo.
Much like when looking for what to serve with lasagna or mac and cheese sides, you’ll want to find easy recipes to compliment the taste and texture of such a filling dish. Of course bread makes a good companion to soak the last bit of alfredo sauce, but there are many vegetables, salads, and more to go with fettuccine alfredo.
Whether you need to know what goes with fettuccine alfredo, the best side dishes, vegetables, salads, breads, or even meats, find an arsenal of ideas and recipes are all here!
Best Sides to serve with fettuccine alfredo
Alfredo is made by combining heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and sometimes cream cheese and tossing it with fettuccine noodles. Since it can be a filling meal, it’s a difficult dish to pair with sides. A great side dish shouldn’t overwhelm pasta covered in a creamy alfredo sauce!
If you are looking for what to serve with fettuccine alfredo besides salad, find a perfect side dish right here, including green vegetables, salads, meats, and more easy ideas below. These would work for holiday meals or family dinners.
Scroll down to find the specific recipes, plus expert tips for making and serving this decadent pasta dish!
- Fresh green salad
- Broccoli
- Steamed or roasted carrots
- Chicken breast
- Garlic bread
- Roasted or fried eggplant
- Corn
- Crispy chicken strips
- Sautéed spinach
- Kale salad
- Breadsticks
- Grilled shrimp
- Green beans
- Roasted potatoes
- Zucchini
- Mushrooms
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Steamed or roasted cauliflower
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Peas
Meats to go with alfredo
If you would like a quick and easy vegetarian meal, enjoy fettuccine alfredo on its own, paired with one of the suggested sides. However, this pasta dish also makes a great accompaniment for meats and proteins, like some of the ones suggested below.
Besides popular chicken alfredo or shrimp alfredo, there are many other options!
- Meatballs – ground chicken, ground beef
- Chicken – grilled, baked, or crispy breading
- Shrimp – grilled or sautéed
- Pork – oven baked, breaded, grilled
- Fish – grilled, broiled, or baked salmon, cod, tilapia, halibut, or grouper
easy Salads
Light, fresh salads go well with alfredo and seem to be an easy choice. Pile leafy greens with red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and serve with a simple olive oil, lemon juice vinaigrette or any preferred dressing.
For festive meals, like Christmas or Easter, something sweeter such as jello salads, pretzel salad, or fruit salads, make a decadent accompaniment.
- Caprese salad with fresh basil
- Wedge salad
- Caesar salad with croutons
- Spinach
- Tossed Greens – spring mix, arugula salad, romaine, or iceberg lettuce
- Jello salads
- Antipasto platter
- Fruit salads
best serving and reheating tips
Although homemade alfredo is quick and easy to make, don’t let your effort go to waste by serving a congealed sauce. Follow these expert tips below!
- Afredo sauce is best served immediately, and does not make an ideal make-ahead meal. Luckily it only takes a few minutes make while the pasta is boiling!
- If you don’t plan on eating the entire alfredo sauce recipe, I recommend refrigerating leftover sauce before it has been tossed with the noodles. It will keep up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- To reheat the sauce, the best method is on the stovetop. Place it in a saucepan (heavy-bottom triple-ply stainless works best) and reheat gently, over low heat, whisking frequently.
- If the alfredo has been mixed with the noodles, the best method is the microwave. But, there is an important tip! If you heat on full power the butter will separate, leading to greasy leftovers. The key to reheating is using microwave defrost! Heat at no more than 30% power, cook for 1 minute, then stop to stir every 30 seconds until heated through.
fAQ about fettuccine alfredo
No. Leftovers do not freeze well and will separate upon reheating.
Yes. Everything in the sauce is low carb and keto-friendly. However you will have to serve it over low carb pasta to keep the entire dish keto.
If you are looking for a thicker sauce for dipping or as a pizza base, consider simmering it longer to reduce, adding arrowroot powder or cornstarch, or whisking in an egg yolk..
what to serve with fettuccine Alfredo – more ideas!
1. 20 Minute Roasted Zucchini (Not Soggy!)
2. Breaded Oven Pork Chops
3. Harvest Salad
4. Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia Recipe (Gluten-Free)
5. Crispy Coconut Shrimp (Baked or Air Fryer)
6. Cheesy Baked Tomatoes (in 10 Minutes!)
7. Soft Gluten-Free Breadsticks
8. Baked Broccoli and Cheese
9. Marinated Green Bean Salad
10. Strawberry Feta Salad
11. 20 Minute Rosemary Pork Chops (Extra Moist)
12. Easy Italian Gluten-Free Focaccia (Extra Soft)
13. Bacon Maple Brussels Sprouts
14. Grilled Salmon in Foil
15. Overnight 7-Layer Salad
16. Sauteed Zucchini with Lemon and Garlic
17. Crispy Oven Roasted Cabbage Steaks
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50+ Easy Sides to Serve with Fettuccine Alfredo: Sauteed Zucchini
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 zucchini, cut into 1/2" thick semi-circles
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Pour oil in a large skillet and heat over medium high heat until pan and oil are hot. Add the zucchini chunks, toss with olive oil, and let it sit in a single layer, undisturbed, for 2 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 zucchini,
- Cook and stir for an additional 2 minutes to finish cooking and saute the other sides. In the last 30 seconds add the minced garlic, continuing to stir.1 garlic clove,
- Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve immediately.½ tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
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Notes
Avoid these common mistakes!
- Choose the right sized zucchini and squash – Save larger zucchini for baking recipes, such as gluten free zucchini bread, zucchini brownies, and blueberry zucchini bread. Ideally harvest or buy zucchini when it is 5-7 inches long. Otherwise it can be tasteless or bitter.
- Salting before cooking – Salt draws out moisture, so save the seasoning until after the summer squash has cooked.
- Overcooking – If you have chosen a young, small squash, it only requires a few minutes to become crisp tender.
- Leaving in seed core – To avoid mushy zucchini, cut out the seed core, leaving only the flesh and skin around it. When the seeds come in contact with heat they automatically soften and can become spongy.
- Use high heat – The key is cook the zucchini as quick as possible on high heat. Lower temps means longer cooking times, allowing more time for the vegetables to break down and soften.
Nutrition
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